1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:04,519 Speaker 1: Here's something nobody tells you about success. It doesn't fix anything. 2 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: You're gonna have the biggest selling Christian single of all time. 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: You can feel arenas you can have a movie made 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: about your life and still be suffering. Mercy Me singer 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: Bart Millard reveals how during his greatest success he was 6 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: sick and depressed, and how he found his way back 7 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: on this Arroyo Grande. Come on, welcome to the show. 8 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,959 Speaker 1: Everyone go subscribe to Arroyo Grande. Now turn those notifications on. 9 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 2: We've got some. 10 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: Great shows coming and if you'd like to support the show, 11 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 1: visit Raymondarroyo dot com. Click donate your tax free contributions 12 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 1: help keep the show going. He has defined a generation 13 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: of contemporary Christian music as the lead singer mercy Me. 14 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: He wrote anthems like even If and of course the 15 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:59,959 Speaker 1: best selling Christian single of all time I Can Only Imagine. 16 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 2: Beyond the Grammy. 17 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: Nominations and Platinum records, Bart Millard was lost in a 18 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: deep depression just as his song crossed into the mainstream. 19 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: He tells this second part of his story in the 20 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: new film I Can Only Imagine two And he told 21 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: me how a fellow singer pulled him back from the 22 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: brink and helped him find his way home. Here's Bart 23 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: Millard Bart, First of all, thank you for being here. 24 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:27,960 Speaker 1: What a joy to finally sit across from you. 25 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 2: I can only imagine. 26 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: Two you were revealing a part of yourself really after fame, 27 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: and how. 28 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 2: The struggles that you were still. 29 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: Wrestling with with I mean, in your marriage, your son's diabetes. 30 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 2: Tell me why you wanted to share that now, I 31 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 2: don't know. 32 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 3: If I've wanted to originally, Like I wish I could 33 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 3: say it was my idea to make the movie. But 34 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 3: a producer from the first Well produce named Cindy Bond. 35 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 3: She's the one that approached me eight years before the 36 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 3: first movie and said she wanted to see if there's 37 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 3: a story around I can only imagine, And so she's 38 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 3: in for eight years. I thought she was crazy, it 39 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 3: was never going to happen, but she made it happen. 40 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 3: And so soon as that movie finished, she had fallen 41 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 3: in love with our song, even if for personal reasons, 42 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 3: and so she wanted to find a story. She just 43 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 3: wanted let's make a movie around the song. And I 44 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 3: was like, well, I don't know the story would be Yeah, 45 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 3: because I didn't. I thought we've had enough mercy me 46 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 3: and she goes, well, maybe it's fan mail. Let's find 47 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 3: something that what that song means to somebody. So for years, 48 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 3: all through the pandemic, I kept saying no. It just 49 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 3: felt it felt like it was forced, and she wouldn't 50 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 3: let up. And so about two and a half years ago, 51 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 3: she was like, you know, instead of saying no, what 52 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,080 Speaker 3: if I got you with a great screenwriter and just 53 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 3: see if there's an idea. So Brent mccorky, who co 54 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 3: wrote the first one, Digitus Revolution, I'm like, I only 55 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,239 Speaker 3: know probably two screenwriters, and I'm better friends with him, 56 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 3: and I said I could meet with Brent. So we did. 57 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 3: We both kind of rolled our eyes, like, you know, 58 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:02,360 Speaker 3: I don't know, Well, you can just tell her. We tried. 59 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 3: So we talked about all these ideas and he was like, well, 60 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 3: where did the song actually come from? And I was like, well, 61 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 3: and I told him about, you know, my son's diabetes 62 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 3: and how I just you know, it was the high 63 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 3: through our success, but at home, like went through a 64 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 3: series of things in two thousand and four that just 65 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 3: wrecked me and and my son's diabetes was the one 66 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 3: thing that you know, we lost loved ones, but over 67 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 3: time that'll heal. But with anything chronic every day. Yeah, 68 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 3: And so by the time I told him me now, 69 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 3: I had a bad day and went and had supposed 70 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 3: to write with a friend, Tim Timmins, and that's when 71 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 3: the levee broke, and I just just went off on 72 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 3: Tim like I'm sick of trying. People think I'm a 73 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 3: professional Christian and you know, and everything's falling apart. And 74 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 3: that's even if came out of that day, and so 75 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 3: Brent's tears his eyes, like that's the story, and I 76 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 3: was like, and I mentioned I remember going okay, like 77 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 3: I didn't know if I was excited because the first 78 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 3: one I loved how it turned out. It was very therapeutic, 79 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 3: but it's like exercise, you don't like doing it. It's 80 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 3: like right fault, right. So I was like all right, 81 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 3: And so I knew there were several doors to go 82 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 3: through before there was you know, would be approved. But 83 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 3: within the week Lionsgate greenlited like it went really fast, 84 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 3: and I was like, oh, shoot, we're doing this. 85 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 2: We got to do this thing, whether I like it 86 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 2: or not. 87 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 3: Yeah, and you know, but this one was way The 88 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 3: first one was enjoyable. This was way more enjoyable because one, uh, 89 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 3: the first one, I was by myself trying to remember 90 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 3: all these like trying to be as accurate as I 91 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 3: could and reliving childhood. 92 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, we'll get into that, yes, but this. 93 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:41,919 Speaker 3: One, you know, my son and I are on the 94 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 3: on the we're best friends, on the healthy end of this. 95 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 3: We got through it. If we had never gotten through it, 96 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 3: there'd never be a movie. But to be able to 97 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 3: stand alongside him and remember these things together and be 98 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 3: there every day all my family and they're old enough 99 00:04:55,600 --> 00:05:00,040 Speaker 3: to comparing, like my youngest is fourteen, and it it 100 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 3: was a joy. It was great. 101 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:04,840 Speaker 2: What was the hardest part for you to watch on 102 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 2: the screen. 103 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 3: The hardest part was to relive when Sam Sam. Sam's 104 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 3: twenty four now he was diagnosed and he was two 105 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 3: and so it's been a while, and so going back, 106 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 3: you know, there's things that actually happened that are in 107 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 3: the movie. Like there's a moment to where I still 108 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 3: I think, you just see lose weight. I don't understand 109 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 3: what it is. You know, don't know what diabetes is 110 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 3: that much. And there's a couple that was there with 111 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 3: their kid that had the same situation and they ultimately 112 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 3: lost their child because they couldn't get his levels down 113 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 3: and there and there's a scene in real life. The 114 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 3: way I found out was I was going to my 115 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 3: car and I was an elevator and they got on 116 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 3: with like an empty car seat, and I was like, 117 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 3: oh no. And that was and they they did hours 118 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,359 Speaker 3: of interviews about how it went, and they they nailed 119 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 3: that scene. And that was like, and I didn't know, 120 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 3: you know, until you see it, you don't know what 121 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 3: the script's going to be versus that. Yeah, and they, yeah, 122 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:03,719 Speaker 3: it was. It was that was really really hard. And 123 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 3: just going through just giving Sam's first shot and him 124 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 3: yelling daddy or hurting me and that kind of stuff 125 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 3: was like, yeah, it was tough, but yeah, yeah. 126 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 2: To a cross. But there's really nothing worse than when 127 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 2: it's your child. 128 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 3: No question, like when you and I think I know 129 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 3: all parents are this way, but especially dads, Like when 130 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 3: there's this weird sense of when you can't fix your kid, 131 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 3: it's almost like it happened on your watch and you 132 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 3: carry this burden or just like you know, I know 133 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 3: everybody says I wish it could be me, but man, 134 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 3: it's true. Like it's like like as if you you 135 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,359 Speaker 3: were to blame somehow, like what did I do wrong? Yeah? 136 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, tell me about the Tim Timmans character is a 137 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:41,239 Speaker 1: real person. 138 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 3: He's a real person. Yeah. 139 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, he's really the catalyst yes, yes, history without ruining everything. Yeah, 140 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: give people a sense of why why he was so 141 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: crucial to this moment in your life and this story. 142 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 3: It was just timing. Man. We were Tim had signed 143 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 3: a record deal and and his label got him to 144 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 3: and for us on one of our tours, and it 145 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:04,840 Speaker 3: was kind of a last minute edition and first day 146 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 3: a tour, We're having a big tour meeting and he 147 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 3: comes walking in and we have mutual friends, and he 148 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 3: walks and goes, hey, I was told that we're going 149 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 3: to be best friends to me, and I was he 150 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 3: came in hot like this kind of he's kind of 151 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 3: like an annoying puppy. He's never sad, but he's just 152 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 3: always full of joy. And and I was like, it 153 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 3: was perfect timing because I was the opposite of that. 154 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: Man. 155 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 3: I was scrooged, like I just I used to be 156 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 3: like that, but just just wasn't very enjoyed to be 157 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 3: around and he wouldn't let it go, and just and 158 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 3: we became and we became best friends. And during that time, 159 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 3: probably he was more aware than I was of just 160 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 3: my relationship with my son. And you know, looking back, 161 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,679 Speaker 3: like you know, I would, I would be a parent 162 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 3: and wrestle with my other kids. But Sam, it was like, 163 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 3: donat that, eat this, take a shot. I was a doctor, 164 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 3: and I think he knew it was hard on me. 165 00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 3: I think he noticed how hard it was for Sam 166 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 3: my son, which I never realized till later. But he, 167 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 3: you know, he was very aware of how I would 168 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 3: treat the healthy kids, so to speak, and I'm just 169 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 3: trying to keep them alive. But it was like, you know, 170 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 3: just you know, it was just, you know, I didn't 171 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 3: know how much it weighed on Sam. And Tim saw that. 172 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 3: So Tim kind of became a bridge, like he saw 173 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:20,679 Speaker 3: he was the first one that saw that Sam had 174 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 3: a love for music like I do, and and really 175 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 3: leaned into that and and and kind of I honestly 176 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 3: brought us back together. We were never a part, but 177 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 3: just kind of tore down some walls for sure. 178 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:35,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, You've been very open that you were battling depression. 179 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: Really from the time your son was two till sixteen. 180 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: You're taking every touring gig you can. 181 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 2: Was that to escape? 182 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 3: Yeah? I wasn't asking for more shows, but I never 183 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 3: said no anymore because you know, it's it's a yeah, 184 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 3: there's some denial and and you know, I'm I'm being 185 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:56,840 Speaker 3: the provider and doing my job. But it just so 186 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 3: happens that my diabetic son would stay home and I 187 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 3: would just I was this weird that was part of 188 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 3: the depression, like pretending it didn't happen, but all for 189 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 3: the sake of ministry. You know, it's that you had 190 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 3: a lot of pastors the same day. Yeah. 191 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, you go hide out, you hide out in the work. 192 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 3: Yeah. 193 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 1: What would you say to those who feel that tension 194 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: between having to perform and show up for the audience 195 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: for your or your clients or your customers and while 196 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: you're unraveling, how did you balance that? 197 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 2: How did you find a way out of that? 198 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 3: It's probably the hard way for me. I mean, like 199 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 3: you know, I think every anybody in ministry or really 200 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 3: if you do anything to where you have to have 201 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:40,719 Speaker 3: to switch on so much. Even with what you do, 202 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 3: there's moments where you go home because home is safe 203 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 3: where you can turn the switch off right, never thinking 204 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 3: about how it impacts everybody at home. Yeah that's been 205 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 3: watching you be you know, twelve percent on TV or whatever, 206 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 3: and you don't mean harm by it, but it's like 207 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,080 Speaker 3: you need this place to escape, and it becomes it 208 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,199 Speaker 3: can become very self fish. Just like that's why you 209 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:04,440 Speaker 3: you know, people talk about preacher's kids, they're kind of rebellious. 210 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 3: They'll all tell you, man, my dad wasn't a preacher 211 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 3: at home. You know, he just and whether he was 212 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 3: something totally different or just not present. I was just 213 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 3: wasn't present. I wasn't abusive or had a temper. I 214 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 3: just would zone out. And man, there's got to be 215 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:21,959 Speaker 3: a balance. Something's going to give, And unfortunately a lot 216 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 3: of times it's the home life because everyone else is is, 217 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 3: you know, patting you on the back and cheering you 218 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,200 Speaker 3: on in the spotlight, and it's there's got to be 219 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 3: a balance, man, It's it's and I wish I had 220 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 3: the answers. I mean, we hit rock bottom and I 221 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 3: feel like my wife's a saint for not leaving me. 222 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 3: I mean she definitely could have and I just showed up. 223 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 3: I'm just a bigger kid she had to take care 224 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 3: of when I was home, and just to have the 225 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 3: patience to go through counseling together and figure it all out. 226 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 3: But it's like, yeah, you just got to be aware 227 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 3: of it and be as present as you pop up. 228 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:54,080 Speaker 2: And when you're in the middle of it. 229 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: When you're in the middle of that, it's very hard 230 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: to see to see what you're doing, what's happening even 231 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: and because you're hurting, the actions that are a result 232 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 1: of what of that pain? 233 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, And I think especially for men like I swear, 234 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,960 Speaker 3: I always say the enemy, they want to isolate you first, 235 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,439 Speaker 3: Like isolation is the worst thing. When you start believing 236 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 3: no one can understand I'm going through, you want to 237 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:21,319 Speaker 3: be alone. I think the older we get as fathers 238 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:23,960 Speaker 3: and as husbands, it's something I feel like our friends 239 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 3: circle gets smaller and smaller, like we like to have 240 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 3: our little time alone or whatever, and that's okay, But 241 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 3: during these moments, man, it's like you've got to find 242 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 3: community and people to talk to or you're not gonna 243 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 3: be able to play yourself out of it. 244 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 2: Yeah. 245 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: I want to talk about even If, which is really 246 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: the centerpiece of this movie, and look after thirty years 247 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:47,079 Speaker 1: in this industry, tell me about tell me how I 248 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: mean you wrote I can only imagine, And then much later, 249 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: even if tell me about that transition and the difference 250 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 1: between those two songs and what they bespeak of the 251 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: difference in you. 252 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 3: Yeah, I've the difference. I'll start with there's probably more similarities. Well, 253 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 3: there's similarities on a lot of these songs that mean 254 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,679 Speaker 3: the most to me. Like even if I can only imagine, 255 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 3: these songs weren't written as if I have it all 256 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 3: together and I'm some super Christian. It was quite the opposite. 257 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 3: Like most of these songs are wishful thinking, and what 258 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 3: I hope will be especially imagine is a great example. 259 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:26,200 Speaker 3: Like people are like, man, what a great song to write. 260 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 3: I was like, you don't understand. When I left the 261 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 3: gravesite my father died, my grandmother said I can only 262 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 3: imagine what your dad's seen right now, and I became 263 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 3: obsessed with that. And I was nineteen at the time, 264 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 3: and everyone kept telling me, if your dad could choose, 265 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 3: he'd rather be in heaven than be here with you. 266 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 3: I get it, but as a nineteen year old, that's 267 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 3: the worst thing you can say to me. When I 268 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 3: just got my dad back for a couple of years, 269 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 3: the one that always wanted, and so a lot of 270 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 3: the questions and Imagine started from me kind of being 271 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 3: ticked off, like, all right, God, what's so great about 272 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:58,079 Speaker 3: you that I would choose that? Or he would rather 273 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 3: be there than here right now in real life, not 274 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 3: the timeline of the movie. My dad died in ninety one. 275 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 3: I wrote Imagine ninety nine, and I was obsessed with 276 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 3: that phrase all those years. By the time I wrote it, 277 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 3: I wasn't the angry person like he had showed me 278 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 3: many many times, and my relationship was stronger than ever. 279 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 3: But they all start out of these selfishly. These songs 280 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 3: are I write them for me and not really anybody else, huh. 281 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 3: And even if it was the same thing, like you know, 282 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 3: I was, I unloaded on tim that day. I was like, 283 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 3: I'm tired of trying to pretend that I have it 284 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 3: all together because I stand on a stage and I don't. 285 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 3: And I'd mentioned, man, if I could just be like 286 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:37,400 Speaker 3: Shadrack me shaking a Bendigo where they're in the fiery 287 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 3: furnace and they're like, I know that God will deliver us, 288 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 3: but even if he doesn't. I'm still not going to bow. 289 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 3: I'm not going to surrender. I was like, I would 290 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:46,400 Speaker 3: like to be those dudes for five minutes, but I'm not. 291 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 3: I'm not And it was out of frustration. And when 292 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 3: I ended up not we didn't write anything that day. 293 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 3: Tim's like I said, he's always happy. As I'm telling 294 00:13:56,280 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 3: him this, He's playing piano, which sounds like the wrap 295 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 3: it Up music on Award Show, and he kind of 296 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 3: agree in and so I thought he was doing a bit. 297 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 3: He was like trying to be funny. So it ticked 298 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 3: me off and so I was like, you know what, 299 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 3: we're not working today. I left and he was playing 300 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 3: even if just noodling, and then he sent me a 301 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,679 Speaker 3: voicemaan and said, I've been I've tried to write this 302 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:17,439 Speaker 3: for like the last I think it's three or four 303 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 3: years or whatever. He started with Crystal Lewis and and 304 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 3: they tried it and it went nowhere and been put 305 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 3: on a shelf, and he was like, he goes, I 306 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 3: tried to write that same shatter at me, check the idea, 307 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 3: and when I got it, it just it wrecked me. 308 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 3: I had to pull over and uh, and it was 309 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 3: everything I was trying to say and and so you know, 310 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 3: for that one, like it was another example of Tim 311 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 3: kind of pulling me out of that. He sent this 312 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 3: chorus that they didn't know what they're gonna do with 313 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 3: and and I just latched onto it, man, and and 314 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 3: it was I wasn't thinking about anybody else or radio 315 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 3: hits or whatever, Like It's exactly what I needed to hear. Yeah, yeah, 316 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 3: which are the best songs, Like the ones that have 317 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 3: lasted for us are like it was therapy and it 318 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 3: never w never went outside the room we were writing. 319 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 3: And if it connects, that's awesome. It reminds me I'm 320 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 3: not alone. 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You've written 341 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 1: and talked extensively in the first movie was about the 342 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: difficult childhood you had, your father. 343 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 3: Who was abusive. 344 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 1: Tell me what music meant to you in those younger days? 345 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: Was it a refuge? 346 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 3: Is everything? Yeah? Everything? Yeah. In the first movie, it 347 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 3: shows the carrying that walkman everywhere, and that was every day, 348 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 3: like you know, like I would go through batteries like crazy, 349 00:16:56,880 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 3: but yeah, like music and then like I used to draw, 350 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 3: I thought I was going to be an animator for 351 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 3: a while because music sounded so far fetched. But yeah, 352 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 3: obsessed with music. My older brother who introduced me to 353 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 3: you know, Elo and the Beatles and all this stuff, 354 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:13,919 Speaker 3: and I would just consume it like a sponge and 355 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 3: still do. And yeah, it was It's always been my 356 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 3: escape and just it's literally like it's it's been my 357 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 3: therapy for as long as I can remember. 358 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: You the first your first impetus, it was football, and 359 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: you wanted to be a football player. Yeah, and then 360 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: an industry, an injury crashes in stops that dream. Tell 361 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 1: me how that obstacle was preparing you for what you're 362 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:37,879 Speaker 1: really called to. 363 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:41,680 Speaker 3: Well, my dad was the only All American football player 364 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 3: was supposed to like I'm named after bart Starr. Like 365 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 3: he found out years later that like he went to 366 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,400 Speaker 3: SMU and played there, then he got injured and then 367 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:51,440 Speaker 3: he stayed in touch with the team in like ten 368 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 3: year reunion whatever it would have been. Is when he 369 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 3: by the time I was almost right before I was born, 370 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 3: is when he found out that the because back then 371 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 3: you didn't leave college early, that if he would have 372 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 3: finished the Vince Lombardie packers were looking at him. So 373 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,440 Speaker 3: that's why I got named bart Starr after Bart Starr 374 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 3: Well anyway, So I it was just it was inevitable. 375 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:15,120 Speaker 3: My brother myself like we're going to play football because 376 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 3: you're Arthur Millard's son in this small town and so, uh, 377 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 3: I mean I loved it. I was no All American, 378 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 3: but uh, that one my sophomore year, I think I 379 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,400 Speaker 3: had a growth spurt and I got moved from offensive 380 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:30,400 Speaker 3: line to tight end, which everybody wants to carry the ball. 381 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,399 Speaker 3: And the first pass I took was was high and 382 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 3: I got sandwich between two linebackers and it broke both 383 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 3: my ankles and and they were like, uh, They're like, yeah, 384 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 3: you're You're not gonna play anymore. And the only class 385 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:48,320 Speaker 3: available was choir after the school the school yeard already 386 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 3: started and they're like, we can put you in choir 387 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 3: and so and I just had an unbelievable teacher that 388 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 3: convinced me that it was it was okay and cool 389 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 3: to be able to sing when your voice is a 390 00:18:56,880 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 3: little high for that age and built frog of football players. 391 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:02,199 Speaker 1: That was the That was really, that was it the 392 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: turn off, yeah, into into your into really your future. 393 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:08,159 Speaker 3: Yeah, Marcia Fincher is the one that convinced me that 394 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 3: I could do it, and uh and yeah, and so 395 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 3: it's you know, it's and I already had a love 396 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,359 Speaker 3: of music. Yeah, you know, nobody you never know if 397 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:18,879 Speaker 3: you can sing or whatever. And you know, I'd started 398 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 3: singing solos in church and all that kind of stuff. 399 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,879 Speaker 3: And still the thought was I would be a youth 400 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 3: minister or something a church. And but this there's no 401 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:29,199 Speaker 3: American idol, there's nothing then like to say I'm going 402 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 3: to be a singer. It is like, oh lord, yeah, 403 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 3: you're gonna be broke and all this stuff. And so 404 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 3: that's what happened. My dad passed away, Uh November, my 405 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:39,800 Speaker 3: fresh year in college I finished. I was going to 406 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 3: East Texa State University. I finished that year, followed my 407 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,679 Speaker 3: youth pastor of church in Florida and worked with like 408 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:47,720 Speaker 3: the Junior High and they had a praise band. I'd 409 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 3: never we'd never seen that little church I went to 410 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:53,160 Speaker 3: started working with them, and one of the guitar players 411 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:56,480 Speaker 3: was Mike Schweitzer, who's founding member. And we're like, hey, 412 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,879 Speaker 3: what if we could actually do this and yeah, wow, 413 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 3: so it was a ninety four that's when we started 414 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:01,679 Speaker 3: doing it. 415 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 2: How long did it take you to write? I can 416 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:05,640 Speaker 2: only imagine. 417 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:08,920 Speaker 3: Sitting down and writing about ten minutes, like, but it 418 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:10,640 Speaker 3: had been in my heart for years. Yeah. 419 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,399 Speaker 1: But you know there's something my friend hold jose Feliciano, 420 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: I think it took him ten minutes to write Falise Navidat. 421 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:16,400 Speaker 3: Yeah. 422 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:20,840 Speaker 1: Is there something about when something's at the top of mind, 423 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:22,879 Speaker 1: you just get it out and something And did you 424 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 1: know what was going to be a hit? No? 425 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,679 Speaker 3: I didn't. We weren't signed, we weren't anything, so I 426 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:30,120 Speaker 3: didn't know what a hit was. We were independent from 427 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 3: ninety four to two. Well, we got signed because I 428 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,639 Speaker 3: wrote imagine. So for those six years, we were just 429 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 3: doing church camps and uh, you know, we would do 430 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 3: worship songs with hand signs that we didn't write, just 431 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 3: because that would be we would we would store it 432 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 3: for winter by getting paid to do church camps in 433 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 3: the summer. Yeah, And so we decided, hey, what if 434 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 3: we tried to make our own album. And we made 435 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 3: this album, but every song was kind of like we 436 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:55,200 Speaker 3: were trying to write original songs that had hand signs. 437 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:58,119 Speaker 3: And all the corny stuff, and we needed one more song. 438 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,440 Speaker 3: And uh like when my grandmother told me that about 439 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 3: accon imagine at the gravesite, I became obsessed with that 440 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:06,400 Speaker 3: phrase and I would write it on everything and get 441 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 3: my hands on this is back, you know when you 442 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 3: had phones to the long cord and old you either 443 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 3: practice your autograph or I would always write accoly imagine. 444 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 3: So years later, we were on a bus and we 445 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 3: had one more day in the studio. We were coming home, 446 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 3: and we needed one more song. And I was trying 447 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 3: to find a blank page. And every page in my 448 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:25,880 Speaker 3: notebook had aconly emagine written my icon'ly imagine written on it, 449 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 3: just over the years, and I mean couldn't find a 450 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 3: blank page, both sides. And just for a second, I 451 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 3: had never dawned to me to try to write, because 452 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 3: we were just doing cover songs. I hadn't written much, wow, 453 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 3: And so I just started writing. And you know, and 454 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:45,120 Speaker 3: I've obsessed over those questions for years, and I think 455 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:47,920 Speaker 3: when you take away the pressure of trying to make 456 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,679 Speaker 3: the next hit or the next album, I didn't know 457 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 3: how that worked. I was just writing. Something had been 458 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 3: in my heart, and so I wrote it in like 459 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 3: ten minutes. I was like, oh my gosh, it's like 460 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 3: this all like not many mistakes. And I showed my wife. 461 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 3: She was on the bus. I woke up middle and 462 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:05,359 Speaker 3: I was like, look, I just wrote this, and she 463 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 3: was like, oh, that's great. Much sleep. And then we 464 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 3: got to see her the next day and started noodling 465 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,119 Speaker 3: around and at first it was a fast song. It 466 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:14,440 Speaker 3: was terrible, and then I was like, no, it's not right. 467 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:17,119 Speaker 3: And then I started playing the first couple of notes 468 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 3: and and all of a sudden we had something, but 469 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 3: was still we had no idea, like until back then 470 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:25,399 Speaker 3: on independent record This is back when you'd sell CDs. 471 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 3: If we sold a thousand CDs in a year, we 472 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:31,160 Speaker 3: were in great shape. But that independent record we had, 473 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 3: which is our last one before we signed, we sold 474 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,160 Speaker 3: about one hundred and eighty thousand albums in the back 475 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:38,919 Speaker 3: from the back of our car on our own and 476 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 3: we were like, what is happening? And and then that's 477 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:44,639 Speaker 3: Amy Grant got wind of it and she wanted to 478 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,359 Speaker 3: record it, and we thought, we're happy where we are. 479 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 3: We're not going to sign. We had tried that before 480 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:51,639 Speaker 3: and didn't didn't like how it went, so we s 481 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:54,160 Speaker 3: thoughtless to do it ourselves, and so we said yes 482 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 3: to her, and then that's when people started calling saying, hey, 483 00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 3: we heard you wrote Amy's next to El Shadai is 484 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:01,640 Speaker 3: what we're doing. So we end up signing a deal, 485 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 3: but Amy still she still had When I say it 486 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:06,760 Speaker 3: gave her the song, it just means she can take 487 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 3: it to radio. It's hers and so and so the 488 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 3: only agreement was if we did sign, we were allowed 489 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 3: to put our versions like a B side on our album. 490 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 3: So we did that, but and then it was our 491 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 3: first single tanked. We were selling less records than we 492 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 3: were on our own, and now we're paying a lot 493 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 3: more people, Like it couldn't have gotten any worse. And 494 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:28,280 Speaker 3: we were about to do the next single off that album, 495 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 3: and Amy heard about it and called and was like, 496 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 3: y'all need to finish what you started, like this song's 497 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 3: going to change your life. As she gave it back. Wow, 498 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 3: And we released it and it went platinum in like 499 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 3: a few months, and unbelievable, Yeah, it really was unbelievable. 500 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 1: Unbelievable, And I mean, mercy Me at that time still 501 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: is an indie rock bank and yet here comes this 502 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:54,399 Speaker 1: haunting piano ballot. That had to be a bit I 503 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: mean to allow that into the repertoire. 504 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:58,879 Speaker 3: Well, you know what we did. We wrote it and 505 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:01,199 Speaker 3: never performed it live from us a year because it 506 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,439 Speaker 3: didn't fit everything we're doing anything. Yeah, it was just 507 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 3: the ballot at the end of the album and we 508 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:06,959 Speaker 3: were doing a camp and they were like, hey, can 509 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,760 Speaker 3: you play that heaven song? We were like, we don't 510 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,639 Speaker 3: know it, And so as he's preaching, we're behind these 511 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 3: closed curtains quietly learning our own song. And then when 512 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,159 Speaker 3: he was done, it opened. We played the song. Couldn't 513 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,560 Speaker 3: see anybody because the lights are in our face, and 514 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:22,439 Speaker 3: when we finished, there was no applause, and we're like, 515 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:24,680 Speaker 3: this is the worst decision of our lives. I when 516 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 3: the lights came up, they were all kneeling at the altar, 517 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 3: Oh my god, and it was like what is And 518 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:31,639 Speaker 3: we'd never seen anything like that, you know, And it 519 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 3: was like, what's happening? And I swear we've played it 520 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 3: every night since. 521 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:37,400 Speaker 1: What do you think was happening? What do you think 522 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:39,200 Speaker 1: is skill happening? I mean it's really a. 523 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:44,240 Speaker 2: Cultural jaggern off that song. Yeah, and obviously moves people deeply. 524 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:50,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a good question. I mean the we got 525 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:52,160 Speaker 3: asked a lot, like you know it, did it sing 526 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,920 Speaker 3: in Christian music? And then we moved on was promoting 527 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:58,640 Speaker 3: our second album, and then not long after nine to eleven, 528 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:03,280 Speaker 3: there was a top four station in Dallas that kind 529 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 3: of a Howard Stern kind of I don't say perverted, 530 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 3: but shot Jaya and No Lie. The show was literally 531 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,399 Speaker 3: called Fits and Big Gay Stephen in the Morning, and 532 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:14,960 Speaker 3: they they milked it for all it was worth. And 533 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:16,720 Speaker 3: they were doing a truth or Dayer type thing where 534 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 3: people would call in and dare them to do perverted stuff. 535 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:21,639 Speaker 3: And someone called and dared him to play I can't imagine. 536 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:24,400 Speaker 3: And I live in Dallas, but I wasn't listening. Found 537 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 3: this out later somebody called me and said, hey, you've 538 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 3: got to turn on a wild one hundred. They're playing 539 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 3: your songs like there's no way. So I turned on 540 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 3: and all I hear is them saying, stop calling, will 541 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 3: play it again in a minute, And it was for 542 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 3: the rest of like three hour show. It's the only 543 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 3: song they played over and over and people were calling 544 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:43,879 Speaker 3: in with tears and I'm it was kind of the 545 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 3: perfect storm. Nine to eleven, hadn't you know this was 546 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:50,600 Speaker 3: it was within the six months of nine to eleven, 547 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,719 Speaker 3: And it was just the timing what people. People were 548 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 3: calling in with the most gutaching stories, And I'll never 549 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,879 Speaker 3: forget when I met finally met Fitz, he was like, 550 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,040 Speaker 3: I've had people cuss me out for not playing eminem 551 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 3: or whoever, because I've never in my years of doing this, 552 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:06,680 Speaker 3: had someone call and thank me for playing a song. 553 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:09,679 Speaker 3: So they became big fans of us just because of 554 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 3: how they were being treated. Wow, they became one of 555 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:14,560 Speaker 3: our biggest advocates, Like they're the reason. It got to 556 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:15,840 Speaker 3: a point where like what do we do with this? 557 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,360 Speaker 3: Like there's no plan, Like we're not going to send 558 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:21,959 Speaker 3: a Christian song to a pop station, assume. And so 559 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:24,720 Speaker 3: the only idea we had was, well, let's just send 560 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:26,920 Speaker 3: them a CD and said and it would stay on 561 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 3: the outside, play it once, if no response, throwed away. 562 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 3: And so not everybody played it, but all the ones 563 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 3: that did it went number one and crazy. Yeah, there's 564 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 3: a station in Orlando that Oh I'm sorry, I'm getting 565 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 3: your question was what is it about the songs? 566 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: Yeah? 567 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, what I was asked at a million times, especially 568 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 3: during that time. And I don't know other than I'm like, man, 569 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:54,800 Speaker 3: I think whether you are Christian or not, we all 570 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:57,119 Speaker 3: hope and want to be a part of something bigger. 571 00:26:58,000 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 3: And if you lose a loved one, I don't care 572 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:02,879 Speaker 3: who it is. You hope the best for them. And 573 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,760 Speaker 3: we're not shoving anything down anybody's throats. I'm asking the 574 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 3: same questions everybody else is like, like, God, if what 575 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:14,160 Speaker 3: if you're everything that I've been told you are and more? 576 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:16,479 Speaker 3: Am I gonna be able to speak? I mean, it's 577 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 3: it's there's that's my thought. I think it's just asking 578 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 3: the same questions that. 579 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:23,320 Speaker 2: Anybody's asked, and that and that resonaates. 580 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 3: It's nothing offensive or coming in hot. It's just who's 581 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 3: not wondered that? 582 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:31,239 Speaker 1: And you've said when the first movie came out, by 583 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 1: the way, seven million dollar budgets blew up eighty six 584 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:37,840 Speaker 1: million dollars. You know, in proceed it's unbelievable at the 585 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,440 Speaker 1: box office, but it's very It had to be wrenching 586 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 1: for you on a certain level because you were living 587 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:47,159 Speaker 1: not only the abuse you endo it and what you 588 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 1: went through with your dad. But then you said, and 589 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:51,440 Speaker 1: I'm gonna quote you. If the gospel can change my dad, 590 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 1: it can change anyone. How has that relationship with your 591 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:59,440 Speaker 1: father changed since his passing and why did you feel 592 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 1: you had to be so honest in the movie. 593 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 3: Well, my grandmother used to tell me I was a kid, 594 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 3: like don't ever let your hurt go in vain. And 595 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:07,720 Speaker 3: as a kid, I don't even know if I understood 596 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,119 Speaker 3: what she meant. I may get it wrong now, But 597 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:15,120 Speaker 3: to me, I interpret that as if my story can 598 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:19,480 Speaker 3: help somebody else, then my story's worth it, if that 599 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 3: makes sense, Like because the worst thing is to be 600 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 3: beat up by your dad and it not to be 601 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:28,480 Speaker 3: worth anything, if that makes sense, like, find something hopeful 602 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 3: or good of that, because otherwise it's just it's just awful. 603 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:34,920 Speaker 3: And that's how my grandmother, when I was going through 604 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:36,920 Speaker 3: some of these beatings, she was always wanted to comfort 605 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 3: me and she would say, just one day, just don't 606 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:41,840 Speaker 3: let this hurt go in vain. And she passed before 607 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 3: we could ever talk about it. But I've that line's 608 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:48,640 Speaker 3: been in songs and it's just stuck with me. But yeah, 609 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 3: the first movie, when Sydney Bond approached me, there was 610 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 3: it was about eight years to when it finally released. 611 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,080 Speaker 3: When she first approached me and my wife, and I 612 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 3: unreal aged the movie. Her brother had had passed away 613 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 3: the same or Sam's diagnosed in O four, and that 614 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 3: was like the depression amount of depression. There's so much 615 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 3: things happened that year, and I was just in a funk, 616 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:17,960 Speaker 3: like for years. And she started she wanted to go 617 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:20,520 Speaker 3: to counseling, but that was like, she's afraid. That just 618 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 3: sounds like, you know, I would have been one of 619 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:24,400 Speaker 3: those guys going, well, I don't need counseling. I'm a 620 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:27,720 Speaker 3: Christian or whatever. And so she went in for grief counseling, 621 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 3: and I understood that because it was hard to get over. 622 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 3: I was thinking just for her brother, but it's a 623 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 3: grief counseling for everything we're going through. She went by herself, 624 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 3: and then one day she was like, hey, she wants 625 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,120 Speaker 3: you to come and just see the progress I'm making. 626 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 3: That's it, Like I'm going to the Princial's office or whatever. 627 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:44,720 Speaker 3: I was like, okay, ill go. So I went. As 628 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:46,080 Speaker 3: soon as I sit down, my wife's like, oh, I 629 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 3: need to run the restroom. She goes, and I realized 630 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:51,600 Speaker 3: I'm being ambushed, Like this is like and the counselor. 631 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 3: She's amazing, and she was the first person to connect 632 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 3: my childhood with how I'm a father, how im my husband, 633 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 3: and really the wounds that I've tried to bury my 634 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 3: entire life. And now this is right when this crazy 635 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 3: lady says she's going to make a movie. And so 636 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 3: I never thought it was going to happen. But for 637 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 3: those next six or seven years, I went to counseling 638 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 3: and got the healthiest I've ever been in my life, 639 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:23,080 Speaker 3: and coming to terms with my dad and being able 640 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 3: to see what my dad went through and just paying 641 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,960 Speaker 3: attentions long enough to know his story my mom's story 642 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 3: to realize, oh wait, they were in similar situations. My 643 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 3: dad's was a crazier and my dad played football most 644 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:39,560 Speaker 3: of his life from five years old without a face 645 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 3: mask like my doctors later because they didn't know what 646 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 3: it was in that front lobal. They think that because 647 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 3: my dad was when he left SMU, he was a 648 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 3: flagman on a construction site and he got hit by 649 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 3: a diesel. Oh my Lord, lost him like fifty feet 650 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 3: but never broke a bone. He's a really big, strong guy. 651 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 3: Put him in a coma for like three months, and 652 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 3: when he came out, he was just all rage. My 653 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 3: dad's never had to drink of alcohol, and but whatever 654 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,600 Speaker 3: happened him, then this crazy temper that he might have 655 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 3: had on the football field. He was a teddy bear before. 656 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 3: My mom was like I went home with you know, 657 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:16,080 Speaker 3: doctor Jay. It was a totally different man, and the 658 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 3: same doctor delivered me that was there when my dad died. 659 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 3: He told me, he goes, Man, the more we learn 660 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 3: about this stuff CTE order it's called yeah, like they 661 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 3: could in ninety one, they didn't even know to check 662 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 3: it right because it's always after you pass away they 663 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 3: can look at it. He goes, I promise you like 664 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 3: these football players that have had these rage issues and stuff, 665 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 3: he goes everything they're doing. Your dad was the poster 666 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:38,960 Speaker 3: child for that, and so I kind of, you know, 667 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 3: I I found some comfort in that. It's people just 668 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 3: assume he's an alcoholic or water and was like, now 669 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 3: it's it's a little longer story. 670 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: But and now you have I can only imagine too. Yeah, 671 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 1: where did you always think, Well, you didn't think that 672 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 1: you were going to tell any more now, but nonetheless 673 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 1: it's out not where can people see it. 674 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:01,720 Speaker 3: It's about to be. I guess, well, the VODs and 675 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 3: wherever streaming or you can buy videos online. 676 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 1: And it's still in some theaters. Yeah, but you can 677 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 1: get it online and all the streaming. 678 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:11,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, it'll land on some streaming platform at some point 679 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:13,680 Speaker 3: where right now when it's half in theaters half like 680 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 3: you can buy it on Apple and all those places 681 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 3: would be hard to find. 682 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:21,239 Speaker 1: I think you left Atlantic Records after two decades, and 683 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 1: you say you did so because you wanted to be 684 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:27,400 Speaker 1: free to really speak what you believe, sing what you believe. 685 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 1: What did it cost you to do that? And are 686 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 1: you free or no? 687 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:36,880 Speaker 3: Yeah? I am? And really it was our little label 688 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:38,760 Speaker 3: that we're part of is called fair Trade, and we've 689 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 3: been with them from day one, and so they we 690 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 3: were fortunate they have believed in us. And you know 691 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:48,800 Speaker 3: a lot of times you signed some new artists because 692 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 3: they've got something going on, but then you try to 693 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:52,920 Speaker 3: change them completely, and so I'm like, wait a minute, 694 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:56,040 Speaker 3: let me have my instincts, because like, why would you 695 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:58,120 Speaker 3: just go get anybody and change them. And they were 696 00:32:58,160 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 3: amazing to be let us be true to who we 697 00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:02,719 Speaker 3: are are. And so they're the ones that really like 698 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 3: they're like our whole little label left Atlantic and uh 699 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:11,440 Speaker 3: and and and moved on because of the changes they 700 00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:14,480 Speaker 3: wanted and this stuff, and they were We've been so fortunate. 701 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:15,960 Speaker 3: We're one of maybe the few. I don't know that, 702 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:19,800 Speaker 3: Like when my label president retires, I'll probably retire. He's 703 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 3: like the sweetest man. He's always looked out for us, 704 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:23,600 Speaker 3: and he's like, you need to be able to speak 705 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:25,840 Speaker 3: freely and do what you want to do. And so 706 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:28,880 Speaker 3: like our it wasn't a big catalog, but our catalog 707 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:31,760 Speaker 3: of us and Phil Wickham and all these guys. We 708 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 3: we we stepped out from Atlantic and wow, yeah yeah, 709 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 3: And it's funny. I didn't realize the how big of 710 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,479 Speaker 3: a move that was until years later because I wasn't 711 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:43,920 Speaker 3: in the business. He's like, yeah, they wanted this and 712 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:46,080 Speaker 3: this and that. I wasn't gonna let him change that. 713 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 3: And so I'm I'm fortunate that it wasn't a fight 714 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:50,920 Speaker 3: I had to do in my Yeah. 715 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, Okay, your son Sam we talked about earlier, is 716 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:55,400 Speaker 1: not all a musician. 717 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 2: He tourists with you. Yeah, what would you tell him? 718 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 1: Not as a musician, But it was a man that 719 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:05,960 Speaker 1: you've learned after forty years at a long season of depression. 720 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 2: What does he need to know now? 721 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:11,480 Speaker 3: Well, And I've told him most of these. I was like, 722 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 3: you need to find what your non negotiables are and 723 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:16,440 Speaker 3: hold on to him, you know, whether it's family. You know, 724 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:18,680 Speaker 3: I was single when I started, and you know he's not. 725 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 3: He's been married for two years and he just signed 726 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:23,160 Speaker 3: a record deal. I was like, things are different for you, man, 727 00:34:23,200 --> 00:34:26,239 Speaker 3: and you've got to protect those at all costs. And 728 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:29,880 Speaker 3: it's not just because you know, like I was the 729 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 3: same way, Like I just I've got to pay the bills. 730 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 3: I got to do it. It was like, man, you've 731 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:35,600 Speaker 3: just got to do a systems check with your wife 732 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:38,960 Speaker 3: and make sure that's good. Yep. The success is worthless 733 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 3: if you lose her and ag and and just the 734 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:47,839 Speaker 3: best advice I've told him is, man, enjoyed as long 735 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 3: as you can, because it's going to become a job. 736 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 3: Like he's still and I love music, but man, there's 737 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:55,839 Speaker 3: nothing like that. He's twenty four and he's just obsessed 738 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:58,760 Speaker 3: with music. They're just love her love of music. 739 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:01,839 Speaker 1: But there's always that tension with a with A. I 740 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 1: think you don't realize it till you're down down the 741 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:07,840 Speaker 1: road as far as we are. You want to provide 742 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:09,759 Speaker 1: for your family, want to protect your family. So you're 743 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:11,439 Speaker 1: working and you're working, and you're working and you're working, 744 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:14,680 Speaker 1: and your attention does stay there and it's hard to 745 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:16,920 Speaker 1: those check ins that you talked about. 746 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:19,360 Speaker 2: You do kind of you know, you forget those and. 747 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:21,360 Speaker 1: You say, oh, well the house is fine, Yeah, you know, 748 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 1: house is okay, this is my domain. I got to 749 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:25,080 Speaker 1: just I got to go out and fight to kill 750 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,360 Speaker 1: the dragons every day, right, And you do forget at times. 751 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:29,440 Speaker 3: To you do like, I'm like, what do you mean? 752 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:31,759 Speaker 3: Of course, I love you, I got your roof. I'm 753 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:35,000 Speaker 3: this is fight or mentality, and there's nothing wrong with that. 754 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:37,319 Speaker 3: But it's like, man, you just and it's just there's 755 00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:39,800 Speaker 3: so much, like there's a lot of great memories of 756 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:42,799 Speaker 3: being on the road, but a lot of missed moments. 757 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 3: You know, like we were doing at one point doing 758 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:48,000 Speaker 3: like three hundred and twenty three hundred thirty days a year, 759 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:51,240 Speaker 3: like non stop. Wow, Now we only do about fifty 760 00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:52,719 Speaker 3: maybe sixty on a busy year. 761 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:54,799 Speaker 2: Yeah that's a rough that's a rough skill. 762 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:57,879 Speaker 3: Well but back then, but I mean now I had 763 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:00,719 Speaker 3: to do it. Social media does the work. Then it's 764 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:01,640 Speaker 3: every live room. 765 00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:03,600 Speaker 2: Right, you had to fill the room and get that's 766 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:03,960 Speaker 2: how you go. 767 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:06,360 Speaker 3: Virals. That crowd hopefully kill another crowd. 768 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,560 Speaker 1: Wow, And okay, before we wrap, I have to ask 769 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 1: you some royal grande. I got questionnaire question I asked 770 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:16,160 Speaker 1: these of everybody. They're rapid fire. Okay, don't think about Okay, 771 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:17,800 Speaker 1: who's the person you most despise? 772 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:28,719 Speaker 3: Oh gosh, that person somebody on the Philadelphia Eagles. Just 773 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:29,960 Speaker 3: pick I'm a fan. 774 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:32,560 Speaker 1: Okay, we'll leave that. That's a good answer. Who's the 775 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:34,680 Speaker 1: person you most admire? M. 776 00:36:37,400 --> 00:36:39,520 Speaker 3: I mean it's always in Billy Graham, but I mean 777 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:47,160 Speaker 3: I'm living. Yeah, and this sounds crazy. The guys in 778 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:49,359 Speaker 3: my band are like the fact that we're still best 779 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:52,040 Speaker 3: friends thirty two years later and I couldn't do it 780 00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:54,719 Speaker 3: without him, Like I just I'm saying, I'm blown away. 781 00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 3: The most is our relationship and. 782 00:36:55,920 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 1: That's a big accomplishment to stay together that long. H 783 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:02,560 Speaker 1: what's the best piece of advice you ever received. 784 00:37:04,239 --> 00:37:06,920 Speaker 3: As a parent. I'll give you two. As a parent. 785 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:11,680 Speaker 3: You're gonna get it wrong. Just keep showing up and 786 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 3: the band never treat what's in front of you. As 787 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:17,719 Speaker 3: a stepping stone to something bigger. And the fact is 788 00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:19,920 Speaker 3: that God has placed you and only you, no one 789 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:22,400 Speaker 3: else in all of creation for that moment, whether it's 790 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:24,880 Speaker 3: ten people or ten thousand, take advantage of it. 791 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:28,400 Speaker 2: Wow, that's great. Yeah, that is fantastic. What do you 792 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:31,640 Speaker 2: know that other people either don't know or have forgot? 793 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:35,920 Speaker 3: Do I know? 794 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:36,279 Speaker 2: What? 795 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:36,920 Speaker 3: A question? 796 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 1: Yeah? What do you know that other people don't know 797 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:43,240 Speaker 1: or perhaps never considered or have forgot? 798 00:37:45,239 --> 00:37:49,359 Speaker 3: On light side, that the bandylo will bring you more 799 00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:51,319 Speaker 3: joy than you realize, because it still does to me 800 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 3: every day. It's my favorite band ever. Okay, And I 801 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:03,480 Speaker 3: forget just the taking the time to listen to an 802 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:07,680 Speaker 3: entire album and just like everything is in bits and 803 00:38:07,719 --> 00:38:10,560 Speaker 3: it's such an ADHD society and it's like, and I'm 804 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:12,680 Speaker 3: not saying because I make album, it's just the joy 805 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:15,240 Speaker 3: of walking through a journey of a songwriter from beginning 806 00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:18,680 Speaker 3: to end is just a lost art. And I so agree. 807 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:20,840 Speaker 3: And it's all about slowing down and go to the 808 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:23,320 Speaker 3: baseball game live. You can steal time, but it's sitting 809 00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:25,239 Speaker 3: in the stands, like just slow down. 810 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:27,280 Speaker 2: Well, people think I'm crazy. 811 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 1: When I got my Honda, I said you have to 812 00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:30,480 Speaker 1: wear the astros. 813 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:32,160 Speaker 2: I said, I want to see deep player. There They're like, 814 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:32,759 Speaker 2: see deep player. 815 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:34,680 Speaker 1: I said, I want my CD player to do just 816 00:38:34,719 --> 00:38:37,560 Speaker 1: what I listened to my Sinatra albums from top to bottom. 817 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:42,520 Speaker 1: Nat can call you know, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald to 818 00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:47,520 Speaker 1: hear the continuation the story they meant to tell through 819 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:50,319 Speaker 1: that album. You lose the songs if you don't hear 820 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:51,280 Speaker 1: them in that context. 821 00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:54,000 Speaker 3: I think, is that your music? That's okay. So my 822 00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:56,880 Speaker 3: favorite era, my favorite group of all time. This is 823 00:38:56,880 --> 00:38:59,320 Speaker 3: what I would tell you forgot Go listen to the 824 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:02,320 Speaker 3: Mills Brothers, all the Mills brother it's my favorite. Wow. 825 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:06,520 Speaker 3: Like my grandmother like like like if I go to 826 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:08,319 Speaker 3: my Apple Music or whatever, it shows you the most 827 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:11,200 Speaker 3: played it's Mills Brothers by ten miles. Wow. Like all 828 00:39:11,239 --> 00:39:13,080 Speaker 3: of my kids know the words to every Mills. 829 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:17,200 Speaker 1: Brothers because they give you it's a push for comfort food. 830 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:18,279 Speaker 2: It's a cushion of calm. 831 00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:18,680 Speaker 3: Yes. 832 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:20,640 Speaker 2: Yes, Dean Martin loved the Mills Brothers. 833 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:22,160 Speaker 3: Oh yes, I know, yeah, I've seen him. 834 00:39:22,680 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's the only time he blushes when you think 835 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:27,840 Speaker 1: with the Mills Brothers. 836 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:29,960 Speaker 2: And you see him going, oh, I can't believe up here. 837 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:32,440 Speaker 3: So yeah, I love all of that music, like the 838 00:39:32,480 --> 00:39:34,399 Speaker 3: ink spots all that. I love it all. Wow. 839 00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:36,160 Speaker 2: What's your greatest fear? 840 00:39:37,760 --> 00:39:41,480 Speaker 3: I guess it doesn't doesn't hover over. My dad died 841 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:43,560 Speaker 3: of cancer at forty eight. I'm fifty three, and so 842 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:45,799 Speaker 3: I don't have my greatest fear. But it's the one 843 00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:47,719 Speaker 3: that that just I feel like I'm on borrowed time 844 00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:48,239 Speaker 3: a little bit. 845 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:49,640 Speaker 2: What's your greatest regret? 846 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:57,080 Speaker 3: My greatest regret? I wish I had started playing golf sooner. 847 00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:00,040 Speaker 3: I'm terrible at it. 848 00:40:00,080 --> 00:40:02,439 Speaker 2: Funny, I wish I'd never picked up a class. Well, 849 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:04,879 Speaker 2: if you weren't doing this, what would you be doing. 850 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:09,400 Speaker 3: I'm trying to play golf terrible. Now, I'm not a professional. 851 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:11,480 Speaker 3: I love golf. I'm awful at it, but I love 852 00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:14,319 Speaker 3: the ideas. Everything I said about slow down and be 853 00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:17,800 Speaker 3: outside is golf. Wow. And nothing takes you through every 854 00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:21,600 Speaker 3: emotion in life in eighteen holes. You know, it's just 855 00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:25,320 Speaker 3: from euphoric to cursing fury. 856 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:26,960 Speaker 2: Yes see, that's the part I don't like. 857 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:29,759 Speaker 1: I know. I'd rather go for I know and talk 858 00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:32,160 Speaker 1: to somebody that golf it and I do find it 859 00:40:32,239 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 1: tedious I get very anxio. 860 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:35,560 Speaker 2: You know, I'm in the car. I like driving a cart. 861 00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:36,560 Speaker 2: I don't like hitting the ball. 862 00:40:36,640 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. If I wasn't in music like right now, I 863 00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:41,800 Speaker 3: wouldn't have said this years ago. But just some doors 864 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:44,400 Speaker 3: have opened to where like I've always I just have 865 00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:47,200 Speaker 3: a vivid imagination. I've written stories for years like I 866 00:40:47,239 --> 00:40:48,960 Speaker 3: thought would be a comic book guy. And so some 867 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:52,720 Speaker 3: of those doors are opening on the TV movie side, 868 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:56,880 Speaker 3: and so we're slowly you know, wow, And so that 869 00:40:56,880 --> 00:40:59,160 Speaker 3: that's if it stopped today, I would pursue that. 870 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:01,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, what happens when this is over? 871 00:41:02,320 --> 00:41:03,439 Speaker 3: When all of this is over? 872 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:04,680 Speaker 2: Your called? 873 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:07,520 Speaker 3: Uh, well, well let's see. I'm going to go to 874 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:10,960 Speaker 3: in and out Burger when this is over. Yeah, okay, one, 875 00:41:11,080 --> 00:41:16,640 Speaker 3: you see that's a good one. But when when it's over, 876 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:21,720 Speaker 3: I'm going to see people that I have missed dearly 877 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:28,000 Speaker 3: and uh and and just relish to hear to hear 878 00:41:28,239 --> 00:41:32,279 Speaker 3: Christ say well done. Yeah yeah, I just you know, 879 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:34,040 Speaker 3: they say sleep and you're dead, I'll say I'll rest 880 00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:35,400 Speaker 3: when I'm dead. I can say that might it's just 881 00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:37,960 Speaker 3: an absolute rest. It's like you know, it's it's not 882 00:41:38,040 --> 00:41:41,399 Speaker 3: something I fear. It's just you know, yeah, yeah, I'm 883 00:41:41,440 --> 00:41:42,120 Speaker 3: all in. 884 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:46,440 Speaker 2: Me too great to see you. What a joy, thank you, 885 00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:47,959 Speaker 2: thank you, here's the whole. 886 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:50,799 Speaker 1: I love that moment early on when Bart said he 887 00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:54,279 Speaker 1: kept writing I can only imagine, I can only imagine 888 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:57,120 Speaker 1: it is notebook till it filled everything. And then years 889 00:41:57,200 --> 00:41:59,760 Speaker 1: later when he needed a song, when he was looking 890 00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:04,280 Speaker 1: for inspiration, it was literally on every page of his notebook. 891 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:09,560 Speaker 1: Sometimes those deep pains in our lives are really God's 892 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:12,400 Speaker 1: way of getting our attention and leading us to what 893 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:13,719 Speaker 1: He really intends for us. 894 00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:16,080 Speaker 2: I hope you'll come back to a Royal Grande soon. 895 00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:19,480 Speaker 1: Why settle for a dry, constricted life when if you 896 00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:22,120 Speaker 1: fill it with wisdom and knowledge, it can flow into 897 00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:24,720 Speaker 1: a broad, thriving Arroyo Grande. 898 00:42:24,960 --> 00:42:25,840 Speaker 2: I'm raiming Arroyo. 899 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:29,319 Speaker 1: Make sure you subscribe like this episode, Thanks for diving in, 900 00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:32,960 Speaker 1: and we'll see you next time. A Royal Grande is 901 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:37,359 Speaker 1: produced in partnership with Deep Peace Studios and iHeart Podcasts, 902 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:40,319 Speaker 1: and is available on the iHeartRadio, Apple wherever you get 903 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:53,000 Speaker 1: your podcasts