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.
Today I’ve connected the longest microphone cable I could find, run it across the ocean to the city of Brighton, England, and I’m chatting with Elle Limebear. Elle is a relatively new artist who released her debut EP a couple of years ago, and she's got a new album, Lost in Wonder, out last year. But for me, the story of how God called her into her music career is pretty amazing. And it all stems from her relationship with God and her experience as a kid with her famous father.
My guest today was a member of Some Band, and no, I’m not trying to be secretive or protect the identity of my guest. But, if you are a fan of early 80’s Christian pop, you’ll recognize that name as the backing group for Steve Taylor. Today, we hear from Dave Thrush about his career as part of Steve Taylor & Some Band. But, more importantly, we'll hear about how his religion changed to a relationship with Christ. Dave will share that his decision to follow Christ did not make everything go smoothly. In fact, he experienced just the opposite.
To start our second year of the podcast, I’m excited to welcome Ginny Owens to the conversation. I first became aware of Ginny in 1999 when she released her debut Rocketown Records album Without Condition. The Gospel Music Association recognized her as the 2000 New Artist of the Year, and she has gone on to win 3 Dove awards. But her music is a tiny part of who she is. She is currently wrapping up a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies and is the author of several books, including her newest, Singing in the Dark, Finding Hope in the Songs of Scripture.
Chris Christian is a substantial name in the Christian Music industry. He helped launch the fledgling Christian music industry, signing artists like Amy Grant, Dogwood, and Whiteheart. He is also responsible for Home Sweet Home Records, one of the early industry leaders in contemporary Christian music. His impact in the industry goes on to songwriting, producing, and so much more. And he credits his entire career to his praying Grandmother.
The Prayer Chain was an alternative rock band in the early 90s, making thought-provoking grunge about the same time that Nirvana was also pioneering this new type of rock. Throughout the 90s, the band released several albums. Still, like so many band stories, they started to struggle with differences of direction, not only with the record label but also between their members. I recently got to talk with Eric Campuzano, bass player for The Prayer Chain, to hear about their story. So please help me welcome to the podcast, Eric Campuzano.
Dallas Holm has been making Christian music for more than 50 years. His first Christian album was in 1969, and for the first 10 years, he used the popular music of the day to share God’s love with drug addicts and gang members. With songs like "Rise Again," "I Saw the Lord," and "Jesus Got a Hold of My Life," Dallas became an integral part of the new and growing Christian Music industry. Now, 35 albums later, Dallas is a passionate advocate for making sure that everything we do is carefully crafted with sound biblical principles.
Steve Bell wears a lot of hats. He's a singer, songwriter, speaker, producer, author, recording artist, husband, and dad. But most importantly, he's a follower of Jesus. With over 20 albums to his credit, and a career spanning more than 30 years, Steve has some amazing stories to share. But what I found most appealing about Steve is his passion to be part of whatever God is doing. I think you'll find his enthusiasm compelling.
When you’ve written more than 300 songs sung in churches around the world, it would appear to many people that you’ve got it all together. But to hear Brian Doerksen talk about it, his songs are a growth out of his very personal and private time with God. So many of these times came through times of grief and hurting. And now, Brian looks at those difficult times as the seeds of Joy that helped spawn songs like "Come, Now is the Time to Worship," "Refiners Fire," and "I Lift My Eyes Up."