From CCM Magazine

Young Washington Review: Before There Was a General, There Was a Young Man

America’s 250th anniversary celebration is officially underway, and with it comes Young Washington, the latest historical epic from director Jon Erwin and the team at Wonder Project and Angel Studios. We know Jon and the team can tackle the Old Testament, but can they tackle American History?

Perhaps it’s because I had just seen Hamilton the week before, but as the film began, one lyric kept echoing in my head: “Here comes the General!” In Hamilton they call it “The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For…” However, the challenge and the opportunity of Young Washington is that the man we’re introduced to is not that general.

He’s not the commanding figure crossing the Delaware. He’s not the first President of the United States. He’s not the marble monument or the portrait hanging in a classroom. Instead, we meet a fairly mild yet prescient young George Washington who is still finding his footing, still making mistakes, still trying to understand his place in the world. In many ways, he’s even a loyal subject of the British Crown. That may take a moment for modern American audiences to adjust to.

This is very much an origin story.

In fact, one thing I wish I had known going into the film is just how committed it is to telling the “before” chapter of Washington’s life. We catch only a fleeting glimpse of the Washington most of us learned about in school near the film’s conclusion. If that’s a spoiler, it’s a minor one, but I think it’s an important expectation to set.

The movie isn’t primarily interested in showing us Washington’s greatest victories. It’s interested in showing us the trials that shaped the man who would eventually achieve them.

I understand that instinct because I’ve been guilty of it myself. Years ago, I directed a film about the early life of Walt Disney (As Dreamers Do still streaming everywhere). My thinking was simple: everyone already knows the happy ending. Let’s show what got him there. Ironically, one of the most common criticisms of that film was that audiences wanted more time with the Walt Disney they knew and loved.

I found myself feeling a bit of that here.

The final moments of Young Washington gave me the version of George Washington I’ve always pictured in my mind, and I wanted even more time with him. That’s not necessarily a criticism so much as a testament to how effectively the film builds toward that transformation. As a former Virginian, I admit I approach stories about the Founding Fathers with a certain amount of reverence. Thankfully, Erwin’s film never feels interested in tearing down its subject. Instead, it seeks to humanize him. George Washington getting a good dance in checked the box that someone did their homework. George Washington loved to dance (see the children’s song I helped produce: George Washington Loved to Dance : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHUJZxBml48 )

Back to the movie and my own self promotion. Visually, the film is stunning.

The landscapes, costumes, and production design create a world that feels authentic without becoming inaccessible. This isn’t Christian movie or even mainstream TV level design work. This is top notch. Speaking of top notch, let’s get to the cast.

While their screen time is limited, the veteran trio of Kelsey Grammer, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Andy Serkis leave an outsized impression. Every time one of them appears, the movie seems to level up.

Grammer, in particular, is delightful. His first major scene almost seems to wink at the audience about the absurdities of the era were for men. You’ve got the towering wigs, elaborate uniforms, and endless pageantry that accompanied being a gentleman of status. He brings warmth, humor, and gravitas to every moment he’s on screen.

Honestly, in a world increasingly divided over almost everything, this film may at least unite audiences on one simple truth: Kelsey Grammer remains one of the finest actors working today.

For CCM readers wondering why they should care about a historical drama centered on George Washington, there are a few familiar connections.

First, there’s Director Jon Erwin. Christian audiences know his work from I Can Only Imagine, American Underdog, Jesus Revolution, and most recently House of David. While Young Washington isn’t overtly faith based in the way some of those projects are, Erwin’s storytelling fingerprints are still present.

Second, eagle eyed viewers will smile when Joel Smallbone of for KING + COUNTRY fame fills the screen in a supporting role as William Fairfax. His appearance may be brief, but it’s a fun addition for Christian music fans. He’s also really showcasing his acting chops. He was great playing a spot-on version of his own father in Unsung Hero, but this is yet another sizable swing.

Which raises the inevitable question:

Is this a Christian movie?

Not exactly.

There are references to God and faith throughout, as would be historically appropriate, but the film isn’t designed as a sermon or an evangelistic presentation. And that’s okay. Not every film needs to be.

Parents may also wonder about the violence. There are battle sequences and moments of wartime brutality. Nothing struck me as excessively graphic or gratuitous, but there were a few scenes that caused my own kids to look away. This is, after all, a story set amid military conflict in the 1700s.

One unexpected benefit of the film was how often it made me want to learn more. I found myself mentally making notes to research certain events and historical figures after the credits rolled. Every detail can’t be perfectly accurate, none of us were there and you still have to tell a two hour story. However, any movie that inspires viewers to open a history book has accomplished something worthwhile.

Fans of British historical dramas such as Downton Abbey may find some familiar appeal here. While the settings and subject matter differ considerably, there is a shared appreciation for period detail, class structures, and the complicated relationships between duty, ambition, and family. Viewers who enjoyed Angel Studios’ Seeking Persephone will likely find similar connective tissue. It is also worth noting that both Wonder Project and Angel Studios deserve credit for being ambitious in their commitment to period pieces, a space that is not always easy to execute well.

Leading man William Franklyn Miller may not match the image of George Washington that has existed in my head for decades, but by the end of the film, that didn’t matter much. His performance is earnest, compelling, and charismatic enough that I immediately found myself looking up what other projects he had appeared in.

Young Washington may not spend much time with the towering figure who would become America’s first President, but it offers an engaging, beautifully crafted look at the experiences that forged him.

Young Washington opens in theaters nationwide July 3.

The Black Sheep Comes Home “I think I’m still taking the eraser to the S on my chest.”

 

Over the last year, Christian music fans have embraced Ben Fuller as one of its freshest and most compelling voices. If you’ve seen his show, you’ve heard his testimony, The man who spent years chasing an insatiable high through drugs, alcohol, and women before finding Jesus and finding a new purpose. That version of the story is true.

     

It’s also the version most people already know. What interests me is what happened next.

Because redemption is one thing. Living redeemed is another.

The first time I saw Ben Fuller perform was with Big Daddy Weave in Bowling Green, Kentucky. At the time, he was still relatively new to most audiences. One radio hit. A growing platform. A powerful testimony. But there was something different about him. I know this sounds like an oxymoron, but his self-described John the Baptist energy felt suspiciously authentic.

“I want everyone to experience this fullness in the presence of God. I want everyone to be John the Baptist with locusts and wild honey in their beard running through the woods.”

After the show, I found my friend Jeremy Redmon from Big Daddy Weave and asked the question directly. “Is this guy real?”

The answer came immediately.

“He’s realer than anybody I’ve ever worked with.”

Standing at 6-foot-4, Fuller can be an intimidating presence. His neck tattoos tell stories we’re not ready to know. During our conversation he’s talking about cedar-shaking roofs, planting corn, and building things with his callused hands between tour dates.

Yet every few minutes he seems to physically hunch himself downward, almost subconsciously trying to meet people where they are. And over the last two years, as his songs have connected with thousands of people, Fuller has found himself carrying a different weight: the true stories of the real black sheep he meets nights after night.

“The one thing I found with being real and authentic and raw and just telling it like it is… with that comes, ‘Hey man, I had a gun in my mouth.’ ‘Hey man, my cousin’s dealing with addiction right now.’ ‘Hey man, my mom died of alcoholism.’”

For someone whose life was saved so dramatically, there is a temptation to believe everybody else’s can be too. “I realized, the truth is I can’t save everybody… I’m not God.”

That realization didn’t come from a book, a sermon, or even another artist.

It came from a letter. Just days before we sat down, Fuller unfolded a note he had received from a woman who had attended one of his concerts.

Normally, those notes contain song ideas, prayer requests, or stories of encouragement. This one was different.

“She said, ‘Hey, do you remember meeting this man at one of your shows? He didn’t make it. He was my best friend. He looked up to you and he didn’t make it. He went back, he fell, and he’s dead. But thanks for telling him about Jesus.'”

The words still seem fresh on Fuller.

“I told him about my Jesus. I told him about what God has done for me.”

The reality is one Fuller is still learning to process.

“I think I’m still taking the eraser to the S on my chest.”

He wants people to experience what he experienced. Who wouldn’t? After fourteen and a half years of addiction, chaos, and self-destruction, Fuller found a life he never imagined possible. The instinct is to grab people by the shoulders and pull them toward that same freedom.

“I want everyone to experience this fullness in the presence of God. I want everyone to be John the Baptist with locusts and wild honey in their beard running through the woods.”

But life rarely ties itself up that neatly. This is the reality of Ben Fuller’s ministry.

One night he’s standing in front of twenty thousand people. The next he’s reading a letter from a grieving family. One moment someone is telling him they threw away their pills after hearing his songs. The next he’s wrestling with questions that don’t have easy answers.

For a man who came to faith in recent years, he has a lot of questions for God. Some heavy ones: “Why did my best friend die and not me? Why her? Why not me?” Some with childlike wonder in his eyes.

“Why did you make stink bugs?”

But underneath the joke is a man still working through the mystery of grace.

A man who knows he should have been another statistic.

A man who still isn’t entirely sure why he wasn’t.

“It’s one of the greatest joys and sorrows that I’ve ever experienced following Jesus.”

And maybe that’s the tension that explains Ben Fuller better than any testimony ever could.

Not that God rescued him.

But that now he has to keep living with both the victories and the heartbreak that come from telling other people where that rescue can be found.

Those conversations eventually became impossible for Fuller to ignore.

Night after night he met people who believed they had gone too far. People who listened politely to his testimony but quietly convinced themselves it couldn’t possibly apply to them.

“They’re like, ‘Yeah, but you don’t know what I’ve done. Your testimony is powerful, but I’ve messed up way more times. I’m not good enough to turn around and come back. I’ve ticked God off. I’ve done awful things.'”

Fuller knew those people because he had been one of them.

“I’ve met those people and I know those people because I was one of those people.”

So when he walked into a writing session with Michael Farren and Tony Wood, he wasn’t looking for a radio single. He was searching for the black sheep.

An hour later, they had one.

Like many of the defining moments in Fuller’s career, he talks about the song as something that happened to him rather than something he manufactured. “God just really downloaded that song to us in an hour.” The result was a song that felt almost too honest for Christian radio. It didn’t hide behind vague language or church-friendly metaphors. And because of that, not everyone was convinced.

“I was told that song was going to live somewhere in the middle of a record,” Fuller said. “Maybe we could cut it. Maybe not.” The concern wasn’t whether the song was good.

The concern was whether Christian audiences would accept it.

“I say alcohol and pills,” Fuller laughed. “We can’t say that in Christian music.”

But Fuller couldn’t shake the feeling that those were exactly the people he was trying to reach.

“How does that speak to a 40-year-old mom in a van with the kids?” he remembers hearing.

His response came quickly.

“What about the husband that’s cheating? What about the wife that’s drinking too much wine? What about the kids secretly watching things they shouldn’t be watching on their iPads?”

Then he shrugged.

“We should be talking to those people.”

Ben Fuller is not particularly interested in protecting appearances.

“I’ve had to stand firm in things and look crazy” he said. “There have been lyric changes and things over the years. I’ve had to look really bad. I’ve had to forfeit relationships.”

He would rather risk being misunderstood than water down a message he believes someone desperately needs to hear.

And judging by what happened next, that instinct wasn’t wrong.

What was supposed to be an album track became an anthem because thousands of people heard themselves in it. The black sheep always know when someone is speaking their language.

The success led to the Black Sheep Tour. Over 10,000 miles, tens of thousands of people, and over 130 baptisms. Yet when I bring up those stats, he shifts uncomfortably in his seat. He wants to talk about the moments, not the data.

A young man laying down a vape at the altar. Someone leaving cigarettes behind. People showing up carrying addictions, secrets, shame, and stories that looked a lot like the ones he used to carry himself.

When the opportunity came to capture the tour for what would become The Black Sheep Live Experience, Fuller admits he wasn’t exactly prepared.

Neither was the band.

“This was recorded after the second night on tour,” he told me with a laugh. “My whole band came to me and went, ‘Ben, we’re not ready for this.'”

Most live albums are recorded after months on the road when every note has been refined and every transition polished.

“We stood up and called on the name of Jesus,” he said. “We were like, okay God, we do not know all the parts right. We do not have everything together.” It’s clear the reason the Black Sheep Tour, his show stealing solo performance at the K-Love Fan Awards, and the heart of this mission connected was pricey because it wasn’t perfect.

It was because it was honest.

Every city looked different. Every crowd responded differently. Every night seemed to take on a life of its own.

“Same Spirit. Different city.”

One night might be loud and celebratory. Another might feel almost reverent. Sometimes he would find himself stepping away from the microphone entirely, watching people respond in ways he couldn’t have scripted if he tried.

“The Holy Spirit just did a different work in every city.”

That’s also why Fuller wasn’t particularly concerned about which show ended up becoming the live album.

The first night. The final night. It almost didn’t matter. The story wasn’t happening on stage. The story was happening in the seats. The live album simply became a snapshot of what God was already doing.

For all the miles traveled, stages played, and stories carried, the most significant thing happening in Ben Fuller’s life right now has nothing to do with music.

It’s happening back home. Or maybe more accurately, it’s teaching him what home actually means.

“I’ve had to stand firm in things and look crazy. There have been lyric changes and things over the years. I’ve had to look really bad. I’ve had to forfeit relationships.”

Over the last few years, fans have watched Fuller transform from a man known primarily for his testimony into one of Christian music’s fastest-rising artists. What they haven’t seen as much is the driving force behind his next transformation taking place off stage.

Her name is Peyton.

When Fuller talks about his fiancée the urgency softens. For someone who spent years running from commitment, stability wasn’t always a comfortable idea. In fact, there was a moment when he walked away from the relationship entirely.

After a season he describes as growing “weary in doing good,” Fuller found himself questioning everything.

“I was ready to quit. I was ready to give up.”

Face down on the floor of his farmhouse, exhausted and overwhelmed, he prayed.

And what came back was surprisingly simple. “Ben, I gave her to you because she’s steady for you.” That word has stayed with him ever since. Steady. A few days later, sitting with his parents in Vermont, the word surfaced again.

His father looked across the room and asked a simple question. “Where’s Peyton?”

Ben explained that he had ended the relationship. His father’s response stopped him cold.

“Your mother and I just thought she was steady for you.” The same word.

Again. And for a man who spends much of his life trying to discern God’s direction, that was enough.

The day after Christmas Fuller arrived in North Carolina, knocked on Peyton’s door, and told her he wasn’t leaving again. Eventually that journey led back to the same field where they first met. This time he wasn’t introducing a song.

He was asking a question. Today they’re preparing for a November wedding. And perhaps for the first time in his life, Ben Fuller seems genuinely excited about slowing down.

Not stopping. I don’t think there is an off switch for the human being sitting in front of me.

Just slowing down enough to remember that life isn’t only lived on stages.

As he tells me stories about Peyton, another detail begins to emerge. The always on fire artist who can now be found performing often at the Grand Ole Opry needs to stay grounded.

“She’ll pray for me. She’ll encourage me,” Fuller said. “But she’s also like, ‘Take out the trash please.'”

The same man who once thought following Jesus meant a non-stop train of evangelism running endlessly now seems to be discovering that faithfulness sometimes looks a lot more ordinary.

A roof to finish. A wedding to plan. A future to build.

That’s the real story of Ben Fuller in 2026. It’s that after years of running, he finally seems to understand the invitation he’s been singing about all along.

Standing in the back of a church in 2019, underneath an exit sign and ready to leave, Fuller heard something he still can’t shake:

“I love you. Will you come home?”

Years later, that question still echoes through his songs. Through the stories shared after concerts. Through every person convinced they’ve wandered too far to come back.

But somewhere along the way, the question became personal again.

Today, Ben Fuller isn’t just singing about coming home. He’s building one.

And maybe that’s why The Black Sheep Live Experience resonates the way it does. It’s more than a collection of songs. It’s a snapshot of a season. A season where a former addict became a voice for the outsiders. Where a black sheep started helping other black sheep find their way back to the Shepherd.

Not because he has all the answers.

Not because he’s figured everything out.

But because he knows what it feels like to hear your name called and realize the door home was never locked in the first place.

 

CCM Magazine has unveiled Ben Fuller as the cover artist for its July 2026 issue, celebrating one of Christian music’s most compelling voices with an exclusive feature that explores the remarkable redemption story behind his music and ministry.

The double cover, revealed today, offers the first look at a powerful feature that will debut in full on July 1, including an in-depth interview, exclusive performance videos, and additional digital content available exclusively at CCMmagazine.com.

Fresh off the release of his new live album, Black Sheep Tour: Songs from the Road,Fuller continues to connect with audiences through songs rooted in honesty, healing, and the transformative power of faith. Recorded during this spring’s Black Sheep Tour, the album captures the energy and authenticity that have become hallmarks of his live performances, following a tour that reached nearly 28,000 attendees, celebrated more than 130 baptisms, and created countless moments of worship and life change across the country.

As thousands have connected with his testimony and songs like “Black Sheep,” Fuller admits he’s felt the weight of carrying other people’s pain.

“I’m think I’m still taking the eraser to the ’S’ on my chest”, says Fuller. “I told them about my Jesus. I told them about what God has done for me… but I also realize the truth is I can’t save everybody.”

For CCM Magazine, however, the story goes beyond the music.

The July cover feature dives into Fuller’s personal journey from addiction and brokenness to redemption, examining how his past continues to shape both his songwriting and his mission to point others toward hope in Christ.

“Every cover story has its own personality, but Ben’s was unlike anything we’ve produced,” said Logan Sekulow, Publisher and Co-Editor of CCM Magazine. “There was a raw honesty throughout the conversation, and our goal was simply to let readers experience the same hope that shines through Ben’s story.”

Visually, the issue embraces the contrast that defines Fuller’s testimony.

“Ben’s story lives in the tension between darkness and light,” said Amanda Sekulow, Co-Editor of CCM Magazine. “We wanted every design choice to reflect that reality—that even in the darkest places, Christ’s light has a way of breaking through.”

The July cover package continues CCM Magazine’s commitment to telling authentic stories from today’s leading Christian artists while pairing award-winning editorial with cinematic photography and exclusive video content.

Readers can access the complete Ben Fuller cover story, exclusive interview, and live performance videos beginning July 1 at CCMmagazine.com.

Cover Photographer / Layout Design: Alicia St Gelais

​Director of Photography: Patrick Johnson

I’ve been to a lot of concerts over the years. It’s part of what we do. But every once in a while, a night comes along that feels different. Forrest Frank’s sold-out stop on The Jesus Generation Tour at Nashville’s GEODIS Park, where more than 25,000 fans packed the stadium, was one of those nights.

This was certainly one of those nights!

Part of that was getting to experience it with our son, Ryker. Part of it was the sheer anticipation surrounding the event. In the months since the show sold out, it felt like half of Nashville was trying to find tickets.

Once the show started, it wasn’t hard to understand why.

Tori Kelly was the perfect choice to open the evening. She immediately set the tone with incredible vocals, high energy, and a sense of fun that carried throughout her entire set. When she broke out Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing from the movie SING, every kid around us lit up and every parent seemed to know every word, too. Looking around and seeing multiple generations singing together before the headliner even took the stage was a pretty great way to start the night.

Then came the anticipation.

Forrest opened with a video of him and the band making their way toward the stage. It sounds simple, but it worked perfectly. The crowd got louder with every second. The countdown hit zero, Forrest stepped onto the stage, and GEODIS Park absolutely erupted.

And from that point on, there was really no sitting down.

It was hit after hit after hit.

Every time you thought the crowd couldn’t get any louder, another fan favorite would start. The energy never dipped for a second. What stood out to me most, though, wasn’t the production or even the music.

It was Forrest himself. I’ve joked since the show that Forrest Frank might be the greatest frontman who never actually puts himself in the spotlight.

In an era when so many performers are trying to make themselves the center of attention, Forrest consistently pointed the crowd to Jesus. Multiple times throughout the night, he sat and sang in the literal shadow of the giant cross on stage. It wasn’t subtle, and I don’t think it was accidental. The entire night reflected that posture. This was a Gospel-centered event from beginning to end. No one left that stadium without hearing that God loves them. No one left without hearing that Jesus died for their salvation.

Later in the night, Sadie Robertson Huff stepped onto the stage and delivered the Gospel presentation. She did a phenomenal job communicating truth in a way that felt relatable, sincere, and moving. In a stadium that size, that’s not easy to do, but she connected with the audience beautifully.

One of my favorite moments came during the worship portion of the evening. Forrest worked in several worship songs that instantly took many of the parents in attendance back to the late ’90s and early 2000s. I loved hearing those songs again, and I loved watching our kids experience them for the first time.

What impressed me most was how naturally the worship set fit into the evening. It felt welcoming and comfortable no matter where someone might be in their faith journey. Whether you had been walking with the Lord for decades or were simply attending because a friend invited you, there was room for you in that moment.

By that point, the night already felt special.

Then Forrest somehow found another gear.

Ending with “Lemonade” and “Never Get Used to This” was absolutely genius. The entire stadium turned into one giant celebration. Kids were dancing. Parents were dancing. Everyone was singing. After such a powerful evening, it was the perfect way to send people home.

And that’s exactly what happened.

As we walked out of GEODIS Park, it felt like everyone was floating out of the stadium.

But what struck me most wasn’t how many people were there. It was what they left with. A whole lot of joy. And a whole lot of Jesus.

TPR Executive Vice President of Global Touring Kyle Burnside summed it up well:

“I’ve always been driven by a belief that Christian music should be the most excellent expression of music because it reflects the Creator of all. When I see Forrest setting attendance records in these venues, the hospitality extended to guests in the Lounge, and the dynamic live show, I feel pride and excitement in seeing that vision come to life. But what’s even more exciting is that these full rooms are part of an even greater move of God across our nation.”

After experiencing the night firsthand, it’s hard to disagree.

A huge thank you to Shore Fire Media, TWO PR and TPR for inviting us.

Forrest Frank’s The Jesus Generation Tour resumes July 8 in Sacramento and continues across arenas and stadiums throughout the West, Midwest, and South before culminating in a massive Texas-sized finale at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on August 1.

Tour Dates

July 8 – Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA
July 10 – Tacoma Dome – Tacoma, WA
July 11– Moda Center – Portland, OR
July 14 – Oakland Arena – Oakland, CA
July 17 – Intuit Dome – Inglewood, CA
July 18 – Mortgage Matchup Center – Phoenix, AZ
July 20 – Ball Arena – Denver, CO
July 23 – Target Center – Minneapolis, MN
July 24 – T-Mobile Center – Kansas City, MO
July 25 – Enterprise Center – St. Louis, MO
July 27 – Heritage Bank Center – Cincinnati, OH
July 28 – KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, KY
July 30 – Moody Center – Austin, TX
August 1 – Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX

Wait…
Comatose Is 20 Years Old?

I refuse to accept this information.

Somewhere in my brain, SKILLET’s Comatose is still one of their “new” records.

Then SKILLET goes and announces the Comatose: 20 Years, Still Screaming Tour, and suddenly I’m doing math this 40 year old never asked to do.

What do you mean 2006 was twenty years ago?

I’m only 25.

To celebrate the anniversary, SKILLET has announced a major fall headline run produced by Live Nation, along with the arrival of brand-new music. The band’s new single, “Scream,” arrives July 10 and serves as the first taste of a new chapter that John Cooper says reaches back to the band’s roots while pushing forward into some of their heaviest material yet.

“We went back to Memphis and worked with a producer who knew the band before we’d made our first record,” Cooper says. “Life has taken some great turns, but it’s also taken some painful turns. Now we’re here, and we still have more of a story to tell. The music kept getting heavier, and I said, ‘We’ve got to go all-in.’”

That intensity is reflected in the new single, which Cooper says was born out of the emotional exhaustion many people are feeling in today’s culture.

“I don’t think I’m the only one who’s noticing the volatility of the world and how social media is a cesspool where people are constantly yelling at each other,” Cooper explains. “It’s not helping anyone’s mental health. In this landscape, it’s easy to feel like nothing matters. ‘Scream’ is about wanting your life to matter when the world feels chaotic and overwhelming.”

If the new music looks ahead, the tour takes time to look back.

“When we released our 2006 album, COMATOSE, we all had a feeling that we were making something special,” Cooper recalls. “What we didn’t know is that the album would change the trajectory of the band’s career.”

That’s probably an understatement.

The record helped establish the sound that would carry SKILLET into arenas around the world. It laid the foundation for a catalog that would eventually produce massive crossover hits like “Monster,” which recently surpassed four billion global streams and became the only song by a Christian artist to exceed one billion streams on Spotify.

But for Cooper, the legacy of Comatose isn’t measured by streaming numbers.

“At every show, someone tells me that this record helped them through the darkest times of their life,” he says. “That is why we wanted to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Comatose by doing something we have never done—commemorating the album by dedicating a large portion of the show to these songs that are so meaningful to the band and so many others.”

That means fans can expect more than just the usual hits. According to Cooper, some of the songs have been played thousands of times. Others have never been performed live.

For longtime fans, that’s reason enough to be excited.

For the rest of us, it’s also a reminder that the soundtrack of our youth somehow became classic rock while we weren’t paying attention.

And frankly, I’m still not ready to process that.

SKILLET’s new single “Scream” arrives July 10, with additional new music expected later this year. The Comatose: 20 Years, Still Screaming Tour launches September 30 and runs through November, including a Florida stop at one of my favorite venues. Orlando’s House of Blues on November 10 at Disney Springs.

SKILLET’s “Still Screaming Tour” dates:

all dates subject to change

9/30/2026 – Proctors Theatre, Schenectady, NY
10/2/2026 – The Fillmore, Philadelphia, PA
10/3/2026 – The Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ
10/4/2026 – The Paramount, Huntington, NY
10/7/2026 – MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Boston, MA
10/8/2026 – The Fillmore Silver Spring, Silver Spring MD
10/10/2026 – GLC Live at 20 Monroe, Grand Rapids, MI
10/11/2026 – The Fillmore, Detroit, MI
10/12/2026 – Citizens Live at The Wylie, Pittsburgh, PA
10/14/2026 – The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
10/16/2026 – Uptown Theater, Minneapolis, MN
10/17/2026 – Landmark Credit Union Live, Milwaukee, WI
10/18/2026 – Steelhouse Omaha, Omaha, NE
10/20/2026 – *The Midland Theatre, Kansas City, MO
10/22/2026 – Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO
10/23/2026 – The Union Event Center, Salt Lake City, UT
10/26/2026 – Northern Quest Resort & Casino, Airway Heights, WA
10/27/2026 – Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA
10/30/2026 – Hard Rock Live – Sacramento, Wheatland, CA
10/31/2026 – YouTube Theater, Inglewood, CA
11/1/2026 –   The Van Buren, Phoenix, AZ
11/5/2026 –   House of Blues, Dallas, TX
11/6/2026 –   The Aztec Theatre, San Antonio, TX
11/10/2026 – House of Blues, Orlando, FL

There are only a handful of artists whose careers have become impossible to separate from the story of Christian music itself. CeCe Winans is one of those artists.

When I sat down with CeCe recently, she had just learned that her latest project, Hymns, had become her 11th No. 1 Gospel album on the Billboard charts. The accomplishment is remarkable, but if you’ve spent any time listening to CeCe talk about this season of her life, you’ll quickly realize chart positions aren’t what excite her most.

What excites her is the next generation.

 

Listening to Hymns feels like opening a family photo album. The songs immediately transport me back to church pews, grandparents singing beside me, and the faith foundations laid long before I understood their significance. Those songs have carried generations of believers, and now CeCe is introducing them to a new audience.

What surprised me most is that Hymns almost never became an album at all.

“We hadn’t planned on putting out an album or record,” CeCe told me. “I just wanted to connect the next generation, your generation, to the hymns.”

Her original idea was simple. “I was just going to… sit with the piano like if I was at home just singing it by myself.” But her team saw something bigger.

“They were like, ‘Well, if you’re going to do that for content, why don’t we just put it in a record?'”

We’re living through a fascinating moment in the Church. Many younger believers are rediscovering traditions, liturgy, and foundations that previous generations sometimes took for granted. There is a growing hunger for depth, for roots, and for timeless truths. Hymns fit naturally into that conversation.

As our discussion continued, one word kept surfacing: generations.

It’s become a central theme not only in CeCe’s ministry but in her understanding of why God has positioned her where she is today.

“I am a strong woman of faith because of those who went before me,” she said. “Because of my mom and my grandma and all the saints.”

She described a church culture where older believers invested intentionally in younger people.

“It used to be a time where everybody would help raise your children in church. And it was a beautiful thing.”

Now, she sees herself carrying that responsibility.

“Life goes on and you realize, ‘Oh okay, it’s your turn. You’re the mother of the church now.'”

That’s not a title she takes lightly.

“This wind that God has given me… is all about the next generation, the generations coming after me. That word [generations] is really huge in my life right now because I think that has everything to do with why I’m still here.”

What struck me throughout our conversation wasn’t simply her passion for ministry. It was how much joy she finds in it.

“I’m enjoying it,” she said. “I enjoy making disciples. I enjoy pouring into the next generation.”

That mission extends far beyond music.

This July, CeCe will host the fifth annual Generations Live Conference in Nashville, a gathering designed to bring women of all ages together for worship, teaching, mentorship, and encouragement. The conference is another expression of the vision God has placed on her heart.

“I wanted to create an environment, a safe place that women could come and intermingle with all ages.”

And importantly, she doesn’t see mentorship as a one-way street.

“The younger don’t just benefit from the older, but the older benefit from the younger as well… I count it an honor and a privilege to be able to have this platform that people can come to and know that they’re going to hear the Word of God and experience the Spirit of God.”

And in classic CeCe fashion, she quickly redirects the focus away from herself and back toward spiritual growth.

“When you experience the Word of God and the Spirit of God, transformation happens.”

The conference will be followed closely by the release of her new 50-day devotional, Faith for Generations, which she sees as a natural continuation of what happens inside the conference walls. “You can have an incredible experience, but Jesus told us to make disciples.”

She wants women to leave Nashville with tools to continue growing long after the event ends. Her answer is community, discipleship, and staying rooted in God’s Word.

“We need each other.”

After decades at the top of Christian and Gospel music, countless awards, sold-out venues, and a legacy few artists will ever match, CeCe Winans remains remarkably focused on the same thing she’s always been focused on: Jesus.

“There’s nothing but the grace of God. I really can’t take any credit for anything because of His kindness and His mercy.”

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Whether audiences discovered her on Broadway as the star of Mamma Mia, through her viral interpretation of Radiohead’s “Creep,” or during her runs as Elphaba in the touring production of Wicked, her voice has always commanded attention. But after spending time with Carrie Manolakos for our latest CCM Spotlight, I came away convinced that her latest music may be her most important work yet.

 

Watch the full CCM Spotlight interview plus Carrie’s stunning live performances of “America the Beautiful” and “All Eyes on Us.” They are easily two of the finest vocal performances you’ll ever hear.

Carrie’s new EP, Oh Beautiful, arrives at a fascinating moment in American history as the nation approaches its 250th birthday. The project blends patriotism, faith, personal reflection, and a call for meaningful conversation in a way that feels both timely and deeply personal.

When I asked how she arrived at this moment, Carrie explained that the last several years took her somewhere she never expected.

“I moved to Tennessee in 2021, and I sort of really saw the polarization that was happening in the country and how divided people were becoming,” she told me. “And how actually, in reality, it’s very different than what we’re led to believe.”

That desire for eventually led her to share more of her heart publicly, a decision that came with consequences.

“I got to a point where I really felt like I needed to share my heart,” she said. “And when I did that, I was on the receiving end of a lot, and it was a very intense time in my life.”

Her response was music.

“The only thing that my heart actually could do was put this in a song,” she said. “And that song was ‘All Eyes on Us.'”

What began as a simple demo became the foundation for a larger message.

“The sentiments of that song really ask a lot of questions,” Carrie explained. “Who do we want to be moving forward, both as an individual and as a nation? How can we lead differently than we have? Or lead with more love?”

Carrie believes genuine dialogue remains one of the greatest needs in our culture.

“We always have an opportunity to begin again,” she said. “We always have an opportunity to have hope for the future. And we always, through speaking with each other, have an opportunity to find common ground. It’s when we don’t that we are in big, big, big trouble.”

For longtime followers of Carrie’s career, another part of her journey may be even more surprising. Alongside the music came a renewed faith.

“The story of coming back to my faith is very much intertwined with all of this,” she said. “That was very unexpected as well.”

She credits God with carrying her through some of the most challenging seasons of her life.

“I’m so thankful that God gave me strength. He gave me endurance. He’s given me courage. He is guiding me every step of the way, even when it’s the scariest thing.”

Having known Carrie personally through much of this journey, I couldn’t help but reflect on how much she’s grown. When I asked what she would say to the Carrie of three years ago, she laughed before answering:

“Girl, hold on. You got this. You can do it. You don’t know what’s coming but hold on. It’s going to be a wild ride.”

That ride now includes some remarkable opportunities. On the 4th of July she’ll be performing during the massive Salute to America 250 celebration in Washington, D.C.

Yet despite the growing stages and audiences, her message remains remarkably simple: hope.

“I’ve really been moving into a position of standing for hope and saying that hope is possible because it is possible and we should have hope.”

That spirit runs throughout Oh Beautiful.

“This EP … was made to both honor America in this historic 250th birthday milestone, as well as it is a very deep and vulnerable offering of my personal journey over the last several years,” she said. “It goes deeply into faith, into hope, into possibility, into reverence for the country, into opening up conversations.”

Oh Beautiful EP is available now wherever you stream music. For more information check out carriemanolakos.com. 

Our music community is mourning the loss of Justin Cary, beloved bassist of Sixpence None the Richer, following complications from a stroke.

Leigh Nash shared a tribute on her social media:

“We sure had a great time” is an understatement. Thank you, Justin. We love you forever. Please keep his dear Linda close to your hearts. She is our family. There’s never been anybody like Justin.

Just days earlier, Nash reflected on the overwhelming love surrounding her longtime bandmate:

“We love our brother so so much. Words don’t cover it. I know so many out there love him too. Saw his brilliance, second to NONE professionalism, class, humor.”

Longtime friend and collaborator Philip Madeira remembered the kindness that made Justin so much more than a world-class musician:

“A world class musician, to be sure, but more so a great human being. I was lucky enough to join his band Sixpence None The Richer for some shows in recent months. He was the musical director, and I needed his kindness during rehearsals where I certainly felt like I was drowning. His encouragement buoyed me, and thankfully I rose to the occasions… Be good to each other; you might be the buoy for someone who’s in over their head.”

Our prayers are with Justin’s friends, family, fans, and the entire Sixpence team.

Visit the Gofundme page that has been setup to help his family.

Long before Christian music became an industry, before arena tours, streaming playlists, worship charts, and before our magazine coined the term “CCM” itself, there was LoveSong.

A Band Called LoveSong: The Music and Movement of the Jesus Revolution is available now for free to Amazon Prime subscribers across English-speaking countries worldwide, introducing a new generation to one of the most important bands in Christian music history.

 

For CCM readers, the timing feels especially significant.

Last year, we paid tribute to the late Chuck Girard, the legendary LoveSong founder whose influence can still be heard throughout Christian music today. While many younger listeners may know the names that followed, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, DC Talk, Third Day, and countless others, the roots of modern Christian music can be traced back to a handful of barefoot musicians who simply wanted to sing about Jesus in the language of their generation.

As Girard explains in the documentary, “We were using the musical style of our culture and replacing the rock lyrics with lyrics about Jesus… so people started calling it Jesus Music.”

That simple idea changed everything.

LoveSong emerged from Southern California’s Jesus Movement in the early 1970s, helping create an entirely new musical expression of faith. Their self-titled debut album arrived in June 1972, and many historians point to the band as one of the foundational forces behind what would eventually become the Contemporary Christian Music industry.

The three-part documentary explores far more than the story of a band. Through rare archival footage, interviews, and historical perspectives, it chronicles the spiritual awakening that swept through America during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The documentary’s greatest strength may be its reminder that Christian music was never merely about records, radio, or charts. It was about a movement.

A movement fueled by young people searching for truth during a season of cultural division, uncertainty, addiction, social unrest, and spiritual hunger. Sound familiar?

Whether or not another Jesus Movement is on the horizon remains to be seen. But there is little debate about LoveSong’s place in history.

The music they created helped redefine worship, establish Christian touring, inspire future generations of artists, and lay the foundation for an industry that now reaches millions around the world.

More importantly, it reminds us that behind every Christian music movement is always a story… and for much of modern Christian music, that story begins with A band called LoveSong.

See more at abandcalledlovesong.com.

CONTENT ADVISORY: Our interview with Ketch Secor and the documentary Louder Than Guns discuss gun violence, school shootings, trauma, and grief. The film contains strong language and emotionally difficult content that may not be suitable for all viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

Some interviews are easy. This wasn’t one of them. Not because of the person I was speaking to. I’ve been a fan of Ketch Secor and Old Crow Medicine Show for years. The challenge was knowing that the conversation itself would make some people uncomfortable. The topic is heavy. The emotions are real. And the proverbial landmines are nearly impossible to avoid. But sometimes those are exactly the conversations worth having.

The moment I saw the press release for Louder Than Guns, I knew it would likely divide our audience. That’s not because the film is partisan. In fact, after watching it, I’d argue the opposite. It’s because the subject matter itself has become one of the most emotionally charged conversations in America.

That’s why I wanted CCM’s audience to hear directly from Ketch.

Yes, he’s best known as the frontman of Old Crow Medicine Show, the Grammy-winning band behind “Wagon Wheel.” But what many Christian music fans may not realize is that Secor’s faith has been a defining part of his life long before this documentary ever existed.

Raised in the Episcopal Church, the son of educators who spent their lives building faith-based schools, Secor would eventually help found the Episcopal School of Nashville. His faith isn’t a recent addition to his public identity to pander to our audience; it’s part of the foundation underneath it.

 

The documentary emerged in the aftermath of the Covenant School tragedy in Nashville, a shooting that hit especially close to home for many families in Middle Tennessee. Like countless parents, I remember the weeks and months afterward. My own children attended a Christian school just minutes away. For many of us, the tragedy shattered the illusion that these events only happen somewhere else.

Secor felt that same reality.

“When it did happen in Nashville,” he told me, “I felt a powerful sense of strength within our Music City community to really be a place where the buck could stop.”

What makes Louder Than Guns unique is that it doesn’t spend its runtime telling viewers what to think. Instead, it asks people to listen.

The film takes viewers into churches, schools, community centers, and conversations with people who often disagree profoundly with one another. Pastors, physicians, gun owners, parents, and community leaders all get a seat at the table.

“I was really proud that we were able to pull off this sort of unthinkable formula,” Secor said. “One of the most polarizing topics in American society… gun violence, the Second Amendment, gun reform… we were able to address it by looking at it from the vantage point of all the strata of Americans.”

Though honest about his personal political leanings, the commitment to listening for Secor is rooted in something deeper than politics.

“I see that as a spiritual problem,” he said, referring to the reality of gun violence affecting children. “Where are the people of the Spirit who are going to say, ‘Hey, I think I read somewhere in Isaiah where it says beat your swords into plowshares?'”

Whether viewers ultimately agree with every conclusion or not isn’t the point of the project. “I’m not a political figure,” he said. “I’m just a musician and a dad and a parent and a Christian and somebody who cares deeply about our Nashville community. So, I don’t know what the right answer is.”

At one point in the documentary, students discuss their inner monologues of where they would hide if a shooting began. As a parent, it was one of the moments that stayed with me most after watching the film. Like many parents, I know where every exit is when I take my family to a movie theater or concert. What struck me wasn’t that parents think about those things. It was hearing children think about them too.

“I tell the rectors and pastors, it’s your parishioners. It’s the kids in the pews and in Sunday school who are afraid.”

That challenge to the Church became one of the most compelling parts of our discussion.

When I asked what the Church can offer this conversation, he didn’t point to politicians or media figures. He pointed to local congregations. He described passing church signs advertising prayer groups, addiction recovery meetings, homeless outreach, and prison ministries.

Then he posed a question:

“Why doesn’t the sign board out there say, ‘Let’s get together and talk about what happened at Covenant?’” It’s the kind of question Secor believes churches should be asking. For him, the greater danger is not disagreement but disengagement. “The opposition is outrage,” he said. “That’s a stalemate. There’s no forward motion.” His solution isn’t retreating into ideological camps but creating spaces where difficult conversations can happen face-to-face.

That belief may also explain why someone like Secor was uniquely positioned to make this film. For more than two decades, Old Crow Medicine Show has occupied spaces that rarely overlap. The band can play Bonnaroo, perform on the Grand Ole Opry, play bluegrass festivals, collaborate with gospel artists, and connect with audiences from wildly different backgrounds.

“The thread,” Secor told me, “is the power of American song.”

For him, music remains one of the few places where people who disagree on nearly everything else can still stand shoulder-to-shoulder and sing together.

What I ultimately I took away from Louder Than Guns was a challenge. A challenge to listen more carefully, love our neighbors more intentionally, and engage with difficult issues without surrendering conviction or compassion. The film may ruffle feathers. So might this conversation. But if we’re serious about hearing from believers who are trying to navigate difficult realities through the lens of faith, these are conversations worth having.

Whether you agree with Ketch Secor or not, he’s having that conversation openly through the eyes of a Christian, a father, a musician, and a member of the Nashville community he loves.

For more information on upcoming screenings or to watch via PBS visit louderthanguns.com