Graham Kendrick

Graham Kendrick was born on 2 August 1950 in Blisworth, Northamptonshire, England, and grew up in Laindon, Essex and Putney, London, as the son of Baptist pastor M. D. Kendrick. He began his musical career as a guitarist in the Christian beat group Whispers of Truth before launching a solo career in the late 1960s. His early recordings, including the 1972 album Footsteps on the Sea and the 1973 album Bright Side Up, established him within the UK worship scene and led to his first full‑length album Breaking of the Dawn in 1976, followed by a succession of releases such as Fighter (1978), Jesus Stand Among Us (1979), and Cresta Run (1981) under the Dovetail and Kingsway labels. The 1987 album Make Way for Jesus: Shine Jesus Shine introduced the now‑widely sung anthem "Shine, Jesus, Shine", which reached number fifty‑five on the UK Singles Chart in 1989 and has since become a staple of contemporary Christian worship. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Kendrick continued to produce albums—including What Grace (2001), Sacred Journey (2004), and USA Live Worship (2005)—while collaborating with artists such as Gordon Giltrap and participating in initiatives like March for Jesus. His work earned a Dove Award in 1995 and honorary doctorates from the London School of Theology and Brunel University (2000) and Wycliffe College, Toronto (2008), cementing his influence on worship music in the UK and internationally.