Rebel for God

by Eddie DeGarmo

  One could argue Elvis is the ultimate example of an artist who was dominant in the charisma, or sex appeal, category. I can think of no more charismatic artist than him. He sang fine, but was certainly not a virtuoso. He wasn’t much of a songwriter. But the power of his performance, or even a still picture of him, was undeniable. There was so much electricity in the air when he was around, and he was so doggone handsome when he came on the scene it didn’t matter what else he did. A modern equivalent might be someone like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, or Adam Levine of Maroon 5.

  Sometimes artists may excel in more than one category, which certainly gives them a better chance at success. Bruce Springsteen is a great writer, and his charisma is off the scale, but no one would put him in the Hall of Fame for his singing ability alone. Adele would fill these two categories fully today. She a great singer, and her charisma and charm are as endearing as it gets.

  Occasionally an artist comes along who excels in all three categories. He or she has a ton of charisma and is a great writer and performer. The Beatles come to mind. Sting, Michael Jackson, Prince, or Beyoncé are other great examples. These artists are extremely rare.

  In Christian music I believe dcTalk fit that bill. They were a triple threat, for sure. We’ve seen those gifts with others as well. These days it might be Lauren Daigle or Chris Tomlin.

  When I was considering whether or not to work with a new artist at ForeFront, I thought through those important elements after he or she left my office. It was important to understand where this person’s strengths were, and which type of talent would be the magnet to attract an audience.

  In our world it was also critical every artist had something to say. Christian music is a lyric-based genre. You can have the charisma, the virtuosity, and the songwriting skills, but if you’re not passionate about delivering a message, this isn’t the scene for you.

  There are a few other factors that have little to do with talent, but are incredibly important. The first is what I call the “maniac factor.” I have never signed an artist or songwriter who in some corner of his or her career or psyche didn’t have some kind of maniac.

  It’s the someone who would call me at midnight wondering why the Walmart in Tuscaloosa didn’t have their CD in stock, or why Spotify wasn’t featuring them on the genre page. They would leave no stone unturned. Sometimes the maniac was the artist or songwriter. Sometimes it was a manager. Sometimes it was a spouse. But, there was always a maniac hiding under a rock somewhere. It might seem weird, but I found it to be critical to the success equation. I needed the maniac’s help. Without that passion—or even obsession—it probably wouldn’t happen for them. They had to want it more than anyone else, including me.

  The second non-talent-based factor is uniqueness. Does the artist stand out in the sea of faces? We can argue whether or not Johnny Cash is a great technical singer, but none of us wonder whether it’s him we are hearing when his music comes on. He is undeniably unique in his sound. That is a very important factor as well. In the end, talent is subjective. We all have different tastes, and we all like different music. Uniqueness is more objective. We all recognize something different. Of course, it has to be pleasing to enough people for it to work. I’m not talking about just being bizarre.

  The cancer of any art form is indifference. You need people to either love you or hate you. But they have to care. They have to notice.

  At the end of the day, however, it usually comes down to a great song. A great song can do more for an artist, songwriter, record company, agent, manager, or promotion guru than all other factors combined. It’s the rue in the gumbo, the sugar in the cake batter, the sauce for the barbeque, the wine with a meal, the yeast in the bread, or the cocoa in the chocolate. Without a great song, little else matters.

  There you have it. Those are my secrets of signing great artists and songwriters. I’ve been blessed and honored to work alongside some of the great talents of our time. These guidelines of mine are certainly not foolproof, it is just the way I approached it all.

  In early 1995 the universe of Christian music tilted a bit. Jars of Clay released their first single, a hooky alternative pop song called “Flood.” It was a smash hit on multiple mainstream radio formats and on Christian radio. The positive influence it had on the marketplace was significant. It also made a major impact within the Christian artist community. Suddenly most youth-oriented Christian artists really wanted to reach the mainstream “MTV crowd.” That included just about the entire ForeFront roster.

  Our label was always focused on that age group and when “Flood” rose to the top of the charts our artists wanted to achieve the same kind of “crossover” success as Jars of Clay. The problem was we didn’t have an in-house mainstream radio promotion team at ForeFront. We were totally tooled to reach Christian radio, Christian media, and Christian retail. We had to hire independent promoters if we wanted to reach the mainstream radio audience. That proved to be a challenge for us as a label, especially with a few of our major artists.

  Earlier in 1995 I introduced Audio Adrenaline to John Hampton at Ardent. In addition to the work he did with D&K, John achieved a lot of mainstream success with artists such as Gin Blossoms, Jimmy Vaughn, and Robert Cray, among others. He and Audio Adrenaline hit it off. They went into the studio and recorded Bloom, which I still think is one of their best albums.

  Later that year ForeFront released dcTalk’s Jesus Freak. That album is still a milestone for the entire genre of Christian music. I remember the first meeting Dan Brock, Greg Ham (our head of sales), and I had with Toby about the project. He told us he and Mark Heimmerman wrote a song called “Jesus Freak.” The band tested it in a few concerts overseas and received an incredible response from audiences. Its heavier, grunge rock sound was definitely a musical shift for the group.

  Lyrically, it was an interesting twist for me personally. “Jesus Freak” was a derogatory term people like us were called back in the Jesus Movement of the seventies. It was never used positively, but was kind of like a religious version of a racial slur. If you were a “Jesus Freak” it meant you were out of your mind—some sort of religious fanatic. As I think about it, it was probably spot on, even though it was meant to be condescending.

  I was very excited Toby wrote a song that reclaimed the word and used it as a badge of honor. It was subversive in the best possible way. I’m still proud to have been a part of that song’s history, both as a co-owner of the label that released it and as one of the people who unleashed dcTalk upon the world.

  In 1996 “Jesus Freak” was the first rock song to win Song of the Year at the Dove Awards. It was one of the greatest moments Dan Brock and I shared together. Jesus Freak was the final album in dcTalk’s contract with ForeFront. As grand as its success was, however, I knew it would be next to impossible to re-sign the group to a new contract. Like I said, the Christian music universe had indeed tilted, the mainstream was coming into play, and it was going to challenge everything.

  FORTY-FOUR

  Stressed

  In 1995 ForeFront Records was hotter than Louisiana Hot Sauce in a pot of Cajun gumbo. We had a roster of fifteen artists of our own, plus eight others through Ardent Christian Music. Our lineup was one of the strongest in the industry. We were the proud home of dcTalk, Audio Adrenaline, Rebecca St. James, Geoff Moore and the Distance, ETW, Code of Ethics, Bleach, Grammatrain, Eli, Seven Day Jesus, Michael Anderson, The Normals, Larry Howard, Considering Lily, and the D&K catalog. Our Ardent family brought us Big Tent Revival, Smalltown Poets, Skillet, Satellite Soul, Clear, Todd Agnew, Brother’s Keeper, and Dana Key’s solo work.

  Other companies started knocking on our door back in 1994. Mergers and acquisitions were happening everywhere in the music business. One of the first to come calling was Wes Farrell and his Music Entertainment Group, the company that owned Benson. Although we both liked Wes quite a bit, and enjoyed our D&K related business with him, it didn’t feel quite right. Zomba, the mainstream label behind Backstree
t Boys, N Sync, and Britney Spears, made some overtures to see if we were interested in selling to them. Again, it didn’t feel right, but it did get Dan Brock and me talking about the idea. We didn’t start ForeFront with a plan to build and sell it, but a number of things changed along the way and I was getting more and more interested in the idea. Brock was not.

  Despite all of our success, 1995 and 1996 proved to be very difficult years for us. At that point ForeFront was the largest independent Christian record company in the world. It was starting to feel, however, that we needed to be more than that. Many of our artists were eager to at least have the potential to cross over into the mainstream music world and were pressuring us to make those opportunities happen.

  Most of our competitors had been purchased by mainstream companies and thus were able to suggest to artists they might have a better shot at reaching the rest of the world if they left us. EMI Music purchased Sparrow and Star Song Music. Zomba purchased Brentwood, Reunion, and Essential Records. Word was in and out of mainstream ownership throughout the 1980s and was at the time owned by Gaylord Entertainment, with mainstream distribution services through A&M and Epic Records. When it came to mainstream access, for whatever that might prove to be worth, ForeFront was at a distinct competitive disadvantage.

  Although it wasn’t necessarily true artists would have increased access to mainstream radio and marketing promotions just because their label happened to be owned by a secular company, that didn’t keep various people from making that claim.

  As an artist I could completely understand the desire to reach the whole world. The mainstream can be enticing and alluring. It’s a bigger market with more recognition and the possibility of greater financial gain. I knew that firsthand. It’s why I signed a record deal as a kid in high school. Plus, I knew what it was like to have mainstream elements reject the music I was doing simply because of its spiritual content.

  Then there were all of the various times D&K brushed up against the mainstream. There was Mercury’s interest in our second LP Straight On back in 1979. There was Bill Ham’s interest in the Mission of Mercy record. There was Capitol Records and the “Every Moment” disconnect. I knew all about the temptation of the mainstream, and I honestly wanted our artists to have every opportunity available to them. But I also knew the odds were long. Again, as much as an artist wants to reach that world, often that world doesn’t want him or her back.

  There were also personal problems brewing at ForeFront. Dan Brock and I were always great business partners. We achieved a lot together. Our friendship, though, had taken a beating. I believe D&K severing management ties with him years earlier was the beginning of a major blow to our relationship. Also, my decision to shut down D&K probably left me a little emotionally fragile at the same time. That was my lifetime dream that was now gone. It’s hard to write about this, but the tension between us and between our wives was definitely contributing to my interest in selling.

  Darlene Brock always worked alongside Dan at his business. She was personally involved in everything. Throughout the D&K years, especially before we moved to Nashville, Susan and Darlene were best of friends. When we made the move, however, I could see stress fractures showing in their friendship. Darlene became the manager for Geoff Moore and The Distance, and at the same time she worked for ForeFront, but Susan didn’t. That was the case for years and always completely okay. Over time, though, it began to take on its own weird tone.

  For one thing, Darlene was increasingly uncomfortable with Susan coming around the office. I’m not sure how or why that started, but it became apparent she just didn’t want her there. Maybe Susan was fraternizing with our employees too much for Darlene. Susan still has friends to this day from elementary school and high school. People like her and like to talk to her. Maybe Darlene was just overly territorial and didn’t like Susan on her turf. I don’t know, but it was very unsettling for Susan to sense Darlene’s feelings.

  Then there was another very specific event that became the proverbial last straw on the camel’s back. ForeFront needed to hire an art director, and I wanted Susan to get the job. That was her area of expertise, and she held a degree in graphic design. She did numerous album covers and various art and marketing projects for many different artists. Dan wouldn’t go for it. That bothered me. Dan had majority control of the company though, and he could make that call.

  I allowed that to happen when I let him buy a few more shares of stock from Ron Griffin. Dan making those kinds of calls on his own was a new reality for me. I wasn’t used to it. Then I made an awful mistake. I told Darlene that if they in fact made the decision not to offer the job to Susan, she needed to pay Susan a visit, face to face, and explain why.

  It did not go well. Darlene went to our home to explain her reasoning to Susan. It turned out, though, Susan never wanted the job in the first place, and told her so. She said the atmosphere around the Brocks felt oppressive to her. I understand why she would feel that way. Needless to say, their meeting ended in flames. In fact, I can’t imagine a worse ending without someone going to jail. It was just awful.

  At that moment I knew the relationship between the Brocks and DeGarmos had been blown to smithereens. Susan was hurt. Not by Darlene’s lack of offering her the job, but by losing a friend. I was hurt too. Susan was my girl, and I intended to stand with her. How could it be any different? Something had to give. To this day I still can’t understand what really happened. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand how things like that can go so bad. As I mentioned, it’s uncomfortable to even write about. I think it’s important, though, so I’m doing my best.

  Thus there were both personal and business reasons for me to want to consider selling the label and parting ways with my long-time friend and associate. Dan and I had several long conversations about it, but we didn’t agree on much. It’s hard enough to consider letting go of a business you spent so many years building even without a decaying friendship complicating things. I’m sure it was hard on him too. It’s not like he was made of stone.

  We placed a provision in our company bylaws called a “put/call.” It meant one stockholder could buy another one out based on a particular maneuver. The potential buyer would “put” a price to the other partner. The other partner had ten days to either sell his shares to you at that price, or to turn it back on you and buy you out at the same price. That mechanism keeps the price honest and helps to avoid uncomfortable situations between partners.

  It was an aggressive move to undertake for sure. I did my due diligence and came up with a strategy, a fair price, and investors to back me. I was going to buy Dan out. It was kind of like being in a gunfight at the OK Corral. He would have the opportunity to match my price and buy me out, but only had ten days to make a decision. I had to get the details just right. I was about to pull the trigger.

  My office at ForeFront was right next to Dan and Darlene’s offices. We shared one executive assistant. I came to work one morning and went upstairs to my office, put my briefcase down, and turned back to the door to see Darlene standing there. “Excuse me, Eddie,” she said, “but I found this binder downstairs on our conference room table and thought you would want me to bring it to you immediately.”

  She handed me the binder, and I was floored. It contained my personal copy of the ForeFront corporate bylaws, with my handwritten notes related to the buyout all over it, as well as all of the legal correspondence and accountant information related to my plan for the put/call. Wow! It was a shocking development, to put it lightly.

  I always kept that binder in the credenza in my office. Somehow it ended up on our company’s conference room table completely out in the open! My mind was racing. I would never have left it out like that. Impossible. Did someone come into my office, go through my stuff, find the binder, and leave it out in the open with all of my strategy on its pages for everyone to see? I’ll never know for sure who did that. I guess I was naïve to leave it in my credenza unlocked, but I never would have ex
pected that. Over the years I’ve had several suspicions of what happened, but no answers. Who knows, maybe it was an angel.

  Later that afternoon Dan and I were alone in his office going over various albums, marketing, and general label stuff in our weekly meeting. When we were all but through, Dan lowered his head a bit, looked up at me, and said, “You know I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I’ve come to agree the timing may be right for us to sell our business and become part of a larger entity. Things have changed in the Christian music business.”

  I nodded in agreement. That’s exactly what I had been saying for some time.

  Dan went on. “Eddie, I believe it is best if we both stay with this together and ride the horse to the barn. We are great as a team.”

  I looked back to Dan and said, “If you are making me a firm commitment to sell ForeFront and move our business to a different level by becoming part of something bigger, I’m with you. I agree with you. It is better if we ride the horse to the barn.”

  Dan and I never spoke of my corporate bylaws being left out in the open. It really didn’t matter at that point. We were in agreement so there was no need to force his hand. Later that year he even supported the hiring of my eighteen-year-old daughter, Shannon, in the A&R department. Dan and I were well into our forties and desperately needed someone young and native to the culture to be our eyes and ears. Shannon was the perfect fit to help us stay current.

  That’s the down and dirty story of how I came to sell ForeFront Records.

  In the spring of 1996 we entered discussions with EMI Music to purchase ForeFront. Bill Hearn, the CEO of EMI Christian Music Group, was leading the charge for EMI. Richard Green, who represented D&K for years and also handled our business affairs for ForeFront, had recently been named general counsel for EMI Christian Music Group. He also worked to facilitate the sale of Sparrow and Star Song to EMI. They were building something special there we felt good about. With the foundation of Sparrow and Star Song, EMI and Bill Hearn seemed very committed to building the Christian genre. ForeFront was a perfect way to fill out the roster for the newly formed company.