Petra Rocks My World!

Petra still means rock

More than forty years ago, a Christian rock band was born: Petra.

It's amazing to think about the ministry Petra has done over the course of those four decades.

I hope in some small way that petrarocksmyworld.com contributed. From 1998 through 2006, this website was the premier Petra fan site. Those were the years of my early adulthood, and I covered Petra like it was a news beat. This was the place to get the latest news, tour dates and concert photos; the first place that had all the lyrics for Petra's albums; and the home of an active, interesting discussion board.

It goes without saying that Petra means a lot to me. It was because of Petra that I met my wife, Yoli, a Petra fan who lived on the other side of the equator: in Bolivia.

But in 2005, Petra retired (and the news broke here on this website). In a way, their timing was good, because my first daughter was born that summer. In short order, my family expanded from two to six, and I didn't really give this website much thought.

But Petra is still doing things. There was a two-year reunion of the 1980s incarnation of the band as "Classic Petra," which led to two new albums. Then in 2014, Petra celebrated its 40th anniversary with a new song ("Holy Is Your Name"). They continue playing occasional concerts.

Two decades after the heyday of this website, I no longer keep it updated — the latest news items below are from 2005 and 2006. But I hope fans continue to support Petra and that Petra continues to rock the world.

CITAS on DVD: It's a reality!

July 2006: You wanted Captured In Time And Space on DVD. You're going to get it.

Bob Hartman initiated the project, paying EMI to license the video, and then personally overseeing the process of transferring the video from his personal pristine VHS copy.

Hartman says the DVD will be available online exclusively through www.petramerchandise.com. The DVD will sell for $14.99 and will be available around June 5 when he returns from a trip overseas. This will be the first and only licensed and authorized DVD of CITAS.

For years fans have petitioned Hartman and EMI and others to re-release CITAS on DVD, but had no success until Hartman's announcement. One obstacle was the issue of the video's masters.

"The CITAS masters were 'lost' by Starsong years ago," Hartman explained in a message on the Petra Zone. "No one knows where they went."

But persistent emails from fans spurred Hartman to find a way to make the DVD a reality.

Hartman ended up licensing the video from EMI and then paid for artwork, mastering, and manufacturing. The investment is a risk, but if it pays off he says they would consider releasing other Petra videos on DVD.

"We might only sell 50 copies," Hartman wrote on the Petra Zone. "We would then lose money and not do it again."

The DVD will not have bonus features nor will it have the Beat the System concept video that is included with the cassette.

"We didn't think we needed to license anything else until we see if this makes any sense (financially)," Hartman told petrarocksmyworld.com. "If it doesn't make sense financially, at least we got this out there to our fans and maybe put a halt to bootlegs on eBay."

Get your taste of the "Petra: Farewell" DVD!

In April 2006, Petra Rocks My World published an exclusive in-depth review of the DVD.

Petra's final album is here

Check out our 2005 review of the live "Farewell" CD, three sound clips, and MUCH more!

It's all available in our mini-site: Petra Farewell HQ.

Petra: Farewell Tour gone but not forgotten

Petra ended its ministry in 2005-06. Check out our coverage of the band's Farewell Tour.

Petra will get one last hurrah on CD/DVD

Petra recorded their final live album on Oct. 4, 2005, in Franklin, TN. Greg X. Volz and John Lawry participated. PRMW was there: Click here to read all the details from our initial news story.

Band members confirm Petra will call it quits

It was first reported on PRMW: Bob Hartman and John Schlitt both confirmed in May that Petra would retire after 2005. To learn more, please see our coverage below.

PRMW stories

  • Exclusive interview with John Schlitt: "I had a total peace" about the decision to retire, he says. He talks about why they made the choice, his hopes for the farewell tour, and much more.
  • Band's founder confirms Petra plans to retire: Read this story first. It explains why Petra is retiring and what lies ahead. It also takes an in-depth look at Petra's recent history.
  • Petra testimonies: Around the world, people have been transformed through by Petra's ministry. I have added even more of their stories.

Other sources:

  • Petra's official website: The band finally posted the promised press release on their petraband.com website.
  • John Schlitt newsletter: This newsletter was posted on John's website in the days after the retirement story first came out.

Interact:

  • Share your story: I am compiling a collection of stories and testimonies about the way Petra's ministry has impacted people around the world.
  • Post on the messageboard: Talk about the news with other Petra fans at "Petra Rocks The World."