As promised, I am posting the Lynchburg article I wrote when I got home, but my computer would not let me post it due to a virus kicking its butt.

It is back, I think, and here is the post and pics.

Hey web people! Greg Vail is home from Lynchburg VA and a bit tired but totally pumped up!

The trip was amazing. I loved Virgina! I loved the new pastor at Thomas Road Baptist. I already knew I loved Charles Billingsley (see footage from the live DVD we did last year. HE is amazing!) I loved the green everywhere, the people, the Liberty University energy, the band I worked with, hanging with Richie McCarthy (lead singer from Lone Star and now out on his own), and playing great music! It was a win win weekend and I really needed the getaway and the ministry we shared.

Thanks to Charles Billingsley for bringing me out to be involved in such a cool series of events! I hope to return to Virginia soon, possibly late August. I have been there a couple of times before and it felt like a home away from home.

 

Richie McCarthy from Lone Star left, Greg Vail center and Charles Billingsley right.

I played and ministered at the morning services at Thomas Road Sunday morning. It is a huge auditorium and the energy at the church was amazing. So much is going on here in Lynchburg and you can feel it in the air. I was told Liberty University is busting at the seams. This was the first year they had to cut off enrollment due to space. The campus is beautiful and the students make up many of our countries top young people. It is amazing to see what God is doing there!

 

Celebrate America 2008 was a huge event held in the football stadium and we had a great turn out, even with reports of bad weather that was supposed to hit during the event (but didn’t – YEA!)

 

The band played a selection of classic rock and pop songs thru the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and then we did all the great patriotic songs you could imagine. Richie came out and did a set of tunes off his new solo CD and a few old hits and just killed! He is a very talented man and has a big heart for people. The CD is brand new and he just left Lone Star after many years of singing with the band to pursue his voice in Christian Music. Richie is committed to Jesus and spreading the Gospel and you’ll start hearing more from this guy as his CD starts to break onto the airwaves!

 

There were dignitaries from VA State offices in attendance that spoke (some nearly preaching!), the kick off to a new exciting ministry called Route 281 (NBA Hall of Fame guys that are traveling the country to help inner city kids find Jesus and stay clean), the pastor gave a great message and then came an awesome fireworks show! We finished up with another song and it was all done. What a night.

 

They had a huge car show going on as part of the event – classic beauties from yesterday, and I love the old cars – very cool and lots of beautiful cars. They started the event with a Motor Cycle parade rolling thru the stadium and it was LOUD and very cool. They honored our service men with metals and there where lots of men and women there that had served out country. It was all very moving.

 

I posted a gallery for my friends in Lynchburg to see the pictures I got of the event. The link is here - Celebrate America 2008. Hope you enjoy the pics and blessings to all!

SO – back to So Cal. I arrived yesterday night in time for meetings with one of my web partners / business partners, to discuss the future of many things I can’t disclose quite yet. Good stuff!

 

Today is clean up day. Gotta get unpacked, clothes washed, house put in order, get my daughter and hang with her, get checks to the bank since I have been gone too much to get any of the money in the bank and I look very broke to the institutions right now.

Thought I would get this update together and say a big thanks to all the people who so blessed me in Virginia this weekend.

 

A quick note on the Smooth Jazz Classics CD – Dang is this looking exciting or what? Things are busting at the seams. Presales are great! The business stuff is lining up much faster than I could have hoped for. The opportunities coming in right now are amazing. As thing get solid, contracts get signed and events get booked, there will much to tell you-all about. For now, all I can say is WOW!!!! Could I be any more excited about the future? Don’t think so. Stay tuned as news becomes public and posted right here at Sax Players Blog dot com!!

 

Thanks for dropping in. Please share this blog with your music and sax people and drop me a line when you get a chance. I love hearing from people and so value the insight that other peoples eyes can bring to the table. Ideas, suggestions, events in your home town I should look into, larger churches that you might visit, online communities, blogs, sites, social networks, ect… I can’t discover everything all by myself, but with the help of my friends, I can do so much more!

 

Thanks in advance for your input, life passion, and love.

 

Greg Vail Music