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My Momma use to say, "if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen." Every month I run across a situation that makes me run back to my Momma's words. When I first started my company I had days, months and years I just wanted to dry up under a rock and go away. With every successful step I made, I angered someone that didn't or could not make the moves I was blessed enough to make. Now, every morning when I put my feet to the floor, I pray for the Lord to anoint my artists, my company and our paths. I usually reach over and begin reading my text and emails on my phone as I stumble down the hall. By the time I reach the stairs, I am already typing. Usually it's a letter to stop some vicious lie or rumor about one of my clients, or to calm a client down in a heated discussion.

We are all vulnerable, we are all human. Even though I tell my clients to be skinless it is sometimes hard to hear and live within your calling as you are plummeted with anger, rage, lies and jealousy. I sometimes feel like we as an industry are at war with each other. I know for certain that some artists and agencies are at war. I hear it, feel it and fight it daily. I use to stay awake at night, and worry myself into an ulcer, defending till I was blue in the face.

I think as the industry shrinks, and CD sales vanish to the download era, we are going to need each other. We are going to need to stand strong and help one another as we see these quick and costly changes taking shape in Southern Gospel music. I know a few labels and artist are going to stand their ground, continue segregating and find themselves miserable, disliked and very unhappy. Why do some continue to hold the cookie jar in their hands like they are going to starve and die if anyone else gets in the ring? Why do those same individuals solicit rumors and gossip daily, sowing discord amongst the industry?

Power is not what you can say about someone, it is what you can do for someone. Gossip is an epidemic in Southern Gospel. I wish everyone reading this would try and not spread just one rumor this week. I am hopeful a few bad apples can be turned to cider, and we can all have a part, we can all see an industry grow and flourish. I feel the time is right for artists to enter Southern Gospel and labels to embrace the digital era, and us to generate more souls for the kingdom than ever before.

I wish the record companies would start working together to fight the new record business. I have many wishes and hopes for our genre. No matter how some people feel, Southern Gospel isn't broken, but its industry is.

I've always believed people listen to rock music to dance and let go, they listen to country to cry and slow down and they listen to Southern Gospel to heal. Isn't our job to heal the inside of our circles? If we don't lose the control, envy and succumb to petty child's games we can take the healing into the world, greater and stronger than any of us on the inside can ever imagine. GOD will honor unity honesty, and faithfulness.

Rick Hendrix
http://www.rickhendrix.com

Reader Comments

Great article, Rick.

It seems like the SG industry is so busy fighting to guard the scraps that land beneath the music industry's table that we forget that we're here to tell people about Jesus. Period. We also forget that most Americans can't even name ONE southern gospel artist. We need revival. We need the anointing.

Chris J. Becker
Cedar Rapids, IA

Great article. One of the few I've read to the end. I couldn't agree more. I love your artists and I appreciate the testimonies of those I know.
God Bless you!

Becky
Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth!

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