Imagine having a dad as a preacher in the pulpit, yet a dad who wouldn’t stop drinking till he passed out at home. In the early 60s, the belief of Russ Taff’s parents was that what happened at home stayed at home. Period. Even if his parents verbally abused him. Even if his mother also kicked him, threw things at him, and beat him up badly when she found out little Russ had shared with a friend that his parents fought all the time.

Russ had so many bad memories growing up that one wonders how he lived through it. I believe God had plans to use Russ one day for His glory. The only thing that Russ found out as an escape was his music. Because his mother was the church pianist, his dad the preacher, he had to always sit up front, and sang in the choir. This was when he learned how to sing. He got so good he would play his guitar and sing specials. After hearing him receiving praise for his talent, his dad became jealous and told him not to sing anymore.

One night his father didn’t show up for church. Russ was told to run home and check on him. Russ found him on his bed so drunk he couldn’t get up. It wasn’t long that the church found out his problem and fired him. Regardless, Russ showed up for church with his guitar and prepared to sing. An elder took him aside and told him he couldn’t sing anymore and not to even come back because of his dad.

He lived in fear at home, not knowing what would happen next, so he retreated to his mother’s collection of black and southern gospel albums.

Soon the Jesus movement spread across the country. Hearing about this excitement, at 16 Russ started a band with a few friends, called Sounds of Joy. This led to opportunities for them to play for their high school where he shared his faith with other classmates. They recorded 3 albums. This caused them to be asked to open for The Imperials concert, who were just becoming popular in contemporary Christian music.

In the 70s, Russ avidly studied the Bible after his many years of influence by the emotionalism of his Pentecostal upbringing. Then, it happened: he was called to audition for a position as lead singer of The Imperials. At 22, he was hired. From 1976 to 1981, he remained lead singer, in which those years brought the most success for the Imperials as a group. The group earned 3 Grammys and 5 Dove awards, with Russ getting a Dove award himself. It was also then that at 26, his father’s alcoholism, that had been a part of his earlier days, seeped into his own life.

This addiction hadn’t completely overtaken him, though, because he released 12 solo albums, earned 2 Grammys, and 5 more Dove awards. Billboard at one time called him ‘the single most electrifying voice in Christian music.’ In 1991, Bill Gaither invited him to join his Gaither Homecoming TV series.

The same year he joined the Imperials, he married Tori, and they have 2 daughters. Russ’ history of alcoholism started when he was 26, yet he experienced a stretch of sobriety from 1988 to 1997, but it did not last. He is a songwriter, too. His most popular song is probably ‘We Will Stand.’ (You know: ‘You’re my brother, you’re my sister, so take me by the hand…’).

He was off and on drinking sprees and in rehabilitation so many times no one ever thought he had a chance to break the cycle— except his wife. Even though she’d leave him at times, she still had hopes. Then he finally gained the victory through Christian counseling and intense therapy.

From child abuse, alcoholism, depression, suicidal thoughts, and family abandonment, his story turned to hope, redemption, and healing by the grace of God. Today, he still sings with the Gaithers and holds his own concerts.

When he is interviewed today, he wants people to know that they can knock addictions, and it is God who brought strength for him to heal from the ugly childhood scars, to help him believe he has value, and is worth saving by letting Jesus die on the cross for his sins. Russ says Jesus is alive today and is real. He is really real! So, God is still using him to share the ‘Good News’ to the hurting world.