It's Alright

Jesus Loves Me this I know, and it was Matthew Ward's album Toward Eternity that told me so -- in a language I could understand.

Matthew's probably not known to many of my readers here, but he's definitely in the top 10 for musical impact in my life, somewhere behind Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. And it's his birthday today.

(Do me a favor…take your time to at least listen to a portion of these tracks as you read. You won't be disappointed. Then buy them.)

The Richards boys have always loved their stereos. Whenever a car was purchased the only necessary upgrade would be the stereo system. My brother Skip's green mustang was no different. He had the best car stereo on our street. And the loudest. This was the days before the thundering bass of rap and hip hop so our neighbors weren't as annoyed as you'd think. Even today, we can't help boasting about this or that amplifier or the number of speakers we have attached to our home theaters. I'm quite sure our present day neighbors hate us.

But before home theater hd-dts receivers with 7.1 surround, there was music.


It was 1980.

And Matthew Ward was rocking.



Let me set the scene: It's Phoenix, Arizona. In the summer. People cook things on the sidewalk for fun. And I'm sitting in a green mustang, hoping I don't wear out my brother's battery. I also don't want to bug the neighbors or get told off, so I keep the windows up. It's 120 in the shade. And probably 140 in the car.



(By the way, Matthew, if you read this, my wife always thought the words to this song were something like "I have a pickle in my eye…if you touch it it makes me cry." She spent her entire youth, watching you sing with your sisters many times, imagining you with a pickle in your eye.)

Catchy song. Amazing florid vocals. Rossini woulda been proud. I pray Whitney Houston is finally singing this well again for her Creator.

We Jesus loving Richards were definitely not allowed to listen to Pink Floyd or anything remotely secular. But I sat in that car playing air guitar to my personal favorite, imagining being onstage and singing. These tunes were among the first I remember listening to and thinking: "I wanna do THAT!"



If Opera can Rock, then so can Jesus.

It's funny. I got thinking about Matthew Ward this week. I don't listen to Christian Pop/Rock anymore, so I can't explain why he popped into my mind. I sent a track to my 4 brothers, saying "Sheesh. Remember this song?! Memories, huh?" (My oldest bro wrote back just now and said he was a FB friend of his and that it was his birthday today.)

I think it has to do with circles beginning again. I'm currently in Trieste, Italy. I haven't been here since 2003 when I made my European debut here singing Don Jose in Carmen. And I feel like I'm finally beginning … again.

As the story has unfolded in the past few posts, the last several months have been a personal low point. Almost too painful to write about. Set back after set back, and bad habits getting the better of me. Finally, in the darkest moments thinking I would walk away entirely. More about that later.

But Hope springs eternal. Holding on is one of the good habits I never lost.



The circle has come fully 'round. It's time to sing again. I've waited long enough.



The music was never exciting nor was I ever less inspired than listening to Matthew Ward. Happy Birthday, Matthew. Thanks for so many years on the road, for dealing with crappy hotel rooms, getting up and singing when you probably didn't always feel like it, for sharing your unique voice.

Your faithfulness, your hope, and joy are an inspiration.

As for me: Yeah, it's alright. Our greatest fears, our personal Beasts and Boogy Men won't nip our toes if we dangle them off the bed.