NASHVILLE — Contemporary Christian music pioneers and newcomers alike gathered on Monday for the premiere of "The Jesus Music," a documentary spanning the remarkable rise of the industry's most overlooked genre. From filmmaking brothers Andrew and Jon Erwin, "The Jesus Music" follows Christian music's story from its inception in the 1960s at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California, to the multibillion-dollar industry it is today. Executive produced by CCM veterans Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith, the documentary features archival footage and interviews with trailblazers including Russ Taff and Bill Gaither, artists with crossover appeal like DC Talk and Kirk Franklin, and relative newcomers such as Lauren Daigle and Hillsong's Joel Houston. In a red carpet interview with The Christian Post at the film premiere, Smith reflected on his rise to stardom in the 1980s and the role Grant, the girl-next-door CCM artist who found huge crossover success, played in his life, both personally and professionally. "Amy and I just started making this music, and we didn't know if it would fly," he recalled. "But it did. And her audience seemed to like my music, and that's how things started opening up for me. You can't orchestrate this kind of stuff. It's all a God thing. And I'm extremely grateful." When asked about his staying power — Smith has been in CCM for nearly four decades — the artist said he's continually surrounded himself with positive influences that keep him grounded and his music theologically sound. "I remember when the whole thing kicked off with the success with Amy, I knew that there was probably a better chance of us being a casualty than not until we just said, 'We're not going to be a casualty.' So we just kind of set up all these rules, taking sabbaticals, staying close with our pastors," he said. Initially, Christian music found success with a relatively small, evangelical audience, led by artists like Larry Norman and Keith Green. However, the larger Church was hesitant to embrace Christian music, with influential televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart condemning the genre as the work of the devil. "I'm almost jealous of artists today because it was so much harder back then," Petra's John Schlitt told CP. "Now, there are so many doors that are open for artists.