John Michael Talbot, best-selling Christian music artist whose 50th album, Living Water, was just released, was “grateful, stunned and surprised” recently at a Richland Country Club banquet in his honour. The gala event was co-hosted by veteran music industry Executive Producer Billy Ray Hearn and Co-Producer and Orchestrator Phil Perkins.

Talbot had no idea that 55 excited celebrants had been planning this event for months, flying in from all over the country to await his arrival. Surprising John along with his wife Viola, daughter Amy Stalling, and other family members were EMI CMG Label executives Peter York, Greg Bays and Rick Horne; John W. Styll, President of the Gospel Music Association; Oregon Catholic Press Director of Artist Relations Tom Tomaszek with staff members Tom Booth and Robert Feduccia; Susan Stein, Director of Catholic Distributor Heartbeat Records; Mark Funderburg, President of Word Distribution; and Dusty Wells, Sr. Director, Field and Telesales for Word Distribution, whose work with Talbot’s music goes back to its earliest days. The Catholic Association of Musicians (founded by Talbot) was represented by Lynn Geyer and Jim Cosgrove, who is also JMT’s Troubadour for the Lord Operations Manager. A singer, songwriter and musician in his own right, Jim was on hand with his wife Paula Cosgrove, also a Troubadour staffer. Several monastic members of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity travelled from Little Portion Hermitage near Eureka Springs, Arkansas to congratulate John on behalf of the community he founded there almost 25 years ago.

Photo courtesy John Cotton

Rounding out the surprise party ensemble were sound engineers Bob Clark, Brent King and John Cotton, along with musical arranger Kristin Wilkinson. Traveling from Houston were JMT friends Mark and Becky Lanier, as well as videographer Richard Hoggatt, President of Stage Directions.

It was obvious by John Michael’s stunned silence that he was deeply moved while viewing a documentary filmed for the occasion. The video, “Behind the Man, the Music and the Ministry,” paid tribute to Talbot’s three decades of what musician Michael Card described as “selfless service to God and profound influence on both Christian music, and Church music.” Billy Ray Hearn, longtime producer of contemporary Christian music via labels like Word and Sparrow, weaved Talbot’s video story together with memories and vignettes. Among those congratulating Talbot and thanking him for his role in their lives were Christian musicians including Phil Keaggy, Michael Card, Tom Booth, Joe Hand, and Al Perkins. John’s brother, Terry Talbot, currently touring with Barry McGuire, sent video greetings, reminding audience members that John Michael had been quite the baseball player. “He was scouted by the Chicago cubs when he was only 12 years old,” Terry confided. Both Terry and Al Perkins were band members with John Michael in the popular country-rock group Mason Proffit during its heyday in the 1970s.

Mercy Corps co-founder Dan O’Neill [author of Talbot’s biography, “Troubadour for the Lord”], appeared in the video, thanking John for donating over nine million dollars of money raised from his concerts to the worldwide relief, aid and development programs of Mercy Corps.

Photo courtesy John Cotton

Talbot, still speechless, was then presented with three awards. The first, from the EMI CMG Music Label group, was a plaque featuring four platinum albums recorded by Talbot between the years 1976-2007 commemorating “the milestone event in Christian music of releasing 50 albums.” A specially commissioned piece of art depicting the humble act of service through foot-washing, was presented by executives representing Word Distribution. The last award, actually more of a spectacular gift, was a guitar presented to JMT by Phil Perkins on behalf of all the event attendees; one of only 30 guitars crafted that are exact replicas of the instrument played by the father of the modern classical guitar movement, Andrés Segovia. With the presentation of the guitar, John Michael’s stunned surprise finally turned to grateful thanks as he finally took his turn before his guests at the event’s podium.

“Only our Lord Jesus Christ is deserving of such admiration,” Talbot said, “and so I thank Him first. The word “saved” can sometimes be overused by us Christians, so I’ll say instead that I am thankful that He has “salvaged” me.” John Michael then surveyed those in the room slowly, and after some silence and a deep exhale, spoke again, “I look around and realize that I could spend several hours with each one of you, sharing about God in our lives, about things that have been and are happening. Fifty albums don’t happen without the work, prayers and co-operation of many, many people. I could not have done this alone. I could never have done it without you, so I am grateful to each one of you.” Following his words, the standing ovation that had greeted him upon his arrival was exuberantly repeated.

Talbot then admitted that he had coveted that particular guitar for months. “I finally quit lusting after it, and gave my wanting over to the Lord. And now, here you all are, giving it back to me in His name,” he said.

“Living Water,” John Michael’s 50th release, marks the reunion of Talbot with Executive Producer Billy Ray Hearn and Co-Producer/Orchestrator Phil Perkins. Following 49 albums reflecting a diversity of musical genres including everything from folk and chant to rock and roll and music for a ballet, Talbot’s latest unit showcases his return to his “signature” style of reflective neo-classical songs. “It’s a return to what his fans have always loved most, while giving them some surprises and a few new things to think about,” said Billy Ray.

For more information about Talbot and his three-decade musical career, visit his YMZ artist page. “Living Water” can be purchased now at your favourite Canadian Christian retailer.

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