It was September 1999 the popular singer, songwriter Kevin Paige took a group of seasoned musicians and formed Lindenwoods first rock band. And it became Kevin Paige and the W.O.W. Band. Kevin and the rest of the members were well known and respected in the music community in Memphis and had made a name for themselves playing most every club and event in the city. But playing at church was a road untraveled by most of them.

This new territory brought much uncertainty and the start up pressure of finding and learning dozens of new Christian rock songs to play every week and finding committed musicians proved to be a major challenge.

And there were skeptics who didn't believe their style of music or their secular background was appropriate for church. Many people inside and outside the church were suspect of Kevin and the band and questioned how these musicians who played until late at night on Beale Street could possibly handle a worship service every Sunday morning. The predictions were that they would not be committed enough or rested enough to last. And at first the musicians had their doubts too. But when Kevin Paige who already had a highly succesful and busy secular career was asked why he would even consider playing this 9:45am service he replied, "so I can be a witness for Jesus Christ." And it was that fuel that has kept them going and growing past all predictions.

The W.O.W. band is singer, songwriter Kevin Paige on keyboard , Beth Paige vocals, Todd Hale percussion and vocals, Scott Sudbury on guitar, Shane Carr on drums, Ronald Turner bass, and Dee Moyers on vocals.

The band soon found out what a powerful element their music was to this new form of worship at Lindenwood. They started hearing comments on how the music had helped people grow closer to God. And how the songs they performed were connecting to new comers coming to church, some for the first since they were children.

Many reported how much the music meant to them and how the music touched their souls. One 30 year old women said after coming to a W.O.W. service, "I've only been to church a few times in my life but I use to hate the hymns they made me sing. When I came and heard the music here, I loved it, I could relate to it. It was what made me come back."

Another person who has become very involved in the Church since coming to W.O.W. said, "it was the first time I ever had fun at church and a lot of that comes from the music. I'd rather listen to Christian rock now than regular radio stations." People have not only grown spiritually from the message in the sermons but from the message in the music. One of the popular praise songs sung at the W.O.W service is "Open the Eyes of My Heart" and the music has certainly done just that for many worshipers.

And it's not only the congregation who has experienced the spirit in the music, but the band itself. The W.O.W. bands Todd Hale said recently "I cannot tell you what singing here every Sunday morning has meant to me. It's the highlight of my week." And while excepting The Best Memphis Male Vocalist Award from N.A.R.A.S., Kevin told some 1000 people at the Prymiad "Singing never got cool until I started singing at church."