For 20 years, fans have been asking what happened to

Stacie Orrico.

In 2003 she was on the Billboard Hot 100 twice, touring

with Destiny's Child, selling 3.5 million albums worldwide.

She was Christian music's biggest crossover moment since

Amy Grant. And then — before her 21st birthday — she

was gone.

In January 2026, she filed a lawsuit and issued a

statement that finally answered the question.

Host Ainslie Grosser — Grammy-credited mix engineer and

30-year CCM insider — tells the full story. The music,

the industry, the lawsuit, the systemic failures, and

where Stacie is now.

This episode includes:

— The CCM template that shaped her career

— The alleged abuse detailed in the civil lawsuit

— The mechanism of control the lawsuit describes

— Why this happened in a Christian context

— The King David frame — grace and justice together

— Where Stacie Orrico is in 2026

NOTE: This episode discusses allegations of childhood

sexual abuse contained in a civil lawsuit

(Orrico v. Ham et al., Case No. 26STCV00252).

These are civil allegations only. No criminal charges

have been filed. No verdict has been reached.

If you or someone you know has experienced abuse:

RAINN | rainn.org | 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🎥 WATCH THE FULL VIDEO VERSION:

https://youtu.be/gyNJX-C36Ck

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

More Cowbell Please is a narrative essay podcast and

YouTube channel for people who love Christian music

and want the full story. Host Ainslie Grosser brings

nearly 30 years as a Grammy-credited mix engineer

and CCM insider to stories that deserve more than

a Wikipedia summary.

#StacieOrrico #CCM #ChristianMusic #MoreCowbellPlease

Bob Farrell — one half of the husband-and-wife duo Farrell & Farrell — passed away on July 11, 2026. He was one of Contemporary Christian Music's most gifted and innovative songwriters, leaving behind a catalog that stretches from synth-pop CCM classics like "People in a Box" and "Get Right or Get Left" to songs recorded by Eric Clapton, Amy Grant, Sandi Patty, Wynonna, Michael W. Smith, and dozens more.This is our tribute to Bob — his story, his music, and his faith.We cover:- His upbringing in Lubbock, Texas — down the alley from Buddy Holly- A marriage that nearly ended before it began — and the conversion that changed everything- How Farrell & Farrell pioneered synth-pop in Christian music alongside DeGarmo & Key- The Soviet Union tour — 25,000 people a night in Moscow and Leningrad, one year before the Wall came down- 40+ Sandi Patty cuts, the London Symphony Orchestra, and a rock opera with Eddie DeGarmo- What Bob said he wanted to be remembered for — in his own wordsI had the privilege of having Bob record in my studio around 2003. This one is personal.Rest well, Bob. The seeds you planted are still growing.

0:00 Introduction — The Man Who Almost Wasn't

0:38 Growing Up in Lubbock — Buddy Holly's Neighbor

1:32 The Marriage Crisis & Dallas

1:55 The Kitchen Table Conversion

3:13 Farrell & Farrell — The Sound They Built

3:51 Synth Pop Pioneers — The Thomas Dolby Moment

4:56 People in a Box & The Baskin-Robbins Era of CCM

5:49 The Songwriter Behind a Hundred Songs

7:40 Jesus Christ Superstar, Hero & My Studio Session

8:38 Touring the Soviet Union — Behind the Iron Curtain

10:04 What He Wanted to Be Remembered For

10:39 Jane — The Glue That Held It All Together

11:41 The Legacy

12:28 A Final Word — In Bob's Own Voice━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎙️ More Cowbell Please is a channel dedicated to the stories, artists, and moments that shaped Contemporary Christian Music.New episodes every week.Subscribe → https://www.youtube.com/@morecowbellpleasepodcast?sub_confirmation=1━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━#FarrellandFarrell #BobFarrell #CCM #christianmusic ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━SOURCES & FURTHER LISTENINGBob Farrell interviewed on CCM LegacyCAST (2024):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOFkupu-dQMBob Farrell interviewed on Music for the Soul podcast:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyY5QLyrcSEBob Farrell's personal video channel:https://www.youtube.com/@bobfarrell2941Bob Farrell's original YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@SPARKYNBCBob Farrell's final personal video ("I Will Be"):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GodiVbEWlOAFarrell & Farrell official website:https://www.farrellandfarrell.netCCM Magazine tribute:https://www.ccmmagazine.comCCM Classic — Farrell & Farrell artist page:https://www.ccmclassic.com/artist/farrell-and-farrell━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀https://vidiq.com/morecowbell

Stacey Wilbur has spent over thirty years in Nashville doing

a job most music fans have never heard of — song plugging.

Her role: find the right song, fight for it, and get it into

the hands of the artist who will make it a hit.

She helped launch Worship Together. She championed Laura

Story's "Blessings" when the label wasn't sure it should

make the record. She worked alongside future stars before

the world knew their names. And today she heads publishing

for TIM — the company founded by Chris Tomlin and Jason

Ingram, two of the most recorded songwriters in Christian

music history.

In this conversation, Stacey takes us from a small town

in Michigan — where a poster of Wynonna Judd on her bedroom

wall sparked a dream — all the way to the rooms where

Christian music's biggest songs are pitched, fought for,

and sometimes saved from the cutting room floor.

She talks about a stranger who prophesied over her in a

restaurant before she was even a Christian. About losing

her job, hearing God say "be still," and what happened

the very next day when she wrote a name on a piece of paper.

She tells us about a CEO who didn't have to say anything —

and chose to anyway.

This is one of the most honest, funny, and quietly

remarkable conversations we've had on More Cowbell Please.

Stacey Wilbur / Head of Publishing, TIM Publishing

Instagram: @staceyswilbur

More Cowbell Please is a podcast exploring the stories,

faith, and people behind Contemporary Christian Music.

Hosted by Grammy-winning mix engineer Ainslie Grosser.

Topics in this episode: Christian music industry, song

plugging, music publishing Nashville, CCM history,

Worship Together, Chris Tomlin, Laura Story Blessings,

Mandisa, TIM Publishing, Brentwood Benson, EMI Christian,

Capitol Christian Music Group, Bill Hearn, Billy Ray Hearn,

Sparrow Records, faith and work, Nashville music careers.

Chapters

0:00 The people behind the songs you love

0:53 Meet Stacey Wilbur

1:35 Small town girl with a big dream

4:51 The prophecy at the restaurant

5:34 October 2nd — getting saved

7:57 615 Music Row — how she got in the door

8:50 The Avalon audition

11:26 Worship Together / Chris Tomlin / Matt Redman

11:46 What is a song plugger?

12:50 The Busby & Daughtry story

15:15 "It's me" — pitching herself to Gary Overton

16:41 Honky Tonk Badonkadonk

17:43 Brentwood Benson — "All the writers say hire you"

19:05 Chris Sligh / Rascal Flatts / Cracker Barrel

22:16 Losing the job — the wilderness season

24:13 Who was Bill Hearn?

25:19 "I know what happened to you. You matter."

25:35 Seth Mosley texts the next day

26:27 The panic attack (and what happened next)

27:01 TIM Publishing — Chris Tomlin's crazy idea

27:52 Steffany Gretzinger walks in

30:09 The Charlie Kirk Memorial

30:34 iTunes Top 10 worldwide — God is moving

33:32 Laura Story "Blessings"

35:41 "I mixed that record"

36:37 Advice — dream big

37:50 Be yourself / the Brian Johnson line

38:50 God's strategies > AI strategies

39:25 The magnificent defeat

40:47 Outro

The Newsboys have filed a sweeping 204-page federal antitrust and defamation lawsuit in Nashville — and the defendant list will stop you in your tracks.

Wes Campbell and the Newsboys are suing The Roys Report, journalist Jessica Morris (a previous guest on this podcast), MercyMe and all five band members individually, Micah Tyler, World Vision, and a Netherlands-based private equity firm called Waterland — along with the three major Christian concert promoters they allegedly acquired to form a monopoly.

I break it down block by block — no opinion, just the facts as alleged in the public filing.

KEY POINTS COVERED:

- Who the plaintiffs are

- All four defendant groups explained in plain English

- The $50 million deal at the center of the antitrust claim

- The three Fargo claims the complaint makes against TRR and Jessica Morris

- Why the timing — 14 days after police closed the Tait criminal case — matters

- Jessica Morris's Instagram response

- What this lawsuit is NOT (it is not a trial of Michael Tait)

Full complaint available at newsboyslawsuit.com and tcalawsuit.com. Case number 3:26-cv-00484, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee.

All information sourced from publicly filed court documents and established reporting. These are allegations. All parties are presumed innocent.

More Cowbell Please covers CCM stories with depth and integrity.

What does it take to mix five number one records on one album — without ever moving to Nashville?Nick Rad has been doing exactly that from Milwaukee, Wisconsin for over two decades.He started as the drummer in Christian punk band Hangnail on Tooth and Nail Records — touring with Stavesacre and Ghoti Hook, recording at the legendary Blasting Room with Bill Stevenson, and watching a young Aaron Sprinkle record what became one of Christian music's most beloved songs at 1:30 in the morning.Then he walked away from being an artist — and built something extraordinary behind the desk instead.8 Grammy nominations. Credits on records by Toby Mac, Skillet, Matthew West, Rachel Platten, Melissa Etheridge, MisterWives, Leanna Crawford and more. Five number one songs on Toby Mac's Life After Death — the most personal record TobyMac has ever made.All from Wisconsin.In this conversation we talk about:→ The Hangnail and Acceptance years on Tooth and Nail→ The session that almost changed everything (and the one he almost missed entirely)→ How he built a world-class mixing career without moving to Music City→ Mixing Toby Mac's grief — and what it means to serve an artist through loss→ His philosophy on mixing, references, and why the word "organic" drives him crazy→ What he'd tell every young engineer coming upThis is one of my favourite conversations I've had on More Cowbell Please. I think you're going to love Nick Rad.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction1:12 How Nick Rad Got Hooked on Music2:24 Forming Hangnail & Getting Signed to Tooth and Nail Records3:49 Touring the Christian Music Festival Circuit5:37 Joining Acceptance & Learning From Aaron Sprinkle8:04 Recording With Rebecca St. James9:51 The End of Acceptance & Finding Faith12:35 Starting a Mixing Career in Milwaukee13:30 Landing First Clients (Including Skillet's Ben Kasica)15:39 Moving to LA — and Moving Back Again17:47 Mixing Melissa Etheridge18:45 Networking & The Fallout Boy Story22:03 Mixing Toby Mac's Life After Death23:29 Working With Skillet24:31 Faith in the Music Industry25:01 Does Location Matter? Milwaukee vs Nashville28:17 Learning the Craft & Hearing Your Mix on the Radio30:54 Revision Counts & Serving the Artist32:26 Nick's Studio Setup & Gear33:42 Plugins, Workflow & Mixing In the Box39:44 How to Get the Best From Your Mix Engineer41:38 Nick Rad's Mixing Philosophy44:45 Mix Prep & The Sonic Revelation That Changed Everything48:15 How to Turn Off the Engineer Brain50:03 Closing Thoughts━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎛️ Find Nick Rad:Website: nickrad.comInstagram: @nicrad and @nickradovanovic━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━More Cowbell Please is positive Christian music stories — for CCM fans and the people who make the music.🎧ALL EPISODES:.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBt6FZ88v_g64fr3KfLjQgPIM0vUYRZy9PODCAST:Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/0v9dEeIH0OeP1chxSfQ7gj?si=d0HmJihHTjGhiEuwP8cYewListen on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-cowbell-please/id1796605641Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀https://vidiq.com/morecowbell

(Reposted - spotify issue!)

Was Steve Taylor the greatest lyricist contemporary Christian music ever produced? We think so — and in this episode of More Cowbell Please, we make the case.

We attended a recent Steve Taylor concert and came away convinced this man never got the tribute he deserved. So here it is. From his origins as a preacher's kid in Northglenn, Colorado — forbidden from listening to secular music until his mid-teens — to hearing The Clash at Biola University and changing CCM forever, this is the full Steve Taylor story.

We cover:

✅ His biography and origin story

✅ The songs that rattled the church — Guilty By Association, We Don't Need No Color Code, I Want to Be a Clone, Meltdown at Madame Tussauds, On the Fritz and more

✅ His role shaping the Newsboys' greatest era

✅ Founding Squint Entertainment and launching Sixpence None the Richer

✅ His film career including Blue Like Jazz

✅ The Dead Sea Squirrels — his new animated series with VeggieTales co-creator Mike Nawrocki

✅ Concert footage including the band — Peter Furler (Newsboys), Mark Lee Townsend and John Mark Painter

✅ Why CCM needs more voices like his today

Whether you grew up on 80s Christian music, work in the CCM industry, or you're just discovering Steve Taylor for the first time — this one's for you.

🎵 Songs Featured:Guilty By Association | We Don't Need No Color Code | On the Fritz | Meltdown at Madame Tussaud's | Dead Sea Squirrels Theme

🎸 Band: Steve Taylor | Peter Furler | Mark Lee Townsend | John Mark Painter | Caroline Francis | Kelle | Libby Cates | Kennoniah Dean Bellile

📺

0:00 Cold Open — "We Don't Need No Color Code"

0:26 Introduction

1:21 Origins — Preacher's Kid from Colorado

1:47 Discovering The Clash & New Wave

2:55 The Estes Park Signing

3:28 First Record Release

3:47 CCM in the Early 80s — The Landscape

4:38 "I Want to Be a Clone"

5:14 "This Disco Used to Be a Nice Cathedral"

6:08 "On the Fritz"

6:39 "I Blew Up the Clinic Real Good"

7:15 The Controversy & His Critics

7:32 "Guilty By Association" (Live)

8:50 "We Don't Need No Color Code" (Live)

9:54 "Whatcha Gonna Do When Your Number's Up"

10:22 "Sin for a Season"

10:39 "Meltdown at Madame Tussaud's" (Live)

11:04 The "Some Band" Lineup

11:31 Peter Furler

11:54 Steve Taylor & the Newsboys

12:25 The Iconic Suit & the Museum of CCM

13:10 Chagall Guevara1

3:35 Squint Entertainment1

3:54 Blue Like Jazz & Film Career

14:05 The Dead Sea Squirrels

15:53 The Randy Newman Moment (Live)

16:39 "Hero" & the Woody Allen Story

17:28 Steve Taylor's Legacy

18:04 Where to Find Steve's Music

🎧ALL EPISODES:.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBt6FZ88v_g64fr3KfLjQgPIM0vUYRZy9PODCAST:Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/0v9dEeIH0OeP1chxSfQ7gj?si=d0HmJihHTjGhiEuwP8cYewListen on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-cowbell-please/id1796605641

Was Steve Taylor the greatest lyricist contemporary Christian music ever produced? We think so — and in this episode of More Cowbell Please, we make the case.

We attended a recent Steve Taylor concert and came away convinced this man never got the tribute he deserved. So here it is. From his origins as a preacher's kid in Northglenn, Colorado — forbidden from listening to secular music until his mid-teens — to hearing The Clash at Biola University and changing CCM forever, this is the full Steve Taylor story.

We cover:

✅ His biography and origin story

✅ The songs that rattled the church — Guilty By Association, We Don't Need No Color Code, I Want to Be a Clone, Meltdown at Madame Tussauds, On the Fritz and more

✅ His role shaping the Newsboys' greatest era

✅ Founding Squint Entertainment and launching Sixpence None the Richer

✅ His film career including Blue Like Jazz

✅ The Dead Sea Squirrels — his new animated series with VeggieTales co-creator Mike Nawrocki

✅ Concert footage including the band — Peter Furler (Newsboys), Mark Lee Townsend and John Mark Painter

✅ Why CCM needs more voices like his today

Whether you grew up on 80s Christian music, work in the CCM industry, or you're just discovering Steve Taylor for the first time — this one's for you.

🎵 Songs Featured:Guilty By Association | We Don't Need No Color Code | On the Fritz | Meltdown at Madame Tussaud's | Dead Sea Squirrels Theme

🎸 Band: Steve Taylor | Peter Furler | Mark Lee Townsend | John Mark Painter | Caroline Francis | Kelle | Libby Cates | Kennoniah Dean Bellile

📺

0:00 Cold Open — "We Don't Need No Color Code"

0:26 Introduction

1:21 Origins — Preacher's Kid from Colorado

1:47 Discovering The Clash & New Wave

2:55 The Estes Park Signing

3:28 First Record Release

3:47 CCM in the Early 80s — The Landscape

4:38 "I Want to Be a Clone"

5:14 "This Disco Used to Be a Nice Cathedral"

6:08 "On the Fritz"

6:39 "I Blew Up the Clinic Real Good"

7:15 The Controversy & His Critics

7:32 "Guilty By Association" (Live)

8:50 "We Don't Need No Color Code" (Live)

9:54 "Whatcha Gonna Do When Your Number's Up"

10:22 "Sin for a Season"

10:39 "Meltdown at Madame Tussaud's" (Live)

11:04 The "Some Band" Lineup

11:31 Peter Furler

11:54 Steve Taylor & the Newsboys

12:25 The Iconic Suit & the Museum of CCM

13:10 Chagall Guevara1

3:35 Squint Entertainment1

3:54 Blue Like Jazz & Film Career

14:05 The Dead Sea Squirrels

15:53 The Randy Newman Moment (Live)

16:39 "Hero" & the Woody Allen Story

17:28 Steve Taylor's Legacy

18:04 Where to Find Steve's Music

🎧ALL EPISODES:.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBt6FZ88v_g64fr3KfLjQgPIM0vUYRZy9PODCAST:Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/0v9dEeIH0OeP1chxSfQ7gj?si=d0HmJihHTjGhiEuwP8cYewListen on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-cowbell-please/id1796605641

Stu G, legendary guitarist of Delirious?, joins More Cowbell Please for a raw, heartfelt conversation.From wiring houses as an electrician to co-writing worship anthems like “Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble,” “Obsession,” and “History Maker,” Stu opens up about:The early Cutting Edge youth events that birthed a movement. How U2 and Queen shaped his career.How Delirious? broke boundaries in worship and faith centered music We cover the highs and the lows, thru the end of an era then his next steps and recovery to his creative comeback, the Beatitudes Project, and life in NashvilleThis is more than a band story—it’s a testimony of faithfulness, creativity, and following God’s call through every season.Full episode out now – subscribe & turn on notifications for more CCM legends! 🕊️🎸#StuG #Delirious #ChristianMusic #WorshipMusic #CCMHistory #morecowbellplease

Chapters

00:00 Intro – Welcome to Stu G!

01:26 Greetings & Fun Banter

01:55 Early Life as an Electrician

02:25 Becoming a Queen Fan

03:17 Starting with Drums03:42 Discovering Guitar

04:07 Buying the First Guitar

04:45 Taking Guitar Lessons

05:31 First Band Experiences

05:55 Phil Keaggy, Church & Conversion

08:37 Full-Time Worship Leading

08:55 The Stuart David Band

10:26 Andy Piercy Connection

11:40 Andy Piercy + Martin Smith Link

12:41 Ben Okafor & Reggae Band

14:52 Noel Richards Forum15:07 Cutting Edge Begins

15:42 Kevin Prosch Influence

18:12 Cutting Edge Band & Events

19:09 Moving to Littlehampton & Back to Electrical Work

22:10 Delirious? Officially Begins

23:46 Making 'Live and in the Can'

24:33 Naming Delirious? (The ? Story)

26:19 Delirious? Early Days

29:26 'Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?' Origin

29:47 Expanding the Reach Beyond Church Walls

32:31 CCM or Mainstream? The Tension

35:14 First Trip Into the USA

38:11 US Showcase at The Roxy

38:50 Mainstream Appearances & Breakthroughs

40:02 Napster, CD Sales Crash & Challenges

40:57 The Studio Albums Overview

44:04 Kingdom of Comfort Era

44:59 Touring Rules & the End of Delirious?

46:43 Delirious? Officially Over

47:02 New Deals & Life After

47:14 One Sonic Society

48:03 Rock Bottom, Counseling & Healing

49:13 The Beatitudes Project Begins

53:25 Touring Gigs While Building Beatitudes

54:33 Tech Issues! (Funny Moment)

55:40 Marketing the Beatitudes Project

56:57 Future Beatitudes Material

57:11 New Life in the USA for the Family

58:34 Testimonial Stories & Impact

1:02:00 Awards, Money & CCM Reflections

1:04:53 How the Name “Stu G” Came About

1:06:30 Delirious? Business Model & Independence

1:07:48 Other Gigs & Collaborations

1:08:55 New Release Discussion

1:10:54 Outro – Thanks Stu G!🎧ALL EPISODES:.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBt6FZ88v_g64fr3KfLjQgPIM0vUYRZy9PODCAST:Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/0v9dEeIH0OeP1chxSfQ7gj?si=d0HmJihHTjGhiEuwP8cYewListen on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-cowbell-please/id1796605641Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀https://vidiq.com/morecowbell

The lawsuit nightmare.Running out of money.Almost homeless with a young family.And the miraculous “eagle” vision that carried him through.Jess shares how God turned the darkest season into a comeback—writing worship anthems for Chris Tomlin, Passion, John Reddick, TobyMac w Forrest Frank, and more.From pop highs (Backstreet Boys, David Archuleta) to Nashville heartbreak and redemption—this is raw faith in the music business.Next episodes coming:Stu G (Delirious? guitarist – worship music legend)Stacey Willbur (veteran CCM song plugger)Hit subscribe—you don’t want to miss these! 🔥#JessCates #ChristianSongwriter #WorshipMusic #ComebackStory #morecowbellplease

00:00 Intro

00:57 Out of Money & Almost Homeless

01:30 A Vision & God’s Word

02:59 Settling the Lawsuit

03:50 Lawsuit Aftermath04:46 Life Lessons from the Lawsuit

05:15 Lawsuit Outcome

05:41 Selling the Catalog

06:00 Nashville Deals & Humbling Moments

07:18 Forming In Paradise

07:35 Signing with TIM Publishing

08:14 Getting Back on His Feet

08:42 Random Success Stories

09:41 Jess’s Journey Through Genres

10:10 TobyMac, Forrest Frank & Jon Reddick

11:09 “Jeff Cates” & Alt IDs11:41 AI in Songwriting

15:12 10,000 Hours & 3 Guys in a Room

16:10 Career Advice for New Writers

17:50 Embarrassing Songwriting Stories

18:33 Lessons from Hard Sessions

19:38 Fear vs Faith in the Room

21:14 Changing Priorities

22:25 Finding & Living Your Purpose

24:30 Jonas Brothers Session

25:02 Martina McBride “Just Call You Mine”

26:44 Passion “The Lord Will Provide”

27:36 Song Impacts on Listeners

29:28 Goodbye & Thanks

29:35 Outro

🎧ALL EPISODES:.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBt6FZ88v_g64fr3KfLjQgPIM0vUYRZy9PODCAST:Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/0v9dEeIH0OeP1chxSfQ7gj?si=d0HmJihHTjGhiEuwP8cYewListen on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-cowbell-please/id1796605641Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀https://vidiq.com/morecowbell

Hit songwriter, Jess Cates takes us into the realities of the craft in both LA and Nashville. From mega hits with Backstreet Boys and American Idols, to worship hits with Elevation, Passion, Matt Redman, and the who's who of CCM Christian Music. From millions in sales and billions in streams, to being broke and almost homelessAt one point finding himself needing to sue his non paying publisher. The highs and lows and song backstories you wont believe!Part 2 next week.Credits include songs withMainstream Pop:Back Street BoysNick LacheyJonas BrothersNew Kids on the BlockVertigoCliff RichardAmerican Idol ALUMS:David ArchuletaScotty McCreeryClay AikenDavid CookCountry:LeAnnRimesMartina McBrideCCM:Mercy MeTobyMacForrest FrankLeelandRebecca St JamesMandisaAvalonBebo NormanPoint of GraceSonicFloodJump5The AftersBritt NicoleBen RectorWorship:Matt RedmanChris TomlinPassion MusicElevationJon ReddickJesus CultureMatt MaherChapters00:00 Intro – Season 2 Premiere!

02:13 Welcome Jess Cates

02:27 Nashville Roots & Preacher’s Kid Life

03:19 Growing Up in Franklin Schools

04:01 First Song Ever Written (Age 15!)

04:26 Early Gigs & Talent Shows

04:46 Meeting Michael W. Smith

06:05 One Year at Belmont… Then Quitting

06:17 Writing Worship with Friends

06:54 First Publishing Deal – Brentwood-Benson07:50 How Publishing Deals Actually Work

09:45 Leading Worship on the Side

10:07 First Major Cuts (Avalon, Plus One)

11:01 Signing a Pop Deal in LA

11:27 Moving to Los Angeles12:10 Worship Leading in the Desert

12:40 Finding Family at an LA Church

13:33 Success vs Faith Tension in Hollywood

14:19 Praying in the Bathroom Between Sessions

14:58 Inviting God into Secular Writing Rooms

15:59 Real Faith Conversations with Pop Stars

16:56 The Joshua Tree Surrender Story

17:10 Jonas & the Holy Spirit Lights

18:26 “Incomplete” – Writing for Backstreet Boys

19:51 How the Song Leaked & Exploded

20:19 God’s Joshua Tree Confirmation

23:07 The Mystery of Songwriting

25:01 More LA Hits (David Archuleta, Nick Lachey)

25:14 “Crush” – From Prayer Closet to #1

27:00 The Chris Tomlin “Even So Come” Miracle

30:19 Passion Release & Life-Changing Impact

30:44 Partnering with TIM Publishing

31:37 Why Jess Left LA

31:48 The Lawsuit That Changed Everything

32:00 Running Out of Money

32:20 Landing Back in Nashville

32:50 Spiritual Breakthrough in Hardship

33:41 Almost Homeless with a Young Family

34:28 Outro – Part 2 Next Week!🎧ALL EPISODES:.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBt6FZ88v_g64fr3KfLjQgPIM0vUYRZy9PODCAST:Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/0v9dEeIH0OeP1chxSfQ7gj?si=d0HmJihHTjGhiEuwP8cYewListen on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-cowbell-please/id1796605641Get vidIQ to grow your channel faster! 🚀https://vidiq.com/morecowbell