By Charles Gardner, Special to ASSIST News Service
LEEDS, UK (ANS – May 10, 2017) –
A British 70s pop star’s suicide bid went awry when he landed on his feet – quite literally – as he battled in vain to beat the booze!
A distraught John Gaughan jumped out of the third-storey window of his Leeds home onto the concrete below – and miraculously survived, though with severe injuries.
As he was recovering, he called out to God for help – and Jesus came knocking at his door!
“Well, the man was gentle and concerned, and it was just as if he had heard my prayer,” recalled the 63-year-old musician who was once part of supergroup Herman’s Hermits, but is now a pastor also singing and recording songs of praise.
“I suppose he was more of a Good Samaritan; a concerned neighbour. He also happened to be an elder of a nearby church who, in response to a prompting he felt from God, called in to see if I was alright.
“That was the beginning of a long road to healing and freedom. I went to his church and gave my life to the Lord, but I had many setbacks. I had tried to kick the booze for some time prior to my conversion, but it had proved impossible so far.
“I had started off as a teenage tippler and was pretty much addicted by the time my career took off when I was just 19. Friends frogmarched me to a talent contest – when I should have been working – and I got spotted.
“I duly signed up for a series of record deals, including a contract with Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway – leading singer-songwriters of the time. I even joined Herman’s Hermits for a brief period, playing with them on an American tour in the early 70s which included a gig at Madison Square Garden in New York. I am actually on the cover of the live album recorded there.
“I also worked as a solo artist – under the name Bobby Moonshine for a time – but alcohol proved a major obstacle to my progress, and I failed to capitalize on opportunities as a result.
“My new Christian life was also initially hampered by the control alcohol had on me ... but when an
“... evangelist prayed into this situation in Jesus’ name, I felt an immediate cleansing, and was healed right then and there! I’ve not touched a drop of the hard stuff since.
“There’s so much more to my story. I have been to hell and back. But now I’ve had a touch from heaven and God has met my needs in so many ways – financially, emotionally and otherwise. It’s such a privilege to serve my Lord, especially as a pastor myself now.”
John was ordained into the evangelical offshoot of the Episcopal (Anglican) Church in the USA, but has nevertheless stuck to his Yorkshire roots as pastor of the Congregational Church in Driffield, East Yorkshire.
Once belting out hits such as I’m into something good (when all was not so rosy), John now writes, sings and records gospel songs to the God who saved him.
Photo captions: 1) MOONSHINE BOY: John Gaughan entertains in iconic 70s style. 2) HAPPY COUPLE: John Gaughan and his wife Linda. 3) DRESSED TO KILL: John poses for another IPC magazine cover with an up-and-coming model. "I was asked to be on the cover of many teenage magazines from 1974-1977," he explains. 4) Dan Wooding with Charles Gardner pictured during Dan’s recent visit to the UK.
Charles Gardner is a veteran Cape Town-born British journalist working on plans to launch a new UK national newspaper reporting and interpreting the news from a biblical perspective. With his South African forebears having had close links with the legendary devotional writer Andrew Murray, Charles is similarly determined to make an impact for Christ with his pen and has worked in the newspaper industry for more than 40 years. Part-Jewish, he is married to Linda, who takes the Christian message around many schools in the Yorkshire town of Doncaster. Charles is also author of Israel the Chosen (Amazon) and Peace in Jerusalem, available from olivepresspublisher.com. He has four children and nine grandchildren, and can be reached by phone on +44 (0) 1302 832987, or by e-mail at chazgardner@btinternet.com.
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