Wilson Mckinley

Wilson McKinley formed in Spokane, Washington in 1968, originally made up of singer/guitarist Mike Messer, singer/bassist Don Larson, guitarist Randy Wilcox and drummer Tom Slipp. The group originally played secular psychedelia, earning a regional following on the strength of their layered harmonies and folk-inspired arrangements. In the summer of 1970 they found themselves at a meeting of the Voice of Elijah Ministry's Jesus People sect--Messer, Wilcox and Slipp were converted to Christianity, but when Larson refused to join them, the band dissolved.

Soon after, the core trio began performing rock arrangements of traditional spirituals, and from there Messer and Wilcox began writing Christian-themed originals--with the addition of singer/bassist Jimmy Bartlett, the Wilson McKinley aegis was revived, and the new lineup mounted a Canadian tour.