Connection Magazine, The Premier Good News Publication www.connectionmagazine.org

CARMAN

Connection Magazine's new music columnist, Carol Yvonne met with Carman when he was in Memphis for his church tour. Here is some of their conversation. After they prayed together he had a lot to say about the future of his ministry and his hopes, dreams and desires.
by Carol Yvonne


	Carol Yvonne with Carman

Question: Why are you singing in smaller venues verses the stadiums that you've done in the past?

Carman: By this being our 20th anniversary I wanted to do something different, and go back to churches that have supported us down through the years. It's been 17 years since I've sung in churches, and I've found them to be a lot of fun. We have a lot of laughs and I can be more versatile and play around with the audience a lot, it's just like the old days.

Question: What are you doing on the movie front since "The Champion?"

Carman: I'm am still writing scripts for a television series and we are about 98% close to closing a deal on a new movie.

Question: Are you going to do another movie with TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network)?

Carman: No. TBN is not doing movies any more.

Question: Really? I'm surprised because the last few movies they did I thought were really good.

Question: They chose to refocus their attention back toward the network. Especially with the new networks, they have started up JCtv - the youth channel and the church network, and you can only do just so much.

Question: I go to the Dove Awards every year and I noticed that your music doesn't seem to be as well received by the Gospel Music Association as some of the other artists. Why is that?

Carman: I don't know. I have not been nominated for songwriter of the year or any of that type of stuff. I've just never been a Gospel Music Association Dove Award favorite. As a matter of fact I think it's getting less and less as time goes on.

Question: Well if it's any consolation, you're one of my favorite Christian artists.

Carman: And that's all that matters right now.

Question: What ever happen with the one million names that you wanted to give to the President?

Carman: We tried with the Clinton administration about 11 times and about 3 times with the Bush administration and have been unsuccessful with all of them. I don't understand why. Especially since I found out that it is the most names that anyone citizen has ever collected on any one topic. I don't represent any certain group or faction I just want to hand them to the President and then I'm out of there.

Question: What helps to bring you up when you are feeling down?

Carman: Listening to Praise and Worship music brings me up when I'm down as well as listening to a T. D. Jake's tape.

Question: You like T. D. Jake's too?

Carman: He's kind of like, if you don't get lifted up you gonna get beat up.

Question: What have you done that you haven't had the opportunity to do yet that you would like to do?

Carman: I'm still looking forward to doing more film and movies; that's an art form that I think is still underdeveloped in the body of Christ.

Question: As we close are there any words of encouragement that you'll like to give to the new aspiring artists who read this?

Carman: If you deepen your ministry-God will broaden it. It's up to you to keep your ministry deep and powerful and it's up to God to bring it out to the world.

There you have it, my interview with Carman. He is a man whose sole purpose is to lead others to Christ by any means necessary. In spite of all of the gold records and videos and awards he continues to have a heart for ministering to the lost.

Carol Yvonne Sherrod is the President of the Mid-South chapter of the "National Association of Christian Artists and Songwriters," appointed board member of the "Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission," and has a monthly column for the "Mid-South Christian Banner."

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