I Love To Tell The Story

Some folks spend a lifetime making music. John Mays has spent his helping shape the music—and collecting some mighty good stories along the way.

On this edition of I Love to Tell the Story, we sit down with a friend whose name you may not know—but whose work has almost certainly touched your life.

If you’ve studied album credits over the past 45 years, you’ve probably seen his name. As a record company executive, he signed artists like Cindy Morgan, Nichole Nordeman, Point of Grace, and Lauren Daigle. But that’s only part of the story.

John was also a trusted bass player in the studio, playing on some of Christian music’s biggest records. And as a songwriter, he helped write Sandi Patty’s “Love in Any Language”—a song that found its way into hearts around the world.

Before all of that, there were miles on the road with the Speers and Andrus, Blackwood & Company. And if you think those years might have supplied a story or two, well… you’d be right.

We start with the music, but along the way, we meet the man. And fair warning: the longer you listen, the funnier the stories get.

Join us for a little laughter, a few unexpected turns, and a conversation with John Mays—a man with deep West Texas roots and a heart big enough to match.

🎥 Watch the video on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ILove2TelltheStory-xd9fg 🌐 For more stories like this, visit: www.ILove2TelltheStory.com

In the second episode of our new podcast series, filmed and recorded live at the Museum of Christian & Gospel Music in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, we’re honored to sit down with true Christian music royalty.

In the early days of Southern Gospel, legendary groups like The Blackwood Brothers, The Speer Family, and The Rambos helped forge a path that continues to shape Gospel music today. Now, for the first time ever, the children of those iconic artists come together to share the stories, friendships, laughter, and history that grew out of a truly one-of-a-kind world.

Join Dave and Dusty as they welcome:
* Billy Blackwood, son of James Blackwood
* Reba Rambo, daughter of Buck and Dottie Rambo
* Stephen Speer, son of Ben Speer

All three share a remarkable distinction: their parents are members of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Recorded in front of a live audience, this unforgettable conversation is filled with never-before-shared stories, plenty of laughs, and enough Gospel music history to fill a book.

This is an episode you won’t want to miss!

🎥 Watch the video on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ILove2TelltheStory-xd9fg🌐 For more stories like this, visit:www.ILove2TelltheStory.com

In the first episode of our new podcast series—filmed and recorded at the Museum of Christian and Gospel Music in downtown Nashville, TN—we are thrilled to welcome the one and only Jason Crabb.

A GRAMMY and Dove Award-winning artist with a biography as big as his personality, Jason is the pride of Beaver Dam, Kentucky, and the energy in every room he walks into. He sits down with longtime friends Dave and Dusty for a no-holds-barred conversation full of stories, laughs, heart, and a few surprises along the way.

Recorded in front of a live audience, this episode is going to sound and feel a little different from previous ones—and that’s exactly what makes it special. So come on in, pull up a seat, and join us for an episode unlike any other with a truly one-of-a-kind gentleman.

🎥 Watch the video on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ILove2TelltheStory-xd9fg🌐 For more stories like this, visit:www.ILove2TelltheStory.com

We really do love to tell the story—and after three years of podcasting, this episode feels especially meaningful.

More than two old friends taking a walk down memory lane, it’s a reflection on the passion that has fueled this podcast from the beginning: a love for the history of Christian music and a responsibility to help preserve and share it.

Along the way, we’ve discovered that telling our own stories helps the next generation understand not just what mattered to us, but why it mattered. And maybe it will encourage you to share your own story with the people closest to you.

Because you never know who’s listening—or what they may be walking through. Sometimes your story can give someone else the courage to keep going.

Join us for the story behind the stories—and why we still love to tell them.

Don’t miss this special episode of I Love To Tell The Story.
🎥 Watch the video on our YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@ILove2TelltheStory-xd9fg
🌐 For more stories like this, visit:www.ILove2TelltheStory.com

If the music of Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Rich Mullins, or Kathy Troccoli has ever impacted your life — or if you were one of the more than 2 million readers who picked up Frank E. Peretti’s This Present Darkness — you won’t want to miss this conversation with Michael Blanton, a man who was right in the middle of these stories plus a whole lot more.

As cofounder, along with Dan Harrell, of Reunion Records and Blanton/Harrell Management, Michael was one of the most influential creative forces in Christian music during the 1980s and ’90s — and he has the stories to prove it.

This episode runs a little longer than most, but trust us: the behind-the-scenes stories — including some you won’t hear anywhere else — are more than worth it.

So pull up a chair and join us for an episode you don’t want to miss.

🎙 Listen now at www.ILove2TelltheStory.com—or wherever you get your podcasts.

John Hammond is one of Nashville’s premier drummers—and trust us, the résumé (and the stories) prove it. With a career spanning nearly four decades, John has played behind some of the biggest names in Christian and country music. But this episode isn’t about drum fills or technique. It’s about the journey.

It’s a conversation between friends as we peel back the pages on a life in music that’s still going strong.

From Amy Grant and Russ Taff to The Cathedrals and Greater Vision… from Whitney Houston and 4HIM to Kathy Mattea and Phillips, Craig & Dean—John’s steady hands and unmistakable feel have left an indelible mark on countless recordings and stages.

But beyond the accolades and credits, John Hammond is simply one of the most respected—and most likable—musicians in the business. And as you’ll hear, the stories behind the songs are just as compelling as the music itself.

Pull up a chair and join us for stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

🎙 Listen now at www.ILove2TelltheStory.com—or wherever you get your podcasts.

Songwriter Brian White joins us for a compelling conversation in our latest episode. 

It hardly seems plausible—much less possible—that one songwriter could pen some of the most recognizable songs in Christian music—“Holding Out Hope To You” (Michael English), “The Promise” (The Martins)—and then turn around and do the very same thing in country music with hits like “Watching You” (Rodney Atkins) and “Blame It On You” (Jason Aldean).

And yet… that's what Brian White has accomplished.

With more than 400 recorded songs to his credit, Brian White has got stories for days—including a few you won’t hear anywhere else. 

Pull up a chair—this is a conversation worth hearing.
Don’t miss this special episode of I Love To Tell The Story.

🎥 Watch the video on our YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@ILove2TelltheStory-xd9fg

🌐 For more stories like this, visit:www.ILove2TelltheStory.com

While you may not recognize Zach Farnum’s name, you have almost certainly been impacted by his influence in the music business. 

As Founder of 117 Entertainment, Zach has spent years shaping careers, building brands, and amplifying the voices of some of music’s most respected artists. A trusted leader in marketing and publicity, he works behind the scenes where strategy meets storytelling.

He serves as Chair of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Troubadour Society and is a member of the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music, and the Recording Academy — but at heart, he’s simply a fan of great music and the people who make it.

For someone who has dedicated his career to helping artists tell their stories, this episode turns the spotlight on his.

Whether you’re an artist, creative, industry professional, or passionate music fan of any genre, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

In the age of social media, words like “legend” and “gamechanger” get thrown around a lot.

And then there are those rare moments when those are the only words that actually fit.

This is one of those moments.

On the newest episode of I Love To Tell the Story, we sit down with — yes — the legend and the gamechanger himself, Jim Murray. From 20 years as tenor with the iconic Imperials, to his time with the Gaither Vocal Band, and even the Elvis years, Jim brings a front-row, firsthand perspective to one of the most incredible stories in Christian music history.

This is more than a conversation — it’s a fun, honest, and deeply personal look back at the moments that helped define an era… told by the guy who was there for it all.

Don’t miss it.

Join us at www.ilove2tellthestory.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Nick Bruno—man of a thousand stories and one of the newest inductees into the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame—joins us for a fascinating conversation as we peel back the pages of his legendary music career.

How did a preacher’s kid from Staten Island, New York, find himself at the center of some of the most pivotal moments in Southern Gospel history? You’ll hear it firsthand from the man who lived it.

And yes—there are incredible Elvis stories. He was there… on stage. We even dig into the full story of whether he was the one who set Graceland on fire.

It’s an episode you don’t want to miss.

🎥 Watch the video on our YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@ILove2TelltheStory-xd9fg

🌐 For more stories like this, visit:www.ILove2TelltheStory.com