I was not at all prepared for the calls I got, back to back, late Sunday afternoon telling me that Sandra Crouch had died. I didn’t know her, but the people who called knew that I loved her and they wanted me to know before the news went all around the world. A world without Sandra (or Andraé) Crouch in it is hard to fathom. Her music has been present in my life since I was born. Her solo albums in the eighties and nineties were companions for me in incredibly hard and lonely times. With her twin brother, Andraé, she innovated the contemporary gospel sound in his early group The COGICS, and si ..read more

This past Tuesday (March 5, 2024), the world learned of the death of singer-actress-vocal coach, Debra Byrd. Many first saw Debra Byrd in the seventies as part of Barry Manilow's backing group, Lady Flash, but she found herself in the living rooms of America when she was hired as the vocal coach for American Idol where she nurtured the talents of Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia Barrino, Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood and so many more. I was privileged to interview Debra in 2007 for my radio show, Out the Box with Tim Dillinger. I wanted to honor her life, work and legacy by re-editing ..read more

In this episode, I talk with Charles Miller, Frankie Henry, Robin Johnson and Everett Drake of the Twenty-First Century Singers about their 1978 album "Sunday Night Fever" and their memories of their founder, the incredible male soprano, the late Johnny Whittaker and original group member, the late Lula Jordan. Who were the Twenty-First Century Singers? A Nashville group founded in 1972 that would become the first Black group from Nashville to earn a Grammy nomination for their 1975 recording "The Storm Is Passing Over." When Johnny Whittaker, Charles Miller and Robin Johnson joined Bobby Jone ..read more

Tori Taff is an under-celebrated talent whose pen played a major part in birthing a number of innovative songs that have been a companion and comfort to many of us over the last four decades via the Imperials, her husband Russ Taff's body of work, and First Call, among others. I centered our conversation around Russ' blockbuster 1985 release, "Medals," but we discuss her life as a songwriter and the unique period of time in CCM in which many of us first heard her work. To read my own homage to 'Medals,' go to my Substack: https://godsmusicismylife.substack.com/p/not-gonna-bow-an-outsiders-take ..read more

Many first became familiar with Donna McElroy when they saw and heard her on tour with Amy Grant between 1982 and 1992. But her career began before that as a student at Fisk University when she became a part of Nashville community of session singers on hits like Kenny Rogers' "You Decorated My Life," Barbara Mandrell's "If Loving You Is Wrong" and others. In 1990, she was signed to what would become known as Warner Alliance Records, a CCM/gospel division of Warner Brothers Records. She made an album that colored outside of the lines musically and lyrically. Launching a solo career was a challe ..read more

In this episode, I'm joined by Leah Payne, author of the brand new book, "God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music" and we discuss her book AND deep dive into Amy Grant's 1984 album, "Straight Ahead" which turns 40 this year. To read more about 'Straight Ahead,' join me at https://godsmusicismylife.substack.com/ for a full length feature on the album ..read more

Pam Mark Hall is one of the most important CCM artists of the 70s and 80s--but if you weren't listening to the music in that era, you might not have heard of her. In addition to her own solo work, she wrote songs for many of the best-selling albums of the 80s, including Amy Grant's "Straight Ahead," Kathy Troccoli's "Heart & Soul," Russ Taff's "Medals," and the Imperials' "Let the Wind Blow." In this interview, we discuss her last major label release, 1986's "Keeper," which came on the cusp of the end of her career in CCM as she once knew it. We discuss the culture at the time, and the eff ..read more

Author Elizabeth Cunningham discusses her latest book, "My Life as a Prayer" (Monkfish Book Publishing) and the impact that gospel music has had on her spiritual path. To watch the longer interview, go to https://godsmusicismylife.substack.com/p/going-down-to-the-deep-places To learn more about Elizabeth's work, visit elizabethcunninghamwrites.com ..read more

She was one of the primary influences for artists like Little Richard and Aretha Franklin, was given the McArthur Foundation Genius Grant, was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque in France, was inducted into the Philadelphia Walk of Fame and the only gospel artist to be a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors. Who is she? Marion Williams. From her beginnings in the Clara Ward Singers in 1947, a collaboration which begat the blockbuster hits “Surely God Is Able” and “Packing Up,” until her last recording in 1993, Can’t Keep It To Myself, Williams set about making a distinct brand of vocal art tha ..read more

In 2008, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bishop Carlton Pearson for a radio show I was hosting while he was promoting his book, The Gospel of Inclusion: Reaching Beyond Religious Fundamentalism to the True Love of God. I am thrilled to share it once again. Bishop Pearson died in November 2023, but his words remain vital and essential for our collective (re)awakening. Thank you Bishop Pearson for your visionary eye, courage and willingness to speak the truth that made and continues to make so many uncomfortable. As time continues to roll on, I know that these truths for which you've paid suc ..read more