Lesley Sussman - Yes, Lord, Im Comin Home!: Country Music Stars Share Their Stories of Knowing God

Y ES , L ORD , I M C OMIN H OME !

P UBLISHED BY W ATERBROOK P RESS

12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921

eISBN: 978-0-307-55387-4

Copyright 1997 by Lesley Sussman

Cover design by Richard Oriolo

The lyrics of Swingin Bridge are used by permission of Jim Rice and Benson Records.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Previously published by Galilee with special arrangement from Doubleday.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.

W ATERBROOK and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Random House Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sussman, Lesley, 1944.

Yes, Lord, I'm comin' home! : country music stars share their stories of knowing God / Leslie Sussman.
p. cm.
1. GodKnowableness 2. Christian life. I. Title.
BT102.S938 1997
277.30820922dc20
[B]

96-24876

Printed in the United States of America
2012First WaterBrook Press Edition

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Patricia A. Leone,
a very special and spiritual friend,
whose encouragement rescued me
from my own misgivings,
and to the Almighty,
the true author
of this book.

Thanks to

Edwin Benson, executive director of the Country Music Association for all his associations help, and Gene Higgins, executive director of the Christian Country Music Association, for steering me in the right direction. Also, the Gospel Music Association for suggesting performers with inspiring stories to tell about faith and renewal.

Special appreciation to Leanne Hardy at Sparrow Records and Lisa Bily at New Haven Records, who seem to know which performers are walking the path, and April Hefner, managing editor of Christian Country Music Magazine.

Theres a talented army of personal managers and publicists behind each performer, and not enough space to thank each and every one for their generous support and cooperation. Here are a few names that stand for a bunch more:

Richard Davis of Tater-Patch Records, who went out of his way to help; Judi Turner at Turner and Company; Michael Smith & Associates; Lisa Wysocky of White Horse Enterprises; Bridget Dolan Little of Little Horn Communications; Kathy Gangwisch; Norma Morris at The Press Office; Jill Wylly; Kathy Allmand; Kami Thomas at Media West. And a very special thanks to Jackie Monaghan at Morning Star Public Relations, who also served as something of a spiritual mentor.

Finally, thanks to Claire Gerus, my agent and friend, and Mark J. H. Fretz, Ph.D., senior editor of Religious Publishing at Doubleday, who had faith in this project. Much thanks to Maura Nolan for her excellent transcription skills and comments, Robert Cutarella, who said it could be done.

There comes a time in each of our lives when we yearn to have a closer connection to our Creator. I experienced such a feeling while writing my previous book, Miracles Can Happen.

The intensity of faith expressed by those I interviewed for that bookeveryday people who had experienced miracles in their liveswas, for me, a spiritual eye-opener. It made me want to shore up my own faith in God.

The problem was in not knowing exactly where to begin. So as any writer worth his salt might do, I decided to commence my own spiritual renewal by writing about the subject of faith and renewal.

When my good friend and agent, Claire Gerus, suggested that I interview Country music stars as part of my research for the book it seemed a good idea.

After all, I knew that many Country music performers were deeply rooted in religion as well as music, and that many of them had strayed from the spiritual path only to find their way back again. They would certainly have important spiritual insights to offer me as well as my readers.

So while some pilgrims might begin their spiritual quest by planning a trip to Jerusalem or some other holy site, my journey would lead me to a city called Nashville.