Gospel Star Quits Amid Rumors He Had An Affair

NASHVILLE - The bombshell from Michael English came a week after he won gospel music's highest award. He said he was quitting Christian music, and sources said it was because he had an extramarital affair.

"I feel it is necessary to announce my withdrawal from the Christian-music industry because of mistakes that I have recently made," English said in a statement.

Gospel Music Association President Bruce Koblish said English told him he was involved with another gospel singer, MaryBeth Jordan. Both English and Jordan are married.

Jordan's band, First Call, announced yesterday it had replaced her. It did not say why.

Yesterday, English gave back the four Dove Awards he won last week, including one for Gospel Artist of the Year.

The developments left the Christian-music community reeling. English's record label stopped promoting his music yesterday, and some Christian radio stations stopped playing it.

"In Christian music, listeners consider an artist to have a responsibility not only as a singer but also as a minister," said Mark DeYoung, station manager at WNAZ in Nashville.

"When they do something like that, they're not practicing what they're preaching," said DeYoung, who pulled English's songs from his station's playlist.

English and his record label were not talking yesterday. The singer's phone at his Franklin, Tenn., home had been disconnected, and Warner Alliance spokesman Chris Hauser did not return calls. Calls to Jordan's home were not returned.

Baptist Bookstores said it would continue to sell English's materials at the 64 outlets it operates in 24 states, at least for now.

"Clearly, the reaction from the Christian community as a whole is a sadness and a marked concern over how this is all going to unfold," said Jim Gilliland, Baptist Bookstores' marketing director.