Crowd shot masthead ApologetiX Logo Keith Haynie plays bassBill Hubauer plays lead guitarJ. Jackson sings leadJimmy Vegas Tanner plays drums
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as of December 5, 2023

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12.04.23New ApX Shirts, Hoodies, Caps, Mugs & Stickers
12.04.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.02.23Influential Albums: 1297-1303
12.02.23ApologetiX Updated Christmas Playlist
12.02.23This Week's Bible Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
12.02.23How to Donate Online or by Mail
12.02.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
12.02.23New Shirts & Other ApX Merch Coming Soon
12.02.23How to Get the ApX Library, USBs, Multiple Downloads
12.02.23Get Over 1600 Tracks for $100
12.02.23New USB Thumb Drives Include Next CD
12.02.23Get Multiple Downloads for One Donation
12.02.23Samson Rock Opera CD: BOGO & Program Book
12.02.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.28.23This Week's News Bulletin
11.28.23New Christmas Single: All '80s
11.24.23Influential Albums: 1290-1296
11.24.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.24.23Clues for 2023 Single #24
11.16.23All 71 ApX CDs Available as Downloads for $9.99 Each
11.16.23Influential Albums: 1283-1289
11.16.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
11.16.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.12.23This Week's News Bulletin
11.12.23New Single: #1 Hits from '81 & '86
11.09.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.09.23Influential Albums: 1276-1282
11.09.23From a Nutty New Fan to an Avid Bible Reader
11.06.23This Week's News Bulletin
11.03.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.02.23BOGO Deal on New CD Ends Saturday
11.02.23Influential Albums: 1269-1275
11.02.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
10.30.23This Week's News Bulletin
10.30.23New Single: '76 & '83
10.27.23Clues for 2023 Single #22
10.27.23Influential Albums: 1262-1268
10.27.23Next Up: Get Ready for Our Samson Rock Opera CD
10.27.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
10.23.23This Week's News Bulletin
10.20.23Influential Albums: 1255-1261
10.20.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
10.19.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
10.15.23This Week's News Bulletin
10.15.23New Single: First Half of the '80s Revisited
10.13.23Influential Albums: 1248-1254
10.13.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
10.13.23Clues for 2023 Single #21
10.12.23All About Our Next CD
10.12.23What's on Our Next CD?
10.09.23This Week's News Bulletin
10.06.23Influential Albums: 1241-1247
10.06.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
10.06.23All About Our Upcoming CD, Just Reword
10.06.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
10.02.23This Week's News Bulletin
10.02.23New Single: 1987 & 2001
09.29.23Influential Albums: 1234-1240
09.29.23Let's Talk About the Next Four ApX CDs
09.29.23Prayers for Cowboy Bob
09.29.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
09.26.23This Week's News Bulletin
09.23.23Influential Albums: 1227-1233
09.23.23Prayers for Jeff Jennings
09.22.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Wk
09.22.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
09.19.23This Week's News Bulletin
09.19.23New Single: '64 & '91
09.14.23Influential Albums: 1220-1226
09.14.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Wk
09.14.23Happy Birthday to ApX Guitarist Tom Tincha
09.14.23Clues for 2023 Single #19
09.10.23This Week's News Bulletin
09.08.23Happy Birthday to ApX Guitarist Wayne Bartley
09.07.23Influential Albums: 1213-1219
09.07.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
09.07.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Wk
09.05.23New Single: '65 & '85
09.04.23This Week's News Bulletin
08.31.23Influential Albums: 1206-1212
08.31.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Wk
08.31.23Prayers for ApX Fan's Son
08.31.23Clues for 2023 Single #18
08.30.23Septuagint CD Added to iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Etc.
08.28.23ApologetiX Needs Help & Prayers
08.24.23Encouragement from 14 States + Canada & Hungary
08.24.23Influential Albums: 1192-1198
08.24.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
08.23.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
08.20.23This Week's News Bulletin
08.20.23New Single: '77 & '84
08.20.23New CD BOGO Ends Wednesday
08.18.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
08.18.23Influential Albums: 1192-1198
08.17.23Clues for 2023 Single #17
08.14.23This Week's News Bulletin
08.10.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
08.10.23Influential Albums: 1185-1191
08.09.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
08.07.23This Week's News Bulletin

In Memoriam: Chris VonBartheld
Fri., Dec. 10. 2021 8:19pm EST

This is J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX.

We are very sad to report that ApologetiX alumnus keyboardist Chris VonBartheld passed away on Saturday night, December 4, after being hospitalized for COVID on November 22. He was 58.

All of us in ApologetiX are in shock. Everything happened so suddenly. We loved Chris very much. We are certainly not alone ... in his all-too-brief life, he was a member of many bands and worship teams, and even served as a pastor.

Chris is survived by his wife, Brandi. He was born and raised in Long Island NY, but was living in the Pittsburgh PA area when he joined ApologetiX. He moved to Florida in October 2015 and then to South Carolina in November 2021.

Chris played his first concert with ApologetiX in Cherry Tree PA on June 22, 2013, although he actually started traveling with us on May 17, 2013. I began calling him "CVB" shortly thereafter, and he embraced that right away and would refer to himself as such in all of his correspondence with me.

After a brief internship with ApologetiX, during which he got to observe and spend quality time with both of his predecessors (Todd Waites and Bill Hubauer), Chris became an official member in July 2013. We stopped touring regularly after Chris moved to Florida, but even so, he flew back to play with us for special concerts in 2016 and 2017.

Chris also continued to participate in some of our studio recordings until the spring of 2018, when Rich Mannion joined the band as our new keyboardist, and he made Rich feel very welcome. Chris was always up for a new concert, a new recording, or a new song. And the lyrics we were singing mattered to him. And that's a good thing, because he was our main back-up vocalist during his tenure with the band.

He stayed in touch with us over the years (I still have all of his emails to me) and had been hoping to attend our annual Christmas get-together in 2020 with Brandi, but it was cancelled because of COVID.

Now I'd like to say a few things personally about him:

Chris was one of my favorite people who has ever been a part of ApologetiX. He and I shared many late-night (and early-morning and midday) one-on-one conversations on the band bus and elsewhere. He was so bright, thoughtful, insightful, well read, and knowledgable.

Although he was by no means a chatterbox, CVB could talk about virtually any topic without ever seeming like a know-it-all, whether it be the Bible, music, sports, movies, history, whatever.

More importantly, he was strong but gentle and easygoing ... and such a loyal, good friend. I am so blessed to have known him. Last year, he surprised me at Christmas by sending an old bobblehead he found in a store of one of my favorite Pittsburgh sports figures from the 70's. He remembered that I liked that player, and said he just had to get it for me when he saw it.

I talked with him a number of times two years ago when he was at an incredibly low spiritual and emotional point in his life. At that time, before he met Brandi, things were so bad that I know he would have welcomed a quick exit from this life.

I know that for a fact, because he told me plainly while it was happening. Chris had always been so upbeat, but he went through a terribly trying time. Nevertheless, he persevered by the grace of God. Last December, on the day he married Brandi, he sent me an email with the subject line "What a Difference a Year Makes."

I am so glad he got those two extra years, and I am so glad for the eight and a half years I got to know him. His favorite song to play with us live was our Elton John parody "Talk and I'll Walk" (he loved Elton), but his favorite line in any of our songs came from "Lived the Day You Died," an Eminem parody:

"Though I'm just a slimeball, took me in when I called — yes, I'm enlistin' as a Christian disciple."

He had that quote posted as part of his Facebook profile for quite some time. Even though he didn't write those words, they say a lot about his attitude — he was a humble man who was well aware of his need for Jesus, and He listened for what the Lord had to say to Him.

We will all miss him terribly, although we know we will see him again. Please pray for Brandi, who only got to spend a brief time with him. This Sunday, December 12, would have been their first anniversary.

Rest in peace, Chris. Until we meet again.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.