JOHN SCHLITT

John Schlitt – the voice that carried Petra through 20 years of success – is back in the music making game with his third solo project, The Grafting.  Getting to the mountaintop experiences of his musical success in the Christian market didn’t come easy for a man who in the past was addicted to cocaine and alcohol. 

“I put myself through a lot of stupidity.  But I like giving my testimony because it’s a testament to reality.  I was in a mainstream band, Head East, for seven years.  We put out our own record, which is platinum now.  That’s us producing it ourselves – and all of a sudden it just hit big.”

“Hitting it big” is something the Schlitt knows didn’t come from Christ – but rather from the life that being a rock star accompanies.  “The problem is when you’re doing all that without Christ – I believed in God but had no idea about Jesus.  So I was fair game and I got gobbled up.  I went from being a good kid who wanted to enjoy good music and have fun to a guy who was playing in front of [thousands] each night and getting bored.”

Bordeom set in the mind of Schlitt and caused him to desire other “thrills” that took him farther than he wanted to go and cost him more than he wanted to pay. 

“After it becomes old, you start looking for new thrills.  Through peer pressure, I ended up doing cocaine – and I’m afraid I loved it – and once you do that you start drinking more beer, or in my case, vodka.  It eventually becomes the only thing that matters to you. 

Seven years later, I was a “coked out” alcoholic, to the point that the band forced me out because I was worthless.  When I got kicked out, instead of stopping I did even more.”

Like so many others stories of redemption, God places in every person’s path a chance to accept forgiveness and see their life changed.  For Schlitt that chance came in the form of his wife, Dorla. 

 

“The only reason I’m here now and I didn’t kill myself is that my wife got saved during that same time.  So she’s saved and I’m a drugged out nut – and we’re living in the same house.  She’d go to church and come home as happy as a lark – [while] I’d be living in my pity party.  

On the 29th of August I woke up from an absolute drunk [stupor] and we were going to a party for our anniversary.  I couldn’t find any coke – which would have made me “look” sober – and I was passed out on the couch and ended up missing the party.  And for the first time, my wife left me on the couch.

When I woke up, my one year old son was looking at me wondering what happened to dad.  And inside me I heard a voice say, ‘John, the creature on stage has finally hit home.’  That scared me…and then I heard another voice, ‘You’re worth more dead than alive.’  I agreed with that voice and began to contemplate suicide.”

Dorla, his prayer warrior and connection to God, stopped the onslaught of Satan against Schlitt dead in its tracks when she reminded him that he promised to meet her pastor. 

“Dorla comes in and reminds me that I had promised to talk to her pastor that night.  I agreed to do it because I had no hope that it would change anything, because I wanted her to remember I tried. 

In that meeting, I get hit [right] between the eyes by the Holy Spirit.  I walked out of there a new creature.  I walked out with a weight lifted off of me – knowing that I’d never be alone again.  Those feelings I felt are what I want everyone to experience.”   

Schlitt says that his “Holy Spirit” experience is the truth that this world so desperately needs.  The way God has allowed him to convey that truth is through the medium of music.  During his days with the fathers of Christian rock, Petra, he saw thousands of people receive the gift of Christ he had accepted years before.   

“Let’s face it - 20 years of Petra – I’ve seen the world and seen Jesus work in places where they don’t even understand our language.  We played to 12,000 people in Columbia – where we’re hearing gunshots amidst the Catholic Church picketing us – but yet 2,000 people came forward to receive Christ. 

Experiences like that show me how big our Lord is and how big the family of God is and I need to remind people of that.   Every show I do I remind the Church that we’re not shrinking – we’re just too quiet!”  

On his latest solo project, Schlitt is hardly grouped in with the quiet Christian.  From subjects of acceptance, boldness, and forgiveness, Schlitt feels that The Grafting is the project that has proclaimed his faith the loudest.   

“That’s why it’s important [for] me to do music because this world needs to know the truth.  Because of Christ we have every right to face the Father because He sees Christ not us.  I love that! I’m so glad that God gave me a second chance. 

Does that mean I’m perfect?  Hardly.  But I know that the blood of Christ was shed for us and there’s not a sin it can’t cover.” 

As evidenced in his personal and musical life, Schlitt is not fulfilled in what this world offers, but rather the hope that fills his heart because of the redempotion he’s experienced himself.  Even if it ends today, he knows that he gave it his all.  “If this is the last record I ever record, I will walk away with pride [knowing] that I did what God asked me to do with this opportunity.” 

And if The Grafting is any indication, I’m sure there will be many more musical opportunities for Schlitt to follow God’s heart and take every chance to share His gift of redemption with the world. 

- J Man