Korn’s Brian ‘Head’ Welch Says Jesus Called Him to ‘Be a Light in the Dark’
Korn’s Brian “Head” Welch is speaking openly about his faith and common misconceptions, explaining in a new interview that he hopes to shine the light of Christ to fans who may never cross paths with a person of faith. Welch famously left the Grammy Award-winning nu metal band in 2005 after he became a Christian and went on to launch a new band, Love and Death.
But in 2013, Welch returned to Korn in a move that confused fans both inside and outside the faith community. To be clear, Welch said then -- and says now -- that he is just as committed to Christ as he was in 2005.
Welch told Church Leaders that he returned to Korn only after three close friends agreed with his move.
“I’ve checked and double-checked and confirmed and quadruple-confirmed that I’m supposed to be there,” Welch said of Korn. “So I don’t care what anybody says. God just puts his hand on it and I just see Him all the time. So that’s all I’m focused on.”
He did not race back to Korn. God, he said, was “showing me, ‘Don’t be afraid to be a light in the dark.’"
“And He revealed to me through myself, through my own heart, and then through people I trusted in leadership, that He never meant for me to never go back [to Korn]. He just meant it wasn’t the right time. He started to reveal through counsel that the time was now. And so that’s what led to [me rejoining Korn].”
Welch realizes that some Christians disagree with his choice.
“I’ve got this odd calling where a lot of Christians don’t understand it and write me off,” he said.
One of the biggest misconceptions about Korn, Welch told Church Leaders, involves the frequent use of coarse language in songs. Prior to his conversion to Christianity, Welch had a prominent role as a background singer. But since he returned in 2013, his role has been significantly diminished, Church Leaders reported.
“Honestly, [lead singer] Jonathan [Davis] would write parts for me back in the day, and when I came back, he just, I was out of the band for so long he never wrote parts for me again,” Welch said.
Despite common stereotypes about rock bands, Welch said there are no groupies backstage, Welch said.
“Everybody is in relationships and dedicated,” he said. “We are boring backstage. The excitement is on that stage with the fans. Afterwards, it’s about a meal, a shower, and a good night’s sleep.”
Videos of Welch discussing Jesus with fans are easy to find online.
His bandmates, he said, are open to Christianity.
“If you don’t lead with love and have that as your motive, then Paul said, ‘You are nothing,’” Welch told Church leaders. “I think my band members have seen a lot of corruption. A couple of them grew up in really a strict religious churches so they’re wounded.”
“So they’re open to it, but they’re open to other things, too, because they have bad experiences with Christianity,” Welch said. “But they definitely are open to Jesus, they respect [my faith].”
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Dorien Goetschalckx Photography
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published February 24, 2025.
