A Hellion's View Of The Christian Music World. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

As a life long christian and very willing to open up about it, I've made a conscious choice to not be involved with the christian music. When you take serving the lord and make a job out of it it changes things. I just want a relationship with Jesus. I stopped touring because I didn't like the person I was and didn't feel I was following Gods plan for my life. God closed that door and moved me somewhere else.

You're the kind of guy that I wish more churches were full of! Real and raw. 👍

I’ve been a Christian all my life, and this is accurate. There are wonderful, amazing people in the church and people I wouldn’t trust to take out my trash. But this is true of any group, organization, club, or gathering of people. The church is unfortunately not exempt from human nature. I appreciate that you cover both the good and the bad, rather than overemphasizing one or the other.

Man, this is one of the best observations of that world that I've seen. And things that absolutely should be pointed out. Both the bad and the good. Thank you.

Thx Nicky, ya I use to work with a friend doing Word records and southern gospel as well. One time was working with Jimmy Buffets manager and he would say you christian record people always want everything and never want to pay for it. He was mostly right , but It was tough at times having to get enough money from record label to finish a project. Sadly now, so much less money going around for those same mid grade records.

Way to make me all sappy this morning, Hines. We sure do love you and the fresh approach you bring to SOGO music. You are the best thing Steve ever did. Love you big!

Your perceptions are spot on. If you're ever in Eastern PA, you are very welcomed to have a beer with this Christian and her husband. We'll play music in the back yard.

Thank you for taking the time and effort to share your experiences within the Christian music world. I appreciate your directness and honesty.

I auditioned for a successful Christian band in the early 90's. I had gotten saved and decided to leave the rock scene in Nashville (Yes Nashville had a rock scene even then! And there were some amazing bands back then, story for another time). I did not get the gig due to politics. I left the music industry altogether and stayed away for at least six years or more. I got tired of just the douchieness in and around the church music scene. I wasn't even that deeply involved in it, and it even I could see what was going on, and it was NOT Christ like, then you would think the church could. This and many other issues pushed me out of the church. I really do want to be a part of a church. I KNOW I loved Christ, but the hypocrisy is too much. I feel like to praise and worship section of the church has gotten out of control. I am there to hear the word of God, not to see a show and ego.

I did a little ccm before it was called ccm in Nashville in the 90’s. I noticed that it was fraught with the same problems that the rest of Nashville had. Money b money and Folks b folks I reckon. But I do give thanks to God EVERYDAY for my Sunday morning gig. Great church, great people, great gig.

My favorite meme for Christian guitarists is the one with The Edge standing with his guitar saying “Hey worship guitarists,… you you’re welcome! “

I once attended a church where the pastor had been in radio. When he converted, he was really excited to get out of all the backbiting politics of his secular radio station to work at a Christian station where he thought it would be all love and grace and forgiveness. Instead, it was much worse. The reason was that everyone was expecting everyone ELSE to be loving and forgiving to THEM rather than expecting themselves to act that ways to others. At the secular station it was restrained a little by a sense of professionalism. So it was really toxic. The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast shows how churches can go really haywire when there's size and numbers and money and celebrity in the mix.

Played drums for a charismatic church for a few years and man did I get some chops. 2-3 hour worship services, single songs that went for 30 minutes and blood on the snare drum. Never had another gig where I had to remember to bring band-aids! Also got slightly better at dancing heh

I have heard, "The good lord respects you when you wrok, but he loves you when you sing." I have found that singing helps when I work, no matter the task. When your work is making music...now there's the sprinkles on the icing on the cake!

I love your honesty and I look forward to all your videos. YOU are one of my favorite people. Thanks for your time and just being so dang nice and easy to listen to. Have a great week.

Theres nothing better than a christian living life by example that is the best church there is.

I’m so glad of your experience/relationship with the Highway 96 crew. Fantastic people ❤️

I got my start in my dad's church, went on to play in a lot of clubs in the NY/NJ area back in the 90's, then back to CCM and worship and being an occasional opening act for big name CCM artists of the day. Currently working on my second studio album that has a lot of country rock vibes to it. Latest release was all original worship. Been a worship leader many times at many different churches over the years, but the freedom of being an indie artist is second to none. Since I have a regular job, I am not dependent on music for income, so I don't have to worry about answering to anyone. :) Win win. Great video, and man do I have some stories I could share, but I'll keep them vested for now. :)

Interesting. I was a traveling musician in the early seventies with a southern gospel group. We had plenty of diesel pushers on our tails. Holier than thou while in the venue then there’s the afterwards. It made me look at the business in a totally different way. And if you may ask? Commonplace.

I have mad respect for you in this video. I really appreciate your objective yett thoughtful words of the Christian music, well actually the whole community. I would say the number one ingredient you could say about those who are great to work with is they have a spirit of humility. Which seems to be absent in a lot of the others. I was once deemed worthy of the club, and had a moral failure and was sidelined. Everything you said is true