But on Wednesday, Trinity Broadcasting Network--the nation's largest Christian broadcaster--pulled the plug on Boone's Gospel America show, after thousands of complaints reportedly inundated the network following Boone's recent heavy-metal makeover.
To promote his spoof album of hard rock covers, In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, Boone's taken to wearing leather duds, complete with faux tattoos and earrings. The new Boone was officially unveiled in January at the American Music Awards.
Apparently viewers of Boone's Christian show (not to mention the rest of us) were shocked by the head-banging Boone, perhaps fearing the white-bread crooner permanently traded his hymnal and pulpit for a choke-collar and a Hog. "A lot of our partners had a real problem with that, more than a lot," a Trinity employee told the Los Angeles Times. Those who donate to the network are called "prayer partners."
Trinity execs will give the 62-year-old grandfather a chance to explain himself and possibly get his half-hour show back. Boone will appear on the prime-time Praise program on April 15 to, as Trinity says in a statement, "address his audience and explain his motivation in shifting the traditional and Gospel nature of his musical ministry."
In the meantime, viewers who call into the network to complain are being urged to pray for the singer.
Boone told the Times that a charity golf tournament in Tennessee that he has sponsored for 20 years may also sever ties with him.
Boone says his constituency lacks a sense of humor. "They see garish looking pictures and say, 'Oh no! Pat Boone has totally sold out, lost his salvation and has gone over to the devil," Boone said. "So they bombarded Trinity with hundreds of calls and say if he's on the air, you've seen our last nickel...They didn't get the joke."
Record-buyers haven't gotten the joke either. Boone's latest CD has fallen out of Billboard's Top 200, after debuting at No. 125 on February 8.
(Updated 4:45 p.m. PT)