Kenney Metcaff

"We were rehearsing, and Ken Metcalf, a friend we had known, came in and said ‘If you change your group around and glorify Jesus, you’ll go straight to the top.’" - Robert Sweet as quoted in "The Heart Of Rock and Roll" 1985

"During rehearsals a friend of the Regime kept stopping by to witness about the glory of dedicating their music to God. A year later the rockers dropped to their knees for a prayer session that changed their lives." - People magazine 1986

"I think you already know the story about our buddy, Ken Metcalf, came and told us we needed to change our lives. That’s what happened." - Michael Sweet as quoted in Heaven’s Metal Magazine 1991

Chances are you’ve heard the story of how the most famous Christian rock band came to be. To the die-hard Stryper fan, it has become legend. Ken Metcalf is the man who almost unknowingly started the fire to the rock ‘n roll ministry that has touched lives all over the world. Ken currently lives in California with his family, and owns his own neon sign business. He also heads up Justa Band, who "just" debuted their first album. (Visit www.justaband.com, and check out our review on the release in our article section!) I interviewed him in early August of 1999, as he shared his vivid memories of the early days of Stryper.

Ken’s relationship with the Sweet brothers started over 21 years ago, where they were competitors before they were friends. "In 1978 I was playing at the LaMirada Civic Auditorium for a talent contest. Robert and Michael (Who was 13 at the time!) came out, and they played Jonny B. Goode. It was just a talent show, but it was like a 15,000 seater. When you’re 18 years old, that’s a really cool place to play! So we entered this major city talent contest, and the only two bands who were there were Robert’s and mine. So that was the first time that we actually met. Then within the year they moved in on the same street that I lived on, and we became friends."

Living next to Robert and Michael opened the door for Ken to share his faith with the two brothers. "Around the time that Roxx Regime was started, I was witnessing to Robert and Michael. I was working at a auto parts store, and next door was another company that distributed pots and pans. There was this guy with really super long hair working there, and he’s telling me how he’s going to audition for this band. I was always sharing the Lord with this guy, and I just said ‘Give your talent to the Lord.’ So I’m sharing with him, and at the same time I’m witnessing to these two brothers named Robert and Michael Sweet. It ended up that the first guy was Oz. So Oz came back the next day and said ‘I’m in this great band now called Roxx Regime.’ I didn’t realize it was Robert’s band at the time. So I came walking in one day to Robert and Michael’s garage to share Christ with them some more, and there was Oz! So some time went by, and then that faithful day came. God did a lot of incredible things back then, it was really neat how things tied together. I worked at that job up until the time that Oz got into the band. At that point, the company let me go. I was witnessing to Oz all the time, and I was witnessing to Robert and Michael all the time. They all got together, so I guess there was no need for me to work at that place anymore! (laughs) I look back now, and I see the correlation."

The events that followed after that has changed the course of Christian music forever, and has been told in interviews and press conferences all over the world. "God used to give me things for these guys, a thought process would come into my head concerning the band. You can call it prophetic, you can call it whatever you want. But something would just burden my heart so much, that until I talked to them, it wouldn’t lift from me. So I came to realize that God was doing something. The minute I walked in and spoke what was on my heart, it would lift and I would leave. I would always tell my wife that I’d be back in 30 minutes, and walk down the hill to their house. I would come back 4 hours later, because we would have a major bible study off what God would put on my heart. That went on for a year. So Oz, Robert and Michael started going around looking for churches. But they weren’t committing to any fellowship at the time, the were just bouncing around. So one day the Lord put on my heart to go tell them ‘You’re for me or you’re against me, I want a commitment from you. This day choose who you’re going to serve.’ So that was the word I gave them, and they all knelt down and asked Him into their hearts that day. The stories of what actually happened have gotten told so many times in different ways. I just basically told the guys that they were good, and people are going to like them no matter what. But if you have Jesus in your heart and his spirit go before you, people are going to come to your concerts and go away changed. That’s more powerful than just being a rock ‘n roll band that’s going to fade off into the distance. So that was what I really delivered to them. And after they accepted Christ, everything turned around."
Tim Gaines joined the band, and the Rock ‘n Roll ministry known as Stryper was born. An incredible beginning to an incredible band. It’s obvious with all their talent that Stryper would at some point hit the big time. But when Ken entered the picture, he unknowingly separated this band from others in the area like Motley Crue, Ratt, Poison, and Metallica. So how does Ken look at playing such a big role in Stryper’s history? "Don’t put me up in saint-hood, I’m just a normal person. I had no idea what was going to happen... I really didn’t. I was just obedient to what God put on my heart."

When it came for Stryper to tour, they needed a keyboardist. Ken just happened to play keyboards, and Robert approached him one day. "Robert told me that he really had the feeling that I was supposed to go out on the road with them. I couldn’t do that, because I just started a business that my Dad put part of his retirement money into starting it. I ended up going to my Dad, who was not saved at the time, and told that him that God really wanted me to go out on the road with them. There were 10 major obstacles in the way, and by the time the 9th was removed, the last one was my Dad. He just looked at me and said ‘Son, if I would have had an opportunity like this, my Dad would have said to go. So go, and I’ll watch the business for you while you’re gone.’ So I was on the road for the Yellow and Black Attack and the Soldiers tour. In fact the big signs that were used on the stage for those first two tours were built by me and my Dad."

On the road with Stryper is one adventure after another, and Kenny has a ton of memories to share. "Coming from California, it was illegal to shoot fireworks. So on our first trip through Kentucky we see this giant warehouse that sold fireworks. We were like kids in a candy store, we came walking out with each guy carrying grocery bags packed. The bus driver wouldn’t let us put them in the luggage area underneath the bus, because he said they’d catch on fire and blow us up! We just spent several hundred bucks, so we had to sleep with them in our bunks. It was the beginning of the tour, and I slept with mine at the bottom of my bunk for several months. We would be driving down the middle of no-where lighting bottle rockets out the roof of the bus, just because we were bored!"

The guys always tried to find new things to do to combat the boredom. "One day Robert and I went out and bought skateboards, because we were just so bored. Then the tour manager put an end to that, because if Robert would fall and breaks his wrist... that’s it. The tour would end. After the show Robert signs the skateboard and give it to some kid. He made such an impact on that kid’s life, that his mom showed up at the next show a hundred miles away! She told us that something was changed in her son, and she couldn’t thank us enough. So she cooked us two giant pans of lasagna. Robert and Mike were always helping people. All the guys have really giving hearts, and little things like that made a difference."

The guys in the band were giving in more ways than one, as Ken soon found out. "The guys would always play pranks on me. I would share a room with Michael and Robert, and they would wait for me to fall asleep with my headphones on. Michael would pull the headphones out of my ears, and Robert would yell in my ear and wake me up. The minute I opened my eyes they’d throw a glass of water in my face, and then walk away laughing! There was always some clowning going on like that, they were a lot fun to be with."

It was at this time that Stryper started to gather mainstream interest, as it seemed everyone was curious of this striped band. But controversy followed them everywhere. To the church, they were a possible gimmick to lure kids into their "evil" music. To many of the metal-heads, they were an unwanted addition to the ever growing pool of talent that stemmed from the LA circuit. Still, in the face of all the hype and anti-demonstrations, they never lost their sense of humor. "In Idaho on the first tour, I was deathly ill. The road manager goes out and gets me breakfast, but I can’t eat any of it. Oz was next door showering, and we could hear him singing because his bathroom window was open. Robert takes the foam plate with my food, walks outside, and throws it into shower from the open window. We run back into our room and act like nothing happened. Oz comes running in with a towel around him yelling, with yolk and everything dripping from his hair! He grabs a handful of it and throws it at Robert. Robert ducks, and it nails me right in the face!"

Fun and games aside, Ken took advantage of his status to witness to the youth that would come see the concerts. "Every night before the Stryper show I would meet all the kids at the door and hand out the Stryper gospel tracks. I’d wear the Stryper tour jacket to grab their attention, and I’d say ‘Hey, the guys in the band want you to have these!’ Then they’d want more to take home to their friends, so God really did some cool stuff."

Stryper was making a name for themselves, and quickly gained world-wide attention. "After the Soldiers tour they were getting ready to tour the world. I went up to the guys and told them that I really didn’t want to do the next tour, that it was such a sacrifice to be away from my children and my wife. I told the Lord that also, but I said that I would go if that’s what he wanted. When I got back I found that my business was failing, so I was forced to make a decision then. But it was just God telling me that I had his blessing to stay home."

He still sounds in awe of when talking of the role that Stryper has played in people’s lives. "Think of the millions of kids that got saved through Stryper. They were a valid ministry, weather they’re around or not anymore doesn’t really matter. There were legitimate things that God did, you’re fruit of it Brett. You’re fruit of the fruit of my fruit! (laughs) I’ve seen pastors that got saved through Stryper concerts."

But like most good things, it came to an end. The turmoil to follow touched many in the Stryper camp, an unmistakable message was being sent. "Everybody who ever was involved with Stryper, even down to early road crew, lost everything at one point after they broke up. I lost my business, I mean I lost everything. And I wasn’t even hooked in with their record contract or anything. That was major demonic attack. Such a price to pay for the millions that got saved. But it’s revenge time, because we all survived that and we’re stronger now. Part two is kicking in, and it’s going to be worse than before!"

Not quite sure what "part two" will entail for the former Stryper members, he does know what his game plan will be. "I’ve been home since 1986, and my kids are now grown. I’ve been preparing Justaband for the last seven years. I want to make a ton of money, and give it all away. I share the same vision with my band that Stryper had. It’s to go into the clubs and the places that the Christians don’t want to go and see God move."

Amazingly, many Stryper fans might not even know who Kenny is or what role he played. One fan recently mentioned that they read through all the credits on the Stryper releases, and didn’t see his named listed even once. "It’s true, I was never mentioned in any of their album credits. But that’s OK, they gave me two gold albums and one platinum. When I stopped touring with them, Michael gave me his convertible Cougar. A week before that, my wife told me that we really needed a car. So we prayed about it in unity, and then not too long after Mike called. They were filming the ‘Honestly’ video that day over at their office. So I went over and Mike gave me the keys and said ‘God told me to give you this.’ We still have the car, and I still have the same Stryper keychain on the keys."

As Ken puts it, Stryper and their work will always live on. "You know that something’s of God, if the fruit remains. And with Stryper, the fruit remains."

- Brett Christensen
November 1999