Mylon LeFevre

Mylon Rae LeFevre (October 6, 1944 – September 8, 2023) was an American Christian rock singer known for his work with his band Mylon and Broken Heart.

He was a Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductee, who traveled around the United States, ministering, teaching, and singing.

He sometimes could be seen on television networks, such as TBN, Daystar and Victory Channel.

Born on October 6, 1944, in Gulfport, Mississippi, into the pioneering Southern gospel family, The LeFevres, Mylon was the youngest son of Eva Mae and Urias LeFevre.

When he was old enough, he began to sing and play guitar with the group.

As a teen, LeFevre was expelled from a private religious high school when his father took him out to be with the family while they performed at a local concert.

At 17 years old, he wrote his first song, "Without Him".

While stationed at Fort Jackson, South Carolina in the Army, where he was paid $84 per month, the LeFevres were performing at the National Quartet Convention in Memphis.

That weekend, LeFevre hitchhiked over 600 miles to get there.

Onstage, singing "Without Him", he did not know that Elvis Presley was there.

After the concert, Elvis asked to meet LeFevre.

Elvis eventually recorded the song for his album, How Great Thou Art, and within the next year, over a hundred artists would record his song.

According to LeFevre, writing the song took about twenty minutes and produced an initial royalty check of approximately $90,000.

With that money, he purchased his first car, a Chevrolet Corvette, one of many sports cars he would own.

In 1964, LeFevre released his first solo album, New Found Joy, on Skylite Records.

After being discharged from the Army, LeFevre became a member of the Stamps Quartet (1966–1968).

In 1968, LeFevre would release Your Only Tomorrow.

LeFevre wanted to write and sing contemporary music that gives glory to God, but there seemed to be no place for his music—or his longer hair and long sideburns—in his family or the Church.

His first mainstream album, entitled Mylon, We Believe (Atlantic/Cotillion Records 1970), is considered by some to be the first true "Jesus Rock" album, although Larry Norman's Upon This Rock preceded this album by about a year.

LeFevre took the classic song, "Gospel Ship", setting the familiar southern gospel melody to rock & roll tempo.

In 1970, LeFevre signed with Columbia Records and formed the Holy Smoke Doo Dah Band with Auburn Burrell and J.P. Lauzon on guitar, drummer Marty Simon, Tom Robb on bass, and keyboardist Lester Langdale.

From 1970 through 1980, he recorded and performed with Eric Clapton, Elton John, Billy Joel, Duane Allman, Berry Oakley, Little Richard, and the Who, among others.

The album On the Road to Freedom was produced by Alvin Lee and recorded in George Harrison's studio with Ron Wood, Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi and Mick Fleetwood, & released in 1973.

Lee & Harrison are also contributing writer/musicians.

His drug use escalated to a near-fatal overdose of heroin in 1973.

So LeFevre committed himself to a drug treatment program that year.

Seven months later, LeFevre came out clean.

In 1974, he appeared as a fill-in vocalist on several tracks for the Atlanta Rhythm Section's album Third Annual Pipe Dream.

LeFevre started getting high to deal with the stress and to fit in.

In 1976 LeFevre met Danny Davenport, a promotion exec with Warner Bros. and the two of them became friends.

That friendship escalated into a Warner Bros. contract which yielded two albums: Weak at the Knees and Love Rustler.

In 1980, LeFevre attended a concert by the CCM group, 2nd Chapter of Acts.

Their long hair and music showed that they were not concerned with outward appearances but with issues of the heart.

Buck Herring, the group's leader, led the people in prayer and LeFevre prayed along and submitted to Jesus as the Lord of his life.

LeFevre quit secular rock and returned to his home church at Mt. Paran Church of God, in Atlanta—where he worked as a janitor while attending Bible-study classes.

His first challenge was to get out of his music contract which, according to the terms, could only be broken "by an act of God".

LeFevre's attorney argued that being born again is an act of God and won the case.

In return for release from his contract, LeFevre agreed to give up all future royalties on his songs, publishing, and recordings.

In 1981, he started a Christian band called The Gathering Ground Band, later to be renamed Airborn with some musicians he met in the Bible study: Dean Harrington (lead guitar, vocals, percussion), Don Woods (drums/percussion), Kim Klaudt (bass), Mike Adams (rhythm guitar) and Michael Milsap (keyboards).

In 1982, the band changed their name to Broken Heart.