Stryper’s Michael Sweet Thinks People Hate His Band Because They Hate God
Honestly, this could be the case. I am not and have never been a follower of the alleged man upstairs, but it does make sense that people in all genres of music might be. Even the heavy stuff has room for a little worship if that’s your thing. That IS the thing for California Christians Stryper, who have been making metal Jesus music since the ’80s, and their frontman Michael Sweet is getting a little tired of the flack.
Last Week, Sweet hopped on everyone’s favorite place to hate their family, Facebook, to address the criticism they’ve been getting recently and well, forever. He started by emphasizing how Stryper has “nothing to prove,” and how deeply rooted music is in his whole family, with everyone being able to sing or play instruments. “Not just okay, but very well,” he said.
His post goes on to say:
“My dad is a great singer/writer. He co-wrote a number one country song back in 1976. My mom is as well. My mom was part of the trio that sang for the traveling ‘Gunsmoke’ (James Arness) show back in the late 50’s. My aunt Reba and my grandmother (Maxine) were the other two who made of that trio. My sister is also an amazing singer!
“I grew up in studios when I was a kid. My dad (and mom) were always recording. Local and major studios. They were managed by Mike Curb in the 60’s and were in a few ‘Beach/Dune buggy’ movies. Always gigging, always music.
“So, when people say we suck I just laugh lately. Such an ignorant thing to say. Music is in our blood. Our DNA. Writing music is in my blood, my DNA. We may not be shredders or flashy players but to be honest, I’m glad we’re not. We do however have our own, unique [sound] and style.
“Some people just love to hate. Hate us. Jealousy, envy? Who knows. Who cares. I’ve come to the conclusion that the hate for this band stems from hatred for God. It’s deep. It’s sad. It’s pathetic. It’s shallow. It’s pointless.
“We have nothing to prove. We’ve broken all boundaries, all rules and all stats. And that just upsets the haters all the more. Sometimes we win over the closed minded. Sometimes we don’t.
Regardless, we have accomplished more than we could ever imagine. We’re blessed, we’re chosen and we’re thankful. And, we’re not done.”
Maybe everyone who hates Stryper really does hate God. Who knows. But, if you make great music, it shouldn’t really matter who you bow down to.
