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Remember the Music

Steven Curtis Chapman | Remember the Music

November 17, 2025 | S1 E12 | 24:59

Steven Curtis Chapman | Remember the Music
"Remember the Music" features the incredible journey of singer-songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman, from his humble beginnings in Kentucky to his rise to fame in the Christian music industry. Despite facing challenges and heartache, Steven's passion for music and orphan care shines through. Through the support of Sparrow Records executives and his dedication to creating the best music possible, Steven's career flourishes, leading to worldwide success. The show captures the essence of Steven's perseverance, faith, and the impact he has made through his music and advocacy for orphans, making it a truly inspiring and uplifting story.
#WordofGod #Musician #Music #Singer/Songwriter #Praise #Blessing #Worship #Faithfulness #PersonalStory #JaciVelasquez

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Show Timecode
Remember the Music | Steven Curtis Chapman | Remember the Music | November 17, 2025
  • [music]
  • 00:00:00.983 --> 00:00:01.951
  • >>oh, man. >>man, how
  • 00:00:01.951 --> 00:00:03.252
  • Many stories. >>you get fixed on something and there is no
  • 00:00:03.252 --> 00:00:05.088
  • Stopping you. [laughter] it's like this is going to happen.
  • 00:00:05.088 --> 00:00:07.857
  • >>and i know some other people like that. >>which is good,
  • 00:00:07.857 --> 00:00:10.860
  • Yeah.
  • 00:00:10.860 --> 00:00:12.128
  • [music]
  • 00:00:12.128 --> 00:00:32.415
  • Jaci velasquez: hello! my name is jaci velasquez
  • 00:00:22.171 --> 00:00:33.749
  • And i'd like to welcome you to this episode of remember the
  • 00:00:33.749 --> 00:00:36.619
  • Music featuring steven curtis chapman. songwriter, singer,
  • 00:00:36.619 --> 00:00:41.457
  • Father, husband, author, orphan care advocate, these are a few
  • 00:00:41.457 --> 00:00:47.497
  • Words that come to mind when you mention his name. steven grew up
  • 00:00:47.497 --> 00:00:51.033
  • In paducah, kentucky in a musical family. his dad taught
  • 00:00:51.033 --> 00:00:54.403
  • Him how to play guitar, and father and son would revamp old
  • 00:00:54.403 --> 00:00:57.573
  • Hymns when he was just a boy. he soon started songwriting and, as
  • 00:00:57.573 --> 00:01:01.544
  • One thing led to another, he ended up on sparrow records as
  • 00:01:01.544 --> 00:01:05.448
  • An artist. he went on to be honored with five grammys and an
  • 00:01:05.448 --> 00:01:08.651
  • Incredible 58 dove awards in his prolific and storied career, so
  • 00:01:08.651 --> 00:01:13.923
  • Far. music has always been steven's passion, but along the
  • 00:01:13.923 --> 00:01:18.394
  • Way he and his wife mary beth discovered another passion as
  • 00:01:18.394 --> 00:01:21.597
  • Well, the global need for orphan care. that passion gave birth to
  • 00:01:21.597 --> 00:01:26.235
  • Their ministry called “show hope” that has helped thousands
  • 00:01:26.235 --> 00:01:30.473
  • Of orphans receive the care they need and often their forever
  • 00:01:30.473 --> 00:01:34.343
  • Homes. but let's go back to steven's teenage years. >>when i
  • 00:01:34.343 --> 00:01:39.615
  • Started writing, when i was in high school, the first song i
  • 00:01:39.615 --> 00:01:42.018
  • Wrote was a song really about my faith. and it was in, without
  • 00:01:42.018 --> 00:01:46.222
  • Knowing it, i actually kind of wrote a mission statement with
  • 00:01:46.222 --> 00:01:48.624
  • My very first song, which was actually called “well done”.
  • 00:01:48.624 --> 00:01:51.594
  • Basically, the parable when christ returns, i want him to be
  • 00:01:51.594 --> 00:01:53.796
  • Able to say well done good and faithful servant. and that was
  • 00:01:53.796 --> 00:01:57.567
  • Really the first song i wrote as a kid in high school. but really
  • 00:01:57.567 --> 00:02:00.836
  • With songwriting that was my entry point into doing what i'm
  • 00:02:00.836 --> 00:02:05.308
  • Even doing today. i got songs recorded by sandi patty. and the
  • 00:02:05.308 --> 00:02:09.078
  • Imperials actually recorded, it was my first cut, and and i
  • 00:02:09.078 --> 00:02:14.083
  • Thought, gosh, if i could do this, if i could write songs,
  • 00:02:14.083 --> 00:02:16.586
  • Just pour out, you know, my heart in this music, this would
  • 00:02:16.586 --> 00:02:20.790
  • Be amazing. and somewhere in the process of that i connected with
  • 00:02:20.790 --> 00:02:25.161
  • A guy named greg nelson, who took some of my songs, recorded
  • 00:02:25.161 --> 00:02:28.698
  • Them with sandi patty, and different ones, steve green. and
  • 00:02:28.698 --> 00:02:32.635
  • He and i sat one day and he said do you, you know, what you dream
  • 00:02:32.635 --> 00:02:36.839
  • Of? what do you dream to do? and i said, well, i love singing my
  • 00:02:36.839 --> 00:02:39.675
  • Songs. there's a lot i write that nobody's probably ever
  • 00:02:39.675 --> 00:02:41.711
  • Going to sing. and he said, well, let me see if i can help
  • 00:02:41.711 --> 00:02:43.746
  • You with that. and he said i'm gonna call a buddy of mine,
  • 00:02:43.746 --> 00:02:46.515
  • Billy ray hearn. >>my father, billy ray hearn, lots of
  • 00:02:46.515 --> 00:02:49.852
  • Different variables that he wanted to start his own company.
  • 00:02:49.852 --> 00:02:53.389
  • So he picked up our family in early 1976 and he moved us to
  • 00:02:53.389 --> 00:02:58.427
  • Los angeles, california from waco, texas and started sparrow
  • 00:02:58.427 --> 00:03:01.097
  • Records. and it was a small family business in los angeles.
  • 00:03:01.097 --> 00:03:09.972
  • And he just really wanted to sign and work with artists that
  • 00:03:09.972 --> 00:03:13.576
  • He believed lived a life off the stage consistent with what they
  • 00:03:13.576 --> 00:03:19.015
  • Were speaking about and singing about on the stage. i think
  • 00:03:19.015 --> 00:03:22.018
  • That's why steven was really signed to sparrow is because we
  • 00:03:22.018 --> 00:03:27.757
  • Saw, immediately, in him a young man who really believed in what
  • 00:03:27.757 --> 00:03:31.427
  • He was doing and felt called to what he was doing. and his life
  • 00:03:31.427 --> 00:03:34.697
  • Off the stage was consistent with what he sang about on the
  • 00:03:34.697 --> 00:03:36.832
  • Stage. >>bill and billy ray came to a showcase. and my
  • 00:03:36.832 --> 00:03:41.137
  • Remembrance of that was i sat down at a piano, and i wasn't
  • 00:03:41.137 --> 00:03:45.007
  • Really a piano player but i had written songs on the piano, and
  • 00:03:45.007 --> 00:03:47.743
  • I hadn't played a lot in front of people on the piano and i
  • 00:03:47.743 --> 00:03:49.745
  • Sort of froze and the piano action was like concrete. and i
  • 00:03:49.745 --> 00:03:53.949
  • Remember i'm just, i'm dying, it's over, there you go,
  • 00:03:53.949 --> 00:03:56.419
  • Beginning and end. my career started and ended right here at
  • 00:03:56.419 --> 00:03:58.754
  • Gma week. somehow, thankfully, these guys saw through the
  • 00:03:58.754 --> 00:04:03.159
  • Pitiful performance and the shaky voice. and i think it was
  • 00:04:03.159 --> 00:04:09.265
  • The song. i mean, that's what these guys said even from the
  • 00:04:09.265 --> 00:04:12.568
  • Beginning, you know, there was a connection that they heard in
  • 00:04:12.568 --> 00:04:18.374
  • The songs, and thought we want to be a part of helping get
  • 00:04:18.374 --> 00:04:20.209
  • These to the people. i remember sitting with peter the first
  • 00:04:20.209 --> 00:04:23.179
  • Time with he and his wife and my wife, mary beth, and i was, i
  • 00:04:23.179 --> 00:04:27.683
  • Mean, i'm still, you know, you can get the boy out of paducah,
  • 00:04:27.683 --> 00:04:29.919
  • You can't get all the paducah out of the boy. i was real
  • 00:04:29.919 --> 00:04:31.987
  • Paducah then. i mean, my words were a lot slower, and a lot
  • 00:04:31.987 --> 00:04:35.891
  • More syllables. and we sat and peter was fresh, you know, from
  • 00:04:35.891 --> 00:04:41.163
  • West coast surfer guy, and so we had this thing where, as peter
  • 00:04:41.163 --> 00:04:46.202
  • Said, we kind of needed a translator, you know, the two of
  • 00:04:46.202 --> 00:04:49.038
  • Us trying to talk. but what, obviously, was there was the
  • 00:04:49.038 --> 00:04:55.277
  • Heart connect that peter talked about. and that's what i sensed
  • 00:04:55.277 --> 00:04:57.947
  • In him, in billy ray and bill. got to know these guys and was
  • 00:04:57.947 --> 00:05:04.787
  • Really just blown away. i mean, it was truly a god thing to
  • 00:05:04.787 --> 00:05:07.423
  • Connect us together in the way that he did. and these guys to
  • 00:05:07.423 --> 00:05:11.127
  • Help build a platform that i'd be able to share music from for
  • 00:05:11.127 --> 00:05:14.697
  • A lot of years in ways i never imagined.
  • 00:05:14.697 --> 00:05:18.267
  • [music]
  • 00:05:18.267 --> 00:05:19.268
  • ♪ yeah
  • 00:05:19.268 --> 00:05:23.038
  • ♪ started out this morning in the usual way ♪
  • 00:05:23.038 --> 00:05:29.178
  • ♪ chasing thoughts inside my head ♪
  • 00:05:29.178 --> 00:05:32.415
  • ♪ of all i had to do today ♪
  • 00:05:32.415 --> 00:05:36.352
  • ♪ another time around the circle ♪
  • 00:05:36.352 --> 00:05:39.755
  • ♪ trying to make it better than the last ♪
  • 00:05:39.755 --> 00:05:43.959
  • ♪ i opened up the bible ♪
  • 00:05:43.959 --> 00:05:47.229
  • ♪ and i read about you and me ♪
  • 00:05:47.229 --> 00:05:51.033
  • ♪ said we'd all been prisoners ♪
  • 00:05:51.033 --> 00:05:53.936
  • ♪ and god's grace would set us all free ♪
  • 00:05:53.936 --> 00:05:56.806
  • ♪ somewhere between the pages ♪
  • 00:05:56.806 --> 00:06:01.477
  • ♪ it hit me like a lightning bolt ♪
  • 00:06:01.477 --> 00:06:04.680
  • ♪ i saw a big frontier in front of me ♪
  • 00:06:04.680 --> 00:06:08.217
  • ♪ and i heard somebody say come on, let's go ♪
  • 00:06:08.217 --> 00:06:12.688
  • ♪ saddle up your horses ♪
  • 00:06:12.688 --> 00:06:16.058
  • ♪ we've got a trail to blaze ♪
  • 00:06:16.058 --> 00:06:18.961
  • ♪ oh, oh, oh through the wild blue yonder ♪
  • 00:06:18.961 --> 00:06:22.898
  • ♪ of god's amazing grace ♪
  • 00:06:22.898 --> 00:06:27.236
  • ♪ let's follow our leader ♪
  • 00:06:27.236 --> 00:06:30.005
  • ♪ into the glorious unknown ♪
  • 00:06:30.005 --> 00:06:34.610
  • ♪ into the life like no other ♪
  • 00:06:34.610 --> 00:06:38.113
  • ♪ woah, woah,
  • 00:06:38.113 --> 00:06:40.216
  • ♪ this is your great adventure ♪
  • 00:06:40.216 --> 00:06:44.553
  • ♪ yeah, yeah
  • 00:06:44.553 --> 00:06:46.121
  • ♪ into the greatest journey ♪
  • 00:06:46.121 --> 00:06:48.958
  • ♪ that the human heart will ever see ♪
  • 00:06:48.958 --> 00:06:53.095
  • ♪ the love of god is gonna take us ♪
  • 00:06:53.095 --> 00:06:55.798
  • ♪ far beyond the wildest dreams ♪
  • 00:06:55.798 --> 00:06:59.502
  • ♪ yeah, yeah
  • 00:06:59.502 --> 00:07:00.736
  • ♪ saddle up your horses
  • 00:07:00.736 --> 00:07:03.939
  • ♪ we've got a trail to blaze ♪
  • 00:07:03.939 --> 00:07:05.941
  • ♪ oh, oh, oh
  • 00:07:05.941 --> 00:07:07.643
  • ♪ into the wild blue yonder ♪
  • 00:07:07.643 --> 00:07:10.346
  • ♪ of god's amazing grace ♪
  • 00:07:10.346 --> 00:07:15.184
  • ♪ let's follow our leader ♪
  • 00:07:15.184 --> 00:07:17.720
  • ♪ into the glorious unknown ♪
  • 00:07:17.720 --> 00:07:22.525
  • ♪ this is a life like no other ♪
  • 00:07:22.525 --> 00:07:26.328
  • ♪ woah, woah
  • 00:07:26.328 --> 00:07:28.330
  • ♪ this is the great adventure ♪
  • 00:07:28.330 --> 00:07:32.735
  • ♪ yeah, yeah
  • 00:07:32.735 --> 00:07:35.504
  • ♪ this is the great adventure ♪
  • 00:07:35.504 --> 00:07:41.710
  • ♪ yeah saddle up your horses ♪
  • 00:07:41.710 --> 00:07:46.215
  • [music]
  • 00:07:46.215 --> 00:07:55.658
  • Jaci velasquez: welcome back! the success that the album “the
  • 00:07:50.386 --> 00:07:58.160
  • Great adventure” brought steven curtis chapman didn't come
  • 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:01.096
  • Easily, but sparrow record executives, billy ray hearn,
  • 00:08:01.096 --> 00:08:04.700
  • Bill hearn, and a & r executive, peter york, never stopped
  • 00:08:04.700 --> 00:08:08.671
  • Believing in steven. steven's first two albums didn't sell a
  • 00:08:08.671 --> 00:08:12.374
  • Whole lot of records. in today's day and age there would have
  • 00:08:12.374 --> 00:08:16.011
  • Been big meetings; do we keep this artist? is it working?
  • 00:08:16.011 --> 00:08:20.149
  • We're not selling enough records to keep going. but steven's
  • 00:08:20.149 --> 00:08:23.919
  • Songwriting ability, personality, hard work ethic,
  • 00:08:23.919 --> 00:08:28.057
  • And ambition made it unanimous at sparrow to keep committed to
  • 00:08:28.057 --> 00:08:31.727
  • Him. they knew god had called steven to do this. bill hearn
  • 00:08:31.727 --> 00:08:36.165
  • Was going to the cba big booksellers convention in dallas
  • 00:08:36.165 --> 00:08:40.903
  • To launch “the great adventure”. and on a plane ride to los
  • 00:08:40.903 --> 00:08:43.872
  • Angeles told steven's booking agent, john huey, let's just
  • 00:08:43.872 --> 00:08:47.910
  • Blow this thing out. this guy's ready to take off and sales are
  • 00:08:47.910 --> 00:08:51.880
  • Starting to build. we believe in his talent. let's book reunion
  • 00:08:51.880 --> 00:08:56.285
  • Arena in dallas, put 2,500 booksellers in there and try to
  • 00:08:56.285 --> 00:09:00.756
  • Sell the rest. i know it's crazy, but it'll be a huge
  • 00:09:00.756 --> 00:09:05.094
  • Statement to people. no one will believe that we can you do this.
  • 00:09:05.094 --> 00:09:09.498
  • >>you know, so we did it. we said we're just gonna go for it.
  • 00:09:09.498 --> 00:09:11.900
  • And it really just was part of our belief in steven. and we
  • 00:09:11.900 --> 00:09:15.904
  • Just knew, you know, the success that god wanted him to have. and
  • 00:09:15.904 --> 00:09:19.875
  • So my fondest memory was standing on the side of that
  • 00:09:19.875 --> 00:09:24.446
  • Stage, because i walked out behind the curtain right when a
  • 00:09:24.446 --> 00:09:27.683
  • Curtain opened, and it was the first, you know, note of “saddle
  • 00:09:27.683 --> 00:09:31.720
  • Up your horses”. and i literally broke down and started crying. i
  • 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:35.157
  • Mean, i'm getting emotional about it now. >>right. >>most
  • 00:09:35.157 --> 00:09:37.893
  • People don't think i'm an emotional guy, but i cried. i
  • 00:09:37.893 --> 00:09:43.599
  • Mean, because it was like, okay, that's one of those god moments
  • 00:09:43.599 --> 00:09:47.302
  • That, okay, all that work, all that leading up to, and as a guy
  • 00:09:47.302 --> 00:09:53.509
  • In the music business you kind of know when those things
  • 00:09:53.509 --> 00:09:55.778
  • Happen. you go, okay, click, that's it, here we go, this is
  • 00:09:55.778 --> 00:09:59.815
  • Going to be a massive explosion. and sure enough it was; millions
  • 00:09:59.815 --> 00:10:03.352
  • Of records from that point forward; concerts, worldwide
  • 00:10:03.352 --> 00:10:06.622
  • Success, reaching so many people with the gospel through music.
  • 00:10:06.622 --> 00:10:11.493
  • That was my moment “saddle up your horses” with over 7,000
  • 00:10:11.493 --> 00:10:15.597
  • People in reunion arena just going crazy on the first note of
  • 00:10:15.597 --> 00:10:18.567
  • That song. >>i think, for me, really the memories that are
  • 00:10:18.567 --> 00:10:22.604
  • Most special about these two guys and our relationship are
  • 00:10:22.604 --> 00:10:27.810
  • The hours spent sitting in peter's office and playing him
  • 00:10:27.810 --> 00:10:34.083
  • New music. and usually, you know, crying through about half
  • 00:10:34.083 --> 00:10:38.954
  • Of them, because,you know, it's still really fresh. and just
  • 00:10:38.954 --> 00:10:41.857
  • Kind of talking through, you know, what's going on, what the
  • 00:10:41.857 --> 00:10:45.494
  • Plans are, what's stirring in my heart. i mean, because that's
  • 00:10:45.494 --> 00:10:48.197
  • What has, that's what these guys have always been concerned about
  • 00:10:48.197 --> 00:10:51.667
  • With their artists and with me.you know, what's going on in
  • 00:10:51.667 --> 00:10:56.305
  • Your heart, you know. yeah, here's the musical trends,
  • 00:10:56.305 --> 00:10:58.407
  • Here's what's happening in music. you know, here are the
  • 00:10:58.407 --> 00:11:00.476
  • Producers, here are the things, here's all that, but ultimately,
  • 00:11:00.476 --> 00:11:02.745
  • What's stirring in your heart what? what do you feel like
  • 00:11:02.745 --> 00:11:05.881
  • God's saying? our job is to serve that and encourage that
  • 00:11:05.881 --> 00:11:09.151
  • And challenge that. and we're gonna try to help put, you know,
  • 00:11:09.151 --> 00:11:13.722
  • Help steer you through, you know, the other peripherals of
  • 00:11:13.722 --> 00:11:17.493
  • That, but the heart beat of it is, you know, what's god saying
  • 00:11:17.493 --> 00:11:21.930
  • Through you? i'd write, you know, 40 ideas and come in,
  • 00:11:21.930 --> 00:11:26.835
  • Bless peter's heart, he'd sit there and try to help me make
  • 00:11:26.835 --> 00:11:31.306
  • Sense, you know, of all these random ideas floating around in
  • 00:11:31.306 --> 00:11:34.510
  • The air .and he'd grab ahold of them and go, man, that one,
  • 00:11:34.510 --> 00:11:39.314
  • Yeah, there's, something there. you know, stay on that. >>how
  • 00:11:39.314 --> 00:11:40.883
  • Many, like, on average, how many songs, even him before the
  • 00:11:40.883 --> 00:11:43.252
  • Studio, how many versions of “speechless”? [laughter] how
  • 00:11:43.252 --> 00:11:47.089
  • Many versions of “speechless” did you write? [chuckles] >>oh,
  • 00:11:47.089 --> 00:11:49.725
  • Gosh. >>peter yorck was like, yeah, bro, that's good. yeah
  • 00:11:49.725 --> 00:11:52.394
  • ,that was good. yeah, love that one. >>yeah, that one's good,
  • 00:11:52.394 --> 00:11:55.297
  • Too. >>i would say that's one thing. the other thing that
  • 00:11:55.297 --> 00:11:58.066
  • Comes to mind is just, is his relentless nature to make
  • 00:11:58.066 --> 00:12:02.571
  • Whatever he did the best that it could be. and we would laugh
  • 00:12:02.571 --> 00:12:06.809
  • Often. he would talk about doing 40 songs, getting ready for a
  • 00:12:06.809 --> 00:12:09.645
  • Record, writing 40 songs and each one of those songs tended
  • 00:12:09.645 --> 00:12:12.347
  • To have two or three or four versions. and so when you kind
  • 00:12:12.347 --> 00:12:16.218
  • Of do the math it became even more than that. but his desire
  • 00:12:16.218 --> 00:12:20.255
  • To always struggle to find the best that he could offer, i
  • 00:12:20.255 --> 00:12:24.626
  • Don't think that ever comes up short for an artist. it
  • 00:12:24.626 --> 00:12:27.996
  • Certainly hasn't come up short for him. and i'm just so proud
  • 00:12:27.996 --> 00:12:31.099
  • Of those works. i'm so proud of those songs, and so proud of the
  • 00:12:31.099 --> 00:12:33.702
  • Story that he's generated over these years, and the example
  • 00:12:33.702 --> 00:12:37.172
  • He's provided to the church. it's fantastic!
  • 00:12:37.172 --> 00:12:39.074
  • [music]
  • 00:12:39.074 --> 00:12:40.008
  • ♪ tomorrow morning if you wake up ♪
  • 00:12:40.008 --> 00:12:43.278
  • ♪ and the sun does not appear ♪
  • 00:12:43.278 --> 00:12:45.681
  • [applause]
  • 00:12:45.681 --> 00:12:47.916
  • ♪ i, i, i, i, i, i will be here ♪
  • 00:12:47.916 --> 00:12:53.055
  • [music]
  • 00:12:53.055 --> 00:12:57.259
  • ♪ if in the dark we lose sight of love ♪
  • 00:12:57.259 --> 00:13:00.495
  • ♪ hold my hand have no fear ♪
  • 00:13:00.495 --> 00:13:05.200
  • ♪ cause i, i, i, i, i, i will be here ♪
  • 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:10.572
  • [music]
  • 00:13:10.572 --> 00:13:13.408
  • ♪ i will be here ♪
  • 00:13:13.408 --> 00:13:16.044
  • ♪ when you feel like being quiet ♪
  • 00:13:16.044 --> 00:13:20.515
  • ♪ when you need to speak your mind ♪
  • 00:13:20.515 --> 00:13:24.219
  • ♪ i will listen
  • 00:13:24.219 --> 00:13:26.488
  • ♪ and i will be here ♪
  • 00:13:26.488 --> 00:13:29.157
  • ♪ when the laughter turns to crying ♪
  • 00:13:29.157 --> 00:13:33.462
  • ♪ through the winning, losing, tryin' ♪
  • 00:13:33.462 --> 00:13:37.366
  • ♪ we'll be together ♪
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  • ♪ oh, oh
  • 00:13:40.903 --> 00:13:43.972
  • ♪ i will be true to the promise i have made ♪
  • 00:13:43.972 --> 00:13:52.014
  • ♪ to you and to the one ♪
  • 00:13:52.014 --> 00:13:55.550
  • ♪ who gave you to me ♪
  • 00:13:55.550 --> 00:13:59.521
  • [music]
  • 00:13:59.521 --> 00:14:05.360
  • ♪ just as sure as the seasons were made for change ♪
  • 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:09.831
  • ♪ our lifetimes were made for these years ♪
  • 00:14:09.831 --> 00:14:14.136
  • ♪ so i, i, i, i, i, i, i, will be here ♪
  • 00:14:14.136 --> 00:14:22.444
  • ♪ we'll be together ♪
  • 00:14:22.444 --> 00:14:26.748
  • ♪ oh, yes, we will
  • 00:14:26.748 --> 00:14:29.318
  • ♪ ‘cause i will be here ♪
  • 00:14:29.318 --> 00:14:33.822
  • ♪ i will be here
  • 00:14:33.822 --> 00:14:38.827
  • [music]
  • 00:14:38.827 --> 00:14:52.474
  • Jaci velasquez: steven curtis chapman
  • 00:14:47.069 --> 00:14:53.475
  • Spent many long hours in the studio with his
  • 00:14:53.475 --> 00:14:55.210
  • Friends, producer brown banister and engineer steve bishir. steve
  • 00:14:55.210 --> 00:14:59.614
  • Would come in and want to play hammer dulcimer or piano or
  • 00:14:59.614 --> 00:15:04.119
  • Another instrument that he wasn't terribly familiar with
  • 00:15:04.119 --> 00:15:07.255
  • Playing. steven had no idea where the notes were so they
  • 00:15:07.255 --> 00:15:10.659
  • Went around the studio and found grease pencils. steven would
  • 00:15:10.659 --> 00:15:14.796
  • Then find the notes that he wanted to play and then they
  • 00:15:14.796 --> 00:15:17.466
  • Would duct tape the notes he wasn't allowed to play in the
  • 00:15:17.466 --> 00:15:20.902
  • Song. the guy's always tried to outlast each other in the studio
  • 00:15:20.902 --> 00:15:25.207
  • And made a game out of who would be the first to go down. who
  • 00:15:25.207 --> 00:15:29.745
  • Would call it a day and cry uncle after recording for hours
  • 00:15:29.745 --> 00:15:32.414
  • On end? one time steven sang for 20 hours straight and then
  • 00:15:32.414 --> 00:15:36.518
  • Rested by switching to singing background vocals. they had a
  • 00:15:36.518 --> 00:15:39.921
  • Lot of fun, made a lot of memories, and laughed a lot.
  • 00:15:39.921 --> 00:15:44.493
  • >>and i remember because it was always, all the years we were
  • 00:15:44.493 --> 00:15:48.530
  • Together, it was always a contest to see who would be the
  • 00:15:48.530 --> 00:15:51.500
  • First to go down. because we were always trying to do it
  • 00:15:51.500 --> 00:15:54.202
  • Outlasting each other. it was, like, >>yeah. >>no i got one
  • 00:15:54.202 --> 00:15:57.973
  • More in me. you know? and brown never, alright, i got one more
  • 00:15:57.973 --> 00:16:01.810
  • In me. and it's like you're kind of lookin' through the window,
  • 00:16:01.810 --> 00:16:04.646
  • Is he getting, am i gettin' it, is he starting to fade? no, i
  • 00:16:04.646 --> 00:16:07.482
  • Got one more in me. [laughter] >>so true. >>but that one we
  • 00:16:07.482 --> 00:16:12.120
  • Were singing the vocal to “o come, o come emmanuel” and it's,
  • 00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:15.390
  • Probably i could use some counseling or therapy to help me
  • 00:16:15.390 --> 00:16:19.161
  • Work through this, >>oh, oh! >>because my eye starts
  • 00:16:19.161 --> 00:16:21.563
  • Twitching whenever i hear it >>gosh! >>because at the end of
  • 00:16:21.563 --> 00:16:24.566
  • It, it's that, [sounds out notes] o israel rejoice >>and it
  • 00:16:24.566 --> 00:16:33.241
  • Was just like it had to be, i couldn't yell it, cuz, you know,
  • 00:16:33.241 --> 00:16:36.378
  • It was in my yelling range, had to be tender, but falsetto
  • 00:16:36.378 --> 00:16:41.049
  • Didn't feel right. and so it was at least a hundred attempts,
  • 00:16:41.049 --> 00:16:45.887
  • Because we had no auto-tune, we had no, >>nothing to lean on.
  • 00:16:45.887 --> 00:16:49.224
  • >>you know, no pro-tools. we had nothing. you had to actually
  • 00:16:49.224 --> 00:16:51.460
  • Sing it for real. >>back in the day. >>and punch it in. and i
  • 00:16:51.460 --> 00:16:54.296
  • Just remember that because it was burned in my memory, and i
  • 00:16:54.296 --> 00:16:56.932
  • Sang that and i sang that. it was lik, no, that's not, i think
  • 00:16:56.932 --> 00:16:59.568
  • I can do another. and actually it's one of my few, the crowning
  • 00:16:59.568 --> 00:17:03.071
  • Achievement >>did you win? >>that brown passed out,
  • 00:17:03.071 --> 00:17:05.740
  • [laughter] >>he finally, he finally, i looked in, >>i now
  • 00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:09.878
  • Know, >>he was on the couch asleep and steve, >>alright,
  • 00:17:09.878 --> 00:17:13.548
  • Let's try it again. try it again. i will not go down. >>i
  • 00:17:13.548 --> 00:17:17.486
  • Totally remember that. >>and i finally got it! [laughter]
  • 00:17:17.486 --> 00:17:20.655
  • >>yep. >>that was incredible. >>yeah. >>your perseverance is
  • 00:17:20.655 --> 00:17:24.059
  • Unbelievable. >>oh, man. no, it's stupid. but it comes back
  • 00:17:24.059 --> 00:17:27.729
  • To me now every time i hear that and i get to that note at the
  • 00:17:27.729 --> 00:17:30.565
  • End, i'm driving my car, whatever, i'm always, like, hum,
  • 00:17:30.565 --> 00:17:32.434
  • My throat starts tightening up ‘cause i remember it. [laughter]
  • 00:17:32.434 --> 00:17:36.805
  • >>and one of the fun, great things about my job is getting
  • 00:17:36.805 --> 00:17:40.142
  • To watch artists like steven, who is a consummate writer and,
  • 00:17:40.142 --> 00:17:44.746
  • You know, we'd come to kind of a halt, i think it was “let us
  • 00:17:44.746 --> 00:17:48.483
  • Pray”. “let us pray” and no bridge. >>oh, yeah, yeah. >>so
  • 00:17:48.483 --> 00:17:53.288
  • He goes out on the back patio. i'm just out there, like,
  • 00:17:53.288 --> 00:17:55.490
  • Sitting, just the biggest fan, you know, [laughter] he's like,
  • 00:17:55.490 --> 00:17:58.760
  • You know, just going to town, trying to figure, you know,
  • 00:17:58.760 --> 00:18:01.596
  • Which turned out to be a huge song. but just you go in the
  • 00:18:01.596 --> 00:18:05.467
  • Studio and you don't have like this major piece of what the
  • 00:18:05.467 --> 00:18:08.236
  • Song will become. >>yeah. >>you know? >>yeah. >>or how it will
  • 00:18:08.236 --> 00:18:10.906
  • Sound. >>well, the first day it was several records that we did
  • 00:18:10.906 --> 00:18:16.311
  • With you and it happened almost every time. we'd track the first
  • 00:18:16.311 --> 00:18:18.947
  • Song. the next day we'd track the second song. the third day
  • 00:18:18.947 --> 00:18:23.084
  • The rewrite of the first song would come in. [laughter] >>yes!
  • 00:18:23.084 --> 00:18:26.254
  • Yes! >>yeah, that happened a time, or two, or three. >>i've
  • 00:18:26.254 --> 00:18:32.060
  • Never worked with another artist where that consistently
  • 00:18:32.060 --> 00:18:35.030
  • Happened. >>i never even dreamed that big. i couldn't dream that
  • 00:18:35.030 --> 00:18:39.401
  • Big as a kid from paducah, kentucky and this isn't some
  • 00:18:39.401 --> 00:18:42.804
  • Kind of, you know, trying to sound humble, it never even
  • 00:18:42.804 --> 00:18:47.342
  • Entered my mind. it's been, it has been hard work. it's been a
  • 00:18:47.342 --> 00:18:51.947
  • Lot of tears. it's been a lot of three steps forward, sometimes
  • 00:18:51.947 --> 00:18:54.649
  • 40 steps back. there's been pain. there's been grief.
  • 00:18:54.649 --> 00:18:57.552
  • There's been, but, you know, i even said yesterday the
  • 00:18:57.552 --> 00:19:00.589
  • Platform, if all of it, i've often thought, was to have the
  • 00:19:00.589 --> 00:19:03.491
  • Platform, you know, to be a part of helping see thousands of
  • 00:19:03.491 --> 00:19:07.829
  • Orphans come into families, to have an eternal home in heaven
  • 00:19:07.829 --> 00:19:11.633
  • Because somehow i had a platform that these guys helped build for
  • 00:19:11.633 --> 00:19:16.938
  • Me to stand on to share the messages, it's incredibly
  • 00:19:16.938 --> 00:19:21.810
  • Humbling and i'm just so, so grateful. >>thank you so much
  • 00:19:21.810 --> 00:19:26.314
  • For joining us. we hope you've been inspired and edified by
  • 00:19:26.314 --> 00:19:29.584
  • Hearing about part of the incredible journey, an
  • 00:19:29.584 --> 00:19:32.254
  • Incredible life of steven curtis chapman. steven is no stranger
  • 00:19:32.254 --> 00:19:37.125
  • To heartache and feels honored that god called him and mary
  • 00:19:37.125 --> 00:19:39.894
  • Beth to help orphans around the world, to be used for the sake
  • 00:19:39.894 --> 00:19:43.331
  • Of the call. please join us next time for more amazing stories
  • 00:19:43.331 --> 00:19:47.168
  • About your favorite legendary ccm artists. god bless you and
  • 00:19:47.168 --> 00:19:51.206
  • We'll see you soon.
  • 00:19:51.206 --> 00:19:52.540
  • [music]
  • 00:19:52.540 --> 00:19:53.441
  • ♪ mercy called them by name ♪
  • 00:19:53.441 --> 00:19:55.644
  • ♪ and they answered ♪
  • 00:19:55.644 --> 00:19:57.779
  • ♪ we will abandon it all ♪
  • 00:19:57.779 --> 00:20:04.319
  • ♪ for the sake of the call ♪
  • 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:07.222
  • ♪ no other reason at all ♪
  • 00:20:07.222 --> 00:20:13.962
  • ♪ but the sake of the call ♪
  • 00:20:13.962 --> 00:20:17.032
  • ♪ wholly devoted to live and to die ♪
  • 00:20:17.032 --> 00:20:24.939
  • ♪ for the sake of the call ♪
  • 00:20:24.939 --> 00:20:29.210
  • [music]
  • 00:20:29.210 --> 00:20:39.321
  • ♪ drawn like the rivers are drawn to the sea ♪
  • 00:20:39.321 --> 00:20:45.493
  • ♪ oh, there's no turning back ♪
  • 00:20:45.493 --> 00:20:48.496
  • ♪ for the water cannot help but flow ♪
  • 00:20:48.496 --> 00:20:55.503
  • ♪ and once we hear the savior's call ♪
  • 00:20:55.503 --> 00:20:59.274
  • ♪ we'll follow wherever he leads ♪
  • 00:20:59.274 --> 00:21:02.811
  • ♪ because of the love he has shown ♪
  • 00:21:02.811 --> 00:21:08.049
  • ♪ and because he has called us to go ♪
  • 00:21:08.049 --> 00:21:13.355
  • ♪ we will answer
  • 00:21:13.355 --> 00:21:15.523
  • ♪ we will abandon it all ♪
  • 00:21:15.523 --> 00:21:21.896
  • ♪ for the sake of the call ♪
  • 00:21:21.896 --> 00:21:24.766
  • ♪ no other reason at all ♪
  • 00:21:24.766 --> 00:21:31.539
  • ♪ but the sake of the call ♪
  • 00:21:31.539 --> 00:21:34.476
  • ♪ wholly devoted ♪
  • 00:21:34.476 --> 00:21:38.947
  • ♪ to live and to die
  • 00:21:38.947 --> 00:21:44.519
  • ♪ not for the sake of a greater cause ♪
  • 00:21:44.519 --> 00:21:49.357
  • ♪ not for a dream or a promise ♪
  • 00:21:49.357 --> 00:21:54.028
  • ♪ but simply because it is jesus who calls ♪
  • 00:21:54.028 --> 00:21:58.867
  • ♪ and if we believe we'll obey ♪
  • 00:21:58.867 --> 00:22:04.806
  • ♪ and answer
  • 00:22:04.806 --> 00:22:06.374
  • ♪ we will answer
  • 00:22:06.374 --> 00:22:08.910
  • [music]
  • 00:22:08.910 --> 00:22:16.851
  • ♪ for the sake of the call ♪
  • 00:22:16.851 --> 00:22:26.060
  • ♪ we will answer
  • 00:22:26.060 --> 00:22:28.329
  • ♪ and will abandon it all ♪
  • 00:22:28.329 --> 00:22:35.036
  • ♪ for the sake of the call ♪
  • 00:22:35.036 --> 00:22:37.572
  • ♪ no other reason at all ♪
  • 00:22:37.572 --> 00:22:44.646
  • ♪ but the sake of the call ♪
  • 00:22:44.646 --> 00:22:47.315
  • ♪ wholly devoted
  • 00:22:47.315 --> 00:22:51.453
  • ♪ to live and to die
  • 00:22:51.453 --> 00:22:55.623
  • ♪ for the sake of the call ♪
  • 00:22:55.623 --> 00:23:00.628
  • ♪ for the sake of the call ♪
  • 00:23:00.628 --> 00:23:04.699
  • [music]
  • 00:23:04.699 --> 00:23:10.705
  • ♪ for the sake of the call ♪
  • 00:23:10.705 --> 00:23:16.144
  • >>we have lost everything
  • 00:23:16.144 --> 00:23:18.513
  • But we gained christ! and that gave us a joy.
  • 00:23:18.513 --> 00:23:23.051
  • [music]
  • 00:23:23.051 --> 00:23:23.051