Sunday, May 22, 2016

The Inner Views of Chris West

"While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being."
Psalm 146:2
(KJV)

You might remember that in this post I mentioned a song called "Revival" that Kevin had heard on the radio one day, then came home and found on youtube and asked me to listen to.

I instantly fell in love with it and have listened to it I don't know how many times since then.

As I listened, the Lord nudged me to contact the writer of such a song to ask for an interview.
It turns out that the man who co-wrote the song is also the one who sings it.
I know you are going to love reading the inner views of this multi-talented and humble man,
 and you will be abundantly blessed by getting to know him better.


The
of
Father of Two, Songwriter, Born-again Believer in Jesus Christ, 
Lead Singer and Co-Founder of Blue Moon Rising,
Chris West.

Cheryl:  Please tell us about yourself. 

Chris:  My name is Chris West. I'm 44, a single dad, and live in East Tennessee with my two sons. I am a founding member of Blue Moon Rising that has been going now for 15 years, but I still work a full time day job.

Cheryl:  We would love to hear about your Christian testimony. How long have you been a Christian? 

Chris:  I was saved a couple days after turning 18 and had been under conviction for some time. I have a personal relationship with God and my savior Jesus Christ that I am very satisfied and find great peace in.

Cheryl:  Who, would you say, has been your biggest spiritual influence? Is there a particular person who prayed for you and whose life's example caused you to want to emulate them and draw closer to God? 

Chris:  My biggest spiritual influence through the years has been my mom and one of my friends, pastor David Seiber.

Cheryl:  How long have you been singing, playing music, and writing songs? What instruments do you play, and what first drew you to the bluegrass genre? 

Chris:  I've been singing and playing for 30 years now and was taught to play by my uncle Tony Thomas. I play guitar and mandolin and was drawn to bluegrass through my uncle Tony.

Cheryl:  Who are your musical heroes? Which singers, songwriters, and musicians persuaded you to take the musical path you have chosen? 

Chris:  Musical heroes would be Flatt and Scruggs, Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs, JD Crowe, Larry Sparks, and The Country Gentlemen. Right now I'm loving the writing of Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, and Darrell Scott. Bill Monroe has always been one of my favorite writers as has been Hank Williams Sr.

Cheryl:  Can you share the history of "Blue Moon Rising"? When did you first found the group? What inspired the name of the band? How can we buy your music and products and find out where you will be performing, etc.? 

Chris:  You can find out our schedule and buy merchandise from www.bluemoonrisingband.com. We founded the band in the winter of 2000 and have recorded 6 projects and are putting the finishing touches on our 7th. The name was inspired by an article in a local paper about Bill Monroe.

Cheryl:  Are there any plans in the works to do a recording with all gospel songs? 

Chris:  Eventually. We have always talked about it and would love to do one.

Cheryl:  Tell us about your songwriting. How many songs have you written? Which songs mean the most to you? Why? How do you usually find inspiration to write? Is there a particular place or setting in which you prefer to write, or is your writing usually spontaneous? 

Chris:  I don't really have a favorite place to write and really have no process. The songs just come to me as I'm inspired lyrically or melodically, which is why I'd probably starve to death if I depended on it for a living, LOL! I e probably written a couple hundred songs, but not all of those are keepers! The story songs, songs that really say something, mean the most to me and if I can invoke a feeling in someone, then the song has done its job.

Cheryl:  The way we were introduced to your band was through your song, "Revival". It is SO relevant to the burden God has placed upon my heart concerning the current condition of our nation and the direction in which we are headed. My family and I have come to really love this song, and we would love to hear the story behind it. What inspired you to write it, and what were the events surrounding its composition? 

Chris:  The song was inspired after hearing a preacher on Easter Sunday morning preach Ezekiel 37 and I wrote it with Steve Gulley.

Cheryl:  The culture in which we now live can be very oppressive and discouraging to those who want to follow Jesus with all their hearts. What words of encouragement can you offer to us? What are some of your favorite, go-to Scriptures that have sustained you in your walk with Christ? 

Chris:  I'm a simple man and have more than my fair share of faults, trust me in that. However, I have learned to lean on the the words Christ spoke when He said "Not my will, but thy will be done."

Cheryl:  How would like to be remembered? 

Chris:  I would like to be remembered as a fun and caring person who always tried his very best to help others and was the best dad he could possibly be.

Cheryl:  How can we pray for you? Are there specific needs you would like us to lift to the Father on your behalf? 

Chris:  Absolutely! My dad, Paul West, needs prayer because he has an as yet undetermined mass in his lungs. My girlfriend's brother, Mark Self, a Tennessee State Trooper, is 41 and has stage IV lung cancer and has never smoked.  And I could use prayer to be the best dad I can possibly be.


A BIG thank you to you, Chris, for taking the time to visit with us and share your testimony.
It has been an absolute honor to get to know you better and learn more about your music.
I so appreciate your humility and kindness, and I know your story will bless many.
Bluegrass music is enriched and made even better by the fact that you and your band are a part of it.

Thank you, dear readers, for reading and for your faithful support.
Will you please kindly add Paul West and Mark Self to your personal and church prayer lists?
Please pray for Paul to receive good news and for God to send healing to both Paul and Mark.

I hope you can take the time to listen to Chris and Blue Moon Rising singing another song
he wrote called, "The Old Time Preacher Man".


If video doesn't load, click here.

And, of course, one of our favorites, "Revival"...


27 comments:

  1. Your interviews are always so interesting.

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    1. Thank you, dear friend! So thankful you enjoy them. :) God bless you!

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  2. Thank you for sharing. I always find these to be very interesting too.
    Blessings my friend,
    Betsy

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    1. Thank you, dear Betsy! Your encouragement and support is appreciated much more than I can say. Praying for you and sending much love your way. :)

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  3. Such a fascinating interview and a moving song! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. I am so grateful you enjoyed and were moved. I can't thank you enough for your visit and kind words. God bless you, Liz!

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  4. What a great interview! Thanks for sharing. Have a great week in the Lord!

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    1. So thankful for your visit and comments, Donna! God bless you abundantly. :)

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  5. I always enjoy reading about the testimony of other people. It's really rather wonderful how God works so individually with each of us. Our *story* is our own - as unique as a fingerprint. He is such a personal God! I also like reading about the creative process that people employ. I find it inspirational.

    Thanks again for this wonderful series, Cheryl. Truly, I think you should make a book out of it.

    Prayers and thoughts are with you and your family.

    Love you, and as always, GOD BLESS!

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    1. Dear friend, you are such a blessing to me! Thank you for your love and support and kind words! I often feel that God will definitely turn this into a book one day. He has laid some ideas upon my heart, and it is my desire to walk in obedience, as He leads. Your encouragement gives me inspiration to press forward! Sending you much love and gratitude and trusting God to abundantly bless you!!

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  6. What a wonderful interview! Love his music and his testimony. Thank you so much for sharing this. Your interviews are always so inspiring.

    Blessings - Julie

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    1. I am so thankful you visited and enjoyed getting to know Chris! God has gifted him in some amazing ways, and it is such a blessing to have him share his story here. I so appreciate your kind words and encouragement. God bless you, sweet friend. :)

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  7. This is an interesting interview of a very talent man! I wish Chris the very best and pray that God opens many doors for him to share the Good News! Also prayed for those he mentioned that need healing and for his parenting. May God bless him.

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    1. Thank you, sweet Mary, for your faithful support and kind words. And thank you for praying for Chris's loved ones who are in need of prayer at this time. God bless you ever so much for your loving heart. You are such a blessing to me!

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  8. Great interview. Praying for Chris, Paul, and Mark. You always seem to hook up with the most humble of folks. It's encouraging.

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    1. And, you are such an encouragement to me, brother. May God bless you abundantly, in return.

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  9. Aw nice! Good to know the person behind the voice.

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    1. Yes, isn't it? It was a real blessing to get to know the man who wrote such powerful words. Thank you, dear Lux, for reading and for your encouragement. God bless you, my friend.

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  10. That was interesting. I was looking forward to hearing the song too but my computer has acted up since I installed windows 10 and only sometimes does the sound work. Today is not one of those days. :-)

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    1. Oh, Abbi! I do trust you will be able to resolve the issues and hear this song! You will be abundantly blessed and moved to pray as never before for the revival we so desperately need. I am sure you are already doing that, and may God bless you abundantly for your faithfulness and encouragement. So very thankful for your sweet visit!

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  11. Dear Suzie! It is always such a gift to see that you have visited! So grateful for your presence and encouragement here. God bless you, in return!

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  12. Chris sounds inspiring as a singer, songwriter, and most importantly Christian dad. Thanks for sharing his story with us. I will pray for him and his loved ones.

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    1. Thank you ever so much, dear Mary! It is such a blessing to have you visit and to know that you are praying for these needs. God bless you abundantly!

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  13. What wonderful music!!! Thanks for sharing with us!

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    1. I love their music, too. They are so talented and a huge blessing. God bless you, dear Elizabeth...I so appreciate you stopping by. :)

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  14. Chris is an amazing man to hold down a full time day job and sing for the Lord with his group. I do enjoy songs that tell a story and songs that inspire and encourage. Thank you for sharing your innerview with Chris with us here at Tell me a Story.

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    1. Thank you for your visit, dear Hazel. God bless you.

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