During a recent conversation with our founder, David Bruce Murray, I happened to notice that this year marked the 20th anniversary of MusicScribe. I mentioned this to DBM, and he said that his first post was actually in late September, so I made the professional suggestion told him we should celebrate 20 years.

Then I promptly forgot to get my post in on time. Go figure!!

MusicScribe has been on my own personal radar since around 2006, when I first started blogging about southern gospel music myself. This was before Facebook groups ruled the land – a “Wild West” era of online content without algorithms. Content was written by folks who were passionate, not just looking for engagement.

Back then, a large amount of blog posts were album reviews. This was before streaming took over and most SG fans still got their music on CD. DBM was always among the more professional reviewers (he also had written reviews for outlets such as Singing News). When I started doing my own reviews, it was David’s writing that most influenced my own approach.

Apparently, this didn’t go unnoticed – in 2009, I was invited to join MusicScribe as an author. I’ve been here writing ever since – reviews, editorials, news, and the occasional random silliness. Thanks to MusicScribe, I’ve been able to connect with many SG industry folks – names that I never would’ve dreamed – many of which I still talk to regularly.

On top of that, MusicScribe has given me the opportunity to turn that influence back towards the genre. Artists have reached out to us to thank us for our honest reviews and observations – something that still boggles my mind. To this day, a highlight for me was seeing one of my reviews quoted by a record label in promotional materials – and that’s possible because of MusicScribe.

In the fifteen years I’ve been writing for this site, I cannot remember a single time where DBM ever “pulled rank,” so to speak. His trust in my writing, as well as the freedom he’s given me to be me, is something that I do not take lightly (whether others think this is a good thing is debatable, but I digress!!).

On a personal level, I can honestly say that David is among my dearest friends. We’ve met in person exactly one time, but we speak on a regular basis, kick around ideas, and share a mutual appreciation not just for SG music, but music in general, as well as writing. The impact DBM and MusicScribe has had on my life cannot be overstated.

And for that, I say thank you first and foremost, and offer a heartfelt CONGRATS to David Bruce Murray and MusicScribe for 20 years (and counting) of honest views, news, and reviews (and my oddities). To some, this is just another blog, but to me (as I believe it is to David), it’s a creative outlet, as well as a way for us to express our love and admiration for a musical genre, industry, and group of artists and creatives that we greatly admire and respect.

Here’s to MANY more!!