Gary's Gretch Guitar.  Photo by GT 

Gary Tussey:  Blues Notes

My first recallection of live music was from my two grandfathers.  As a child we lived in Blue Ash Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati.  Around one corner was my grandpa and grandma Tom and Ida Lundsford.  Around the other corner was my grandaddy and granny George Thomas and Leona Tussey.  It was great to live so close to my grand parents growing up.  Grandpa played the guitar and sang and Grandaddy played the harmonica and sang.  As a young child I was constantly surrounded with sound of rhythm and blues music.  My mom would keep Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles records on the strereo constantly.  I mean as far back as my first memory.  These sounds of American Music are rooted deep in my soul.

Many times we would drop in on my Grandaddy and with a voice bigger than life itself he would welcome us with "come in here boy, get over here and give us a kiss," and my younger brother Mark and I would get a big wet tobacco juice kiss and a lot of affection.    But often he would have a Honer Harmonica in hand and he would play a little something and then just throw his head back and sing out a tremendous gospel tune.  At the time I did not know how to appreciate that type of heritage, but boy, I do now.   

I was eight years old when my parents bought me my first guitar.  A little off brand nylon string folk style classical wooden guitar.  It was a treasure!  That cold ,snowy,
Cincinnati winter was when I got to see first hand and up close how to really make music.  My Grandpa would often walk to our house to visit.  Now that  I had a guitar his visits took on an entirely new meaning.  He would sit and play my guitar and sing, and whatever he was doing on guitar he would take the time to show me. 

I remember now in retrospect, that the chords that Grandpa played on the fret board were not exactly like the chord chart from the books that I was learning from.  He would play and sing the "Ballad of John Henry", "Old Shep" and many old songs that are for the most part forgotten.  At the time I truly did not know how to appreciate those valuable lessons.  I did not recognize the foundation that was being laid in musically.  Grandpa's playing did not sound like the pop tunes that was on the radio, so as a child I could not attache value to what I was seeing and hearing.   I have since gleaned from those few moments with Grandpa immensely.

My point in all of this is that, you cannot have been reared in America in the last century and not have been effected by Rhythm and Blues music either directly or indirectly.  It is in us.  So it is like deep calling unto deep as far as our kindred spirit with our heritage. 

What does this have to do with Christian Ministry?  Everything!!  Two things are essential to be effective ministers of the Gospel after you receive the call.  One is to be true to yourself.  If you cannot be honest with yourself you cannot be honest with the Heavenly Father.  Secondly, God builds upon what God has Built.  Rhythm and Blues music is so accessible.  I believe that you will find that when you allow what is in you is a gifting of God.  A gifting that is quenched by conformity and comparison. 

We'll talk more about this later.  Christian Blues is happenin', a real tool used by the Holy Ghost.