Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) is a multi-million dollar genre that millions of Americans listen to every day. However, few people may know that a record label founded in Waco, Texas, by a Baylor University graduate helped spark the genre’s success.
Jarrell McCracken, a sportscaster and ministry student at Baylor in the ‘50s, was working in radio to help pay his way through graduate school. When McCracken was presented with the idea to combine his passion for sports with his love of the church on the radio to reach youth across Waco, he was inspired to record “The Game of Life” – a fictional football match between God and the Devil.
People found McCracken so entertaining that many asked to purchase copies of “The Game of Life.” The only problem was McCracken had just one record. He scraped together the money to make 100 copies and, given the popularity, quickly realized there was a need for Christian music in the market.
That need led him to create WORD Records. While the company initially found its home in McCracken’s apartment, it soon outgrew the space and eventually moved into its headquarters on West Waco Drive.
The label began to draw musicians from all over, both Christian artists and secular artists who wanted to begin producing Christian music. Outside of the records, WORD sold sheet music, Christian books, and educational resources. The label enjoyed rapid growth and recruited many students from the Baylor School of Music.
Eventually, WORD Records moved to Nashville and was acquired by Curb Records in 2016. However, its history remains rooted in Waco, and its impact has been far-reaching, as Christian Contemporary Music continues to dominate charts today.
