Michael W. Smith - The Interview
From his recent Worship Tour concert
at Hammersmith Apollo
It is not often that
you get the chance to meet with one of the top Christian
artistes in the world. However, KT Worship managed to grab
a few minutes with Michael W. Smith just before his recent
Worship Tour concert at Hammersmith Apollo.
How were you
called to the music business?
God wanted me in the business. There were all the other
particulars of course because first you've got to have a
good song and a good voice. In 1982 no record company would
sign me, so my management company started a record company
called Reunion Records. It was actually started for another
girl and myself because no one would sign us. I have been
on that label ever since and I'm now working on my 17th
album.
How have you
matured as a Christian over the last 10 years?
Hopefully I have gotten wiser. I am less concerned with
record sales and about whether I am on top or not. I think
my priorities are probably more in place today than they
have been.
What do you
think of the Christian music scene in the UK?
You know I don't hear a lot, other than on the radio. Techno
and dance seem to be the pulse from what I gather. I love
Delirious and Graham Kendrick.
Do you prefer
to do pop or worship material?
I like doing both; there are some genres for certain times.
I am in an interesting dilemma. I've had 20 years of being
a pop guy, then these two worship records - so it's interesting.
Why did you
decide to do a praise and worship album, after a career
solely in pop music?
It's what God wanted me to do! I have been a worship leader
for 20 years, so in many ways the worship records were the
easiest records I have made.
Then following
it up with Worship Again?
Worship was the first record on which I did not write all
the songs. It wasn't about me writing the songs. If I wrote
them, great, on the other hand if someone else wrote them
that was fine too. I just tried to find good worship songs.
Did you expect
the response that you got from the Worship albums?
Not like this. It's the biggest selling record of my career.
How hard was
it to narrow down the selection of songs on the two albums?
The first one was the easiest, because I made sure that
every song was stellar. Everything you hear on the Worship
album actually happened. At the end of that evening of worship
I knew that it had been unbelievable. But would it translate
to the CD? Who knew? It was only when we listened to the
CD that we knew it was a homerun.
Why do you
think praise and worship is so important?
Worship is what I am called to do and it is extremely important.
I think that for so many years we have played church and
not known how to worship. We have not known how to worship
in spirit and in truth. When you have a genuine worship
service and you experience the power of God, it changes
you - you're never the same again. The experience changes
you for the good. You become less of what you want to be
and become more of what He wants you to be.
Every time we think of worship we think of
Sunday morning. Although Sunday morning is important, worship
is more than what we do when we sing. On the other hand
when you see an old lady who has not eaten for three days
and you give her something to eat, that is an act of worship
- worship is a lifestyle. Worship is not just about our
'vertical' relationship with God but a continual outreach
to the needy and the lost.
How do you
think the concert will go tonight?
I never know about these things because every concert is
a little different. In Denmark the audience was the most
enthusiastic I have ever had in my life. I had played before
10,000 people in America and had boisterous crowds, but
Denmark was off the chart.
Which songs
do you think you'll do?
I know a lot of people want to hear the Worship album material,
but I can't imagine not singing 'Friends'. I'm getting a
pulse of what people want to hear, so I'll probably do a
combination of pop and worship time to include everybody
- that's the plan, but I have been known to change the set
list on the spot!
Later that night, the Apollo was filled with
the electric sound of 4,000 people singing praise and worship
to the Lord, led by Michael W Smith. Surely God is doing
remarkable things to us and with us as we worship Him.
By Dave Wellington
Music Pastor - KT/LCC
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