Talbot visits Alberta
by Peter FleckSouthern
Albertans are being given the opportunity to experience one of the
living legends of contemporary Christian music this spring.
Jesus-music pioneer John Michael
Talbot will be performing four concerts in Calgary from May 22-25
and prior to that appearing in the Kananaskis area and Lethbridge.
Selling over four million copies,
Talbot has an astounding 50 Christian albums to his credit since
releasing Reborn together with his brother, Terry, 36 years ago.
At age 14, Talbot began touring as a
professional musician. Part of the popular country rock band Mason
Proffit, he shared the stage with some of the top acts of the day
including The Byrds, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Jefferson Airplane
and The Grateful Dead.
Backstage with Janis Joplin one
evening, he was gripped by the sight of Joplin downing bottles of
Southern Comfort like it was soda pop.
"After concerts," he recalled, "I
would look out over the empty arena floors at a sight that had
become too familiar: the floors would be covered with drug
paraphernalia, empty liquor bottles and beer cans, and an occasional
passed out fan."
Disillusioned with the rock and roll
lifestyle, Talbot began to search for meaning in life, leading him
to evangelical Christianity and eventually Catholicism in 1978.
Today, Talbot remains the spiritual
father of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, an integrated
monastic community of singles, married couples and families based
out of the Little Portion Hermitage in the Ozark Mountains of
Arkansas. He has also authored 17 books and continues to perform
about 50 concerts a year.
"When you have something good to
say," Talbot explained, "you shouldn’t be afraid to share it."
Biographer Dan O’Neill writes in
Signatures: The Story Of John Michael Talbot that Talbot has been
able to bridge "the best of both worlds: the born-again, emotional
experience common to evangelicals, and the structured, liturgical
disciplines of Catholic faith. He has heart and structure and a
sense of how renewal is happening in both areas."
Local promoter Denis Grady said he’s
delighted with the cross-denominational enthusiasm for Talbot’s
upcoming concerts.
"It’s amazing the number of phone
calls that we’re getting," Grady said. "He’s touched a lot of lives
and people are quite excited about having the opportunity to see
him."
Grady said it has been more than two
decades since Talbot was last in Calgary. He still has fond memories
of sitting on the floor over a little candle at St. Mary’s Cathedral
in the 1970s as Talbot "offered some amazing encouragement to us
young bucks."
As a Catholic recording artist
himself, Grady said Talbot has served as a mentor to him. After
Talbot founded the Catholic Association of Musicians (CAM) in 1996,
Grady established the Alberta chapter.
In a recent letter to the group,
Talbot reflected, "Music has a powerful way of reaching the soul. As
St. Augustine reminds us, ‘Those who sing, pray twice.’ Yes, it
appeals to the flesh with rhythm and such, but that is only the
physical ‘ramp’ to fly us into the realms of the Spirit of God…This
achievement is really not our doing, but is a gift of gracious love
from God."
Musically, Talbot has veered from his
rock roots to a more reflective, meditative style, combining crisp
tenor vocals with magnificent classical guitar playing.
Ticket information is available at
www.stablemusic.ca or by
calling Grady at 243-1049. |
