August 4, 1998
Hi Everyone,
My name is Vicki Sue Roberts.
I met Gary S. Paxton February 7th, 1997.
In 1975 I remember Gary so well the first time I saw him on PTL and I heard him sing the all time great song, "HE WAS THERE ALL THE TIME".
I was doing my exercises before I went to work.
The song touched my heart and I remember crying, thinking I would like to meet him some time.
The only thing I can remember is the song and Gary's eyes.
In 1971 I had a date with a man from my home town and I hadn't seen him again until February,1996.
I had gone to my home town West Plains, MO. and I saw Ron at the local newspaper office.
We went and had a cup of coffee and caught up on our lives. He mentioned Gary S. Paxton's name.
I mentioned that I would like to meet him. I had never followed Gary's career or bought his music.
I just remembered the song and THE MAN!
In January 1997 I was talking to Ron via phone and he mentioned he had been in Nashville.....so once again I asked when would I meet Gary S. Paxton.
He stated he would have Gary call me. Thus, our friendship began. We even have the same birthday - May 18th just different years.
He and I talked for 2 weeks prior to me going to Nashville.
He asked me why would I want to meet him because he was old, he was broke and he was dying and he didn't look like he did in 1975.
I told him I didn't know why but his soul had touched mine through his music just as it has thousands of other people.
I told him "We're all going to die.....we just don't know when "That's why we live each day to the fullest....ONE DAY AT A TIME!
I visited Nashville for one week and met GARY S. PAXTON and GARY S. PAXTON III.
It was a wonderful visit.
I realized that the man was broken physically (I'll tell you later), financially but definitely NOT SPIRITUALLY!
I returned to Springfield, MO. my home....where my family is, my friends and I was a DJ on a small big band station.
Yet, there was a restlessness in my soul which many times there is when God wants you to go somewhere and you don't yield! So, back to Nashville I went.
I visited for 3 weeks, returned to Springfield, MO. for a week then drove my car back to Nashville, TN.
I began working with Gary as Administrator of his publishing company.
I'm not a singer nor a songwriter......I just want to be a vessel that the Lord can work through to touch people.
I have been touched by Gary's music that the world hasn't heard yet and I believe that it needs to be out there to win souls today.
Gary is a humble private person. So, in August, 1997 the Lord placed upon my heart to put "TIME FOR JOY" on the internet with Gary's gospel music.
Gary doesn't have a computer but with the help of my friends....Jim Lambert who designed the web pages and Bob Dixon we put his gospel music on the internet for sale.
I have been touched and overwhelmed at the amount of e-mail from all over the world that want to know about Gary S. Paxton and where he is today.
So, that is what I am going to attempt to do in the next couple of paragraphs.
I am in Milford, INDIANA visiting my relatives and I am working on his computer.
I kept thinking that the information would have to be professional in the form of a newsletter and profond and when I have been touched by the e-mail from people I realize that the Lord just wants me to write from the heart.
Some of you may already know part of the information I'm going to relay and some may not so I'll just try to start with the year Gary was saved which is: 1971------Gary S. Paxton was saved and began serving the Lord with his music.
Later, in the 80's he divorced after that wife ran off with a younger man.
In December 1980 he remarried. Then, the tragedy.......he was shot 5 times 12/29/80 by some men that were hired by a country singer that he was producing at that time.
He screamed 'IN THE NAME OF JESUS YOU'RE NOT GOING TO KILL ME!" He survived the 5 shots and still has 2 bullets remaining in his shoulders.
He said, that put him out of the business for 8 years and he still has never recovered from the physical and emotional trauma.
His wife at that time left him in 1988 and he was divorced after much prayer and seeking God's wisdom.
The wife had gone back to her old habits which were not of the Lord.
Once again, GARY S. PAXTON realized "HE WAS THERE ALL THE TIME" for him.
He continued to give Christ the praise.
In 1989 he married a beautiful lady from Branson, MO.
God blessed him with a very special son, GARY S. PAXTON III. Gary says, his son is his reason for living when by all odds he should be dead.
In 1990 Gary started getting sick then in 1991 when he passed out in his studio his wife rushed him to Baptist Hospital.
He was admitted to Intensive Care where he received 8 pints of blood.
He was in intensive care for 2 weeks. He felt great for about 10 months and then started getting weaker and weaker.....after many trips to the doctors and 7 liver biopsies he was diagnosed with "HEPATITIS C'' which is a terminal disease.
However, his son and I fully believe the Lord is going to heal him.
He still continued to write songs even though he was exhausted.
In 1995 his wife left him. He is now divorced and has full custody of his 8 year old son.
He truly believes that little Gary is the healer the Lord has sent to him.
Gary S. Paxton III goes to Woodbine Christian School in Nashville.
He loves to ride dirtbikes. So, over and over GARY S. PAXTON knows without a doubt "HE WAS THERE ALL TIME"!
Now, I'll try to bring you update on Gary's music since I have been working with him.
In 1996 he started working with a GREAT song writer named Michael E. Shipley from Lexington, KY. Gary produced a "clean" HARLEY ALBUM with Michael especially for Daytona Bike Week, 1997.
For a year Gary had the Harley tape on the internet under a character known as GRANDPA ROCK.
We eventually want to create a link with his rock 'n roll songs on it.
It has certainly been an experience working with Gary and the true blessing is hearing so many of his songs he has written over the years that noone else has heard for whatever reason.
We must always remember that God's delay doesn't been denial!!
I want to tell you about some of the miracles that have happened since I've known him.
For 1 1/2 years Gary has been on a natural herb nutritional program called YOUNGEVITY.
Along with the Lord's healing and this program his health is improving.....his liver count has maintained the same level the last 2 physical checkups.
I have shared with he and his son that 1998 is his year!!
Last year he wrote a song called "BURY ME AT WAL-MART". We attend COWBOY CHUCH in Nashville, TN. Pastor Yates made the remark that his wife always goes to WAL-MART and charges alot of things so when he dies just bury him at Wal-Mart so that his wife will come and visit him!
No one has cut the record yet....but his demo is great....Gary is singing on it and only PAX can do a song like that!
The next great song he wrote several years ago and you may have heard it on TRINTY is "VALLEYWALKER".
We found out about 2 months ago that the BROOKLYN TABERNACLE SINGERS recorded "VESSEL OF HONOR" on their new CD.
Gary had tears in his eyes when he first heard them sing it.
He said, "I've always believed in that song. I wrote that song 3 weeks before I was shot and I have always believed in it.
Last fall he recut "HE WAS THERE ALL THE TIME" in an updated version.
So far, no one has cut the song but the demo is beautiful and I got to video the process which was alot of fun since the song meant so much to me.
Bob Bailey sings the demo and there is a choir of 12 voices on it.
Bob Bailey sings backup for Wyonna Judd. He recently wrote a song called "ANTOICH CHURCH" that is awesome. Then, let's talk about the modern "CYBERCHICK", which is about a guy that meets a girl in the chatroom...gets up to go get his coffee comes back and she is gone.
It has actually computer talking voices on it.
As Gary remarked, "Well, the world wasn't ready for "ALLEY OOP" or "MONSTER MASH".
We're going to try to get in on the website for sale in cassette's.
All this takes money and Gary just doesn't have it.
Now, I want to say 'THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU" to you that have e-mailed us.
The encouragement of words always seems to come at the right time.
There are times you wonder what your purpose is and lo and behold here comes an e-mail and you KNOW.
Please keep Gary in your prayers. He is no longer interested in performing in public due to health reasons but wants to do and be what God has called him to be - A SONGWRITER who can write songs that will change lives by people accepting Jesus Christ as their personal savior.
Keep watching the website as we learn more about computers we hope to do a newsletter etc. and to add more of his music.
I know that many people have requested copies of past albums even if it is a bootlegged copy!
ha Gary has said he would try to make copies of various songs people wanted at least on a cassette.
I know this is along E-mail and I have put off writing it. But, I finally felt led to sit down and "JUST DO IT", if you have any questions, please e-mail us and I'll try to respond as soon as possible.
A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO MY FRIENDS KELLY AND JIM LAMBERT, you are my encouragement when I feel like giving up and to my dear special friend Bob Dixon that gets the job done rather than just talking about it!
I love you all!
May God continue to bless each and everyone of you.
........................................................In HIS Service....
Miss Vicki and Gary S. Paxton
PS: I can't believe I forgot to tell you about the most important NEWS----Please be sure and purchase the latest copy of 'CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE COUNTRY SOUL'
The CD in the back of the book is produced by Gary THE SONG IS CALLED ' ' IN THE SHADE OF THE FAMILY TREE". Gary took the song to Porter in 1996 but Gary hasn't received the credit for the song like I feel he should have.
He produced the song-writers of this song. ENJOY!..
.........................................................................
Gary S. Paxton
: " The key-person " of late Clarence White, Grammy Award Winning,Singer/Songwriter/Producer.
He wrote many many wonderful songs, Please visit his own site and Gary's site on this site.
If you have interest about his songs, look the BMI-site and ASCAP-site.
If you visit these site, you will be surprised "Gary S. Paxton is a Monster of Songwriter!".
Gary started in the music business as the pioneer of "Singer / Song Writer" in the late '50s. And there are some frames of his legendary footprints on the records "Skip and Flip" (duo with Skip !).
And he wrote many songs with Karen Adams, Skip Battin (ex-The BYRDS) or he worked by other names like Rusty Dean.
Clarence and The Nashville West was picked up for many sessions by Gary and Gary's own recordings.
Now, Gary is known as a great Singer / Song writer of the new style gospel music.
Please get his records or CDs and listen to Gary's great gospel songs.
Miss Vicki : Vicki is my best friend on the net.
She was a DJ of "DRIVING WITH MISS VICKI" and Working now with Gary S. Paxton for the Lord.
Vicki will talk and guide you for your "Now is the time for Joy" through Gary S. Paxton.
Greg Crowe
"I first met Greg while he was the lead singer in the Blackwood Quartet. It was
obvious that he was annointed, and to me. that was and is still important. There are
a lot of great singers (and Greg is for sure that) but there aren't many who are
also anointed and are great people of God. Those attributes that are a part oh his
life make it much easier and a pleasure to work with them and produce them on
anointed songs. Without the anointing nothing means anything - Gospel or Christian
music becomes just another business deal...even if it is successful or makes money.
Greg chooses to sing to please God first, his family and church and then his
ministry to people in need and then to all others. As I near the end of my long,
very blessed career, that's the only kind of person-singer-minister-performer I
care to write and produce for. As I said, anointing is not only everything...it's
the only thing. Yours in Jesus, Gary S. Paxton"
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