The Echoing Green's creator, Joey Belville, is bridging this chasm. On a stage where conventional rock instruments and musicians crowd the deceptively small sound machines, he warmly greets the audience and urges each to introduce himself after the show. When the beat cranks up, it isn't long until he gets everyone, even the computer geeks, moving to the music. His invitation to his dear friends to party, to join in celebrating the joy of the Lord is irresistible. Belville earned his smiling, compassionate persona the hard way.
Most young people complain of a terrible home life.
He actually lived it. At age eight, the death of his mother cost him the last buffer between a normal childhood and his father's nomadic career as a racehorse jockey. He discovered his means of artistic expression through music in college, but this nine-year veteran of the Christian recording industry has yet to see a similar triumph for his recordings. His first album, Defend Your Joy , was recorded in 1992 for Blond Vinyl, but the record company's precarious financial status prior to declaring bankruptcy prevented its release. In 1994, Frontline Records bought The Echoing Green contract and introduced him to the world.