Petra

Petra – Christian Rock Band. A pioneering Christian rock band, Petra (meaning “rock, massive” in Greek) formed in Fort Wayne in 1972 with members Bob Hartman (guitar and vocals), Greg Hough (guitar and vocals), and John DeGroff (bass), who were students at the Christian Training Center. Drummer Bill Glover joined them soon thereafter. From 1994 to 1997, Jim Cooper, a Christian musician from Princeton, Indiana, served as the band’s keyboardist. Before officially breaking up in 2005, Petra had released 24 albums, which sold close to 10 million copies, and had won 4 Grammy’s (all for best album) and 10 Dove Awards. In its long run as a critically-acclaimed evangelistic band, Petra changed personnel several times, although Harman stayed with the group throughout its existence. In addition, the band went from a soft, rock sound to a harder, more aggressive style in the early 1980s. The late 1980s and early 1990s proved to be the pinnacle of Petra’s career.