Sweet Home Alabama

In January 1983 I rolled into downtown Mobile, Alabama after traveling all night, crumpled up in a tiny seat on a packed Greyhound bus.

Over the three proceeding years I worked with the Columbus, Ohio-based company, American Entertainment Productions (AEP). Through this first-time-away-from-home opportunity with AEP, I became fully immersed in the world of performing; I became a professional musician, whose skills as a guitarist and singer were finely honed in the crucible called “The Road.” As a bonus I learned to be a road manager and a front man for a world-traveling rock group. My three years with AEP took me all over North America, the Mediterranean and Europe. I was grateful for the opportunity, but longed for a chance to serve Christ and His Church through music.

Through the suggestion of some musician friends, I auditioned for the Christian group Truth. I made the cut as guitar player and, along with with all that I owned in the world, was picked up at the Mobile Greyhound station and brought to the Truth office in an oak-shaded house on Old Shell Rd.

Later that day I met Roger Breland and my life would never be the same.

During my 2 1/2-year tenure with Truth I learned about ministry and performing in various churches. I gained an understanding of different denominations—what to say and not to say in certain places—and learned how to conduct myself in host homes.

In September of 1983 Truth was invited to play for the chapel service at a local Christian school called Mobile College. In the auditorium that morning was a beautiful angel—an eighteen-year-old, first-semester freshman—worshipping the Lord during the congregational singing part of the presentation; I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. I looked forward to hopefully seeing and meeting her at the school cafeteria directly after the service. Sure enough, she was there. I had to get a friend from the group to meet her first, then introduce me, because I was too shy to do it myself! Thankfully Brenda didn’t fall for the guy who introduced us, and I shook the hand of the lady that would one day become my wife.

A few years later in 1985, when it was time to leave the group and complete my education, Roger Breland helped me get into Mobile College. I married Brenda that Christmas and, fast-forward to the spring of 1989, we were photographed together at graduation with our two children, Josh and Betsy.

My brother Jon recently said that Mobile has always been a place of blessing for me: I wrote some of my biggest songs and signed an exclusive songwriter’s contract with Integrity Music in Mobile; I was ordained at a Mobile church; Brenda was born and raised in Mobile; we were married there—our kids were born there—all in Mobile!

When my mother passed away in 1997, we moved away for four years to be with my dad in North Carolina. For the past thirteen years we have called Spring Hill, Tennessee home.

And now after 17-years away, Brenda and I return to the place where we first met back in ’83, though these days it’s called the University of Mobile. Roger Breland—now Dr. Breland—having since left Truth after 31 years, has been the Vice President of Project Development and Director of the Center for Performing Arts at the university for over a decade. Once again I am serving under my old mentor, boss and friend, Dr. B, and wear the title of “Artist-In-Residence," which gives me the honor of working with students as a mentor and teacher and director of some of the performance groups on campus. I will also be working closely with the other guitar instructors, focusing on commercial guitar from a real-world, gigging-musician perspective. To top it off, my new book, Worship Foundry, fits perfectly as a text book for my classes. I am humbled with the opportunity to apply my years of experience in worship leadership, songwriting, arranging and producing at this wonderful institution, and am truly thankful for Mobile and its importance to my family and career.

So, I am looking forward to the new school year starting in mid-August. Many thanks to all who have supported us over the years, and especially to those who recognize that this new phase of our lives is a perfect fit and an answer to much prayer. I believe that this opportunity given me has been on God’s workbench since before the beginning of time. For this I am a grateful man.