Links...
I've been blessed with many friends in the course of my life and career as well as other artists and folks who have influenced me. Here are just a few links to some them.
About the Song: The song you are hearing, Ruthie's Song, has a special meaning for me. I wrote it about some friends of my in an organization called Kids Alive International (see link below). It was written after visiting their orphanage/school in the Dominican Republic and was written about a beautiful little girl named Ruthie, hence the title. If you like it, please feel free to download it. All I ask is that you visit their website and consider becoming a child sponsor.
Jonathan David Eckberg: Of course, he's my #4 son and I am deeply prejudiced but I think he's a terrific songwriter, producer, and performer. Check out his work at www.jonathandavideckberg.com .
OneElevenEast: If you know me well you will recognize that number: It's the house number of the home we spent 25 years in and raised our children in. It's now the name of the band formed by three of my sons. Matthew, Jonathan, and Jeremy have joined forces to produce some really, really good music. Their first CD, aptly titled "OneElevenEast", has been released.
Richie Furay : Richie Furay was a founding member of Buffalo Springfield (For What It's Worth) as well as a pioneer of country rock music through his work with Poco. Other then the fact that he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a revered name in music history, our lives share similar paths. Both of us came to faith in Christ at about the same time, started churches at about the same time, and became pastors at about the same time, and both of us are still making music. Check out Pastor Richie at www.richiefuray.com .
Claude Ainsworth : Some people just plain light up your life. My buddy, Claude Ainsworth, is one of those. He and his wife Mary are good friends to Judy and I and Claude is a kindred spirit for his love of old rock roll. Visit Claude at www.hilloflove.com .
Erie Evangelical Free Church : I've been blessed to Pastor two wonderful churches in my nearly 20 years of pastoral ministry. Since January 2006 I've been with the folks at Erie Evangelical Free Church in Erie, Illinois. They have blessed me greatly... I hope I've returned the favor in some small way. Visit the church website at www.erieefree.org .
Kids Alive International: Kids Alive is an organization with a long history of reaching out to lost and helpless children around the world. My good friend Al Lackey is the President of Kids Alive and has done an incredible job of leading KAI into impressive growth over the past few years. Judy and I are child sponsors with Kids Alive and have made a couple of trips to their site in the Dominican Republic. Visit their site, wwwlkidsalive.org ,and get involved with Kids Alive. Also, click here to view a little thing I wrote about Kids Alive that they were kind enough to publish in their newsletter.