We music fans often get caught up in an artist’s professional accomplishments. They released so many albums, were part of these bands, and had x number of hits. While I enjoy talking about music history, listeners of this podcast will know that some of the best encouragement comes from the off-stage life of our musician friends. Today I’m talking with Rick Heil. You probably know Rick as the former bassist for Big Tent Revival or the lead singer for modern worship group Sonicflood. But that is a small part of Rick’s story.
My guest today is quite the renaissance man. He is an author of several books, a speaker and coach, helping artists and pastors do what they do better. He is the host of the popular @ SEA podcast. And he’s also released more than 15 albums and EPs. And today, we get to hear the heart of Justin McRoberts.
I first heard today’s guest when I played his 1986 album Shine On Me at a radio station in Boise, Idaho. As the Christian Music Archive has grown, so has the number of Steve Amerson’s albums. To date, the archive shows 18 records, and I’ve just learned about a couple more! Steve has also lent his voice to several blockbuster movies and regularly participates in a worship service at the US Capitol. And now he is releasing a new book called Tales of a Troubadour, which chronicles his more than 30-year career as a recording artist.
For the first time in the history of this podcast, my guest today is not a musician listed on the pages of the Christian Music Archive. I know that you’ve come to expect great interviews with the musicians you love, but I promise, this episode is still worth listening to. Today, I’m interviewing Marshall Terrill, the author of the brand new book The Jesus Music, which is a companion to the movie of the same name.
Today I welcome Moriah Smallbone to the podcast. Moriah has just released her third solo project, an EP entitled, Live from the Quarry, an album she wrote, performed, and produced. She is also an actress and podcast host with her husband, Joel. Moriah and I chat about the importance of using our gifts and experiences and relying on God to use them where they are needed most.
Today we welcome The Erwins to the podcast, Keith, Kody, Kris, and Katie are siblings who have been singing together since they traveled with their father who is an evangelist. This Southern Gospel family is signed to Stowtown records and this past year won a Dove award and earned a Grammy nomination. I’m looking forward to getting to know more about The Erwins.
If you are a fan of the band Whitecross, my guest today needs no introduction. Michael Feighan's high-profile career began when he joined the metal band Whitecross. He was eventually ranked as one of the top 10 drummers in Christian music, which resulted in him playing drums for a lot of different artists. But now, he is stepping out from behind the drum kit and stepping up to the microphone with a solo project called Someone Prayed.
I'm honored to welcome John J. Thompson to the podcast. John is the founder and curator of True Tunes and host of the new True Tunes Podcast. He is also a music industry veteran, musician, publishing executive, author, promoter, retailer, pastor… well, he's worn a lot of hats over the years. He is a major music fan and has a desire to see all of us "Listen to better music and listen better to music."
One of the things that stood out to me when I first discovered Glenn Kaiser was that he put his money where his mouth was. The Resurrection Band not only sang about real-life struggles, like poverty, divorce, and racism, but they lived their lives by putting their thoughts into action. Glenn and his wife Wendi started Jesus People USA in Chicago to take God’s love to the streets in a real and practical way. And something about that rang true with me. Plus, Rez really rocked, turning early Christian music on its ear.