Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Tonex Exits the Industry/The Devil is Busy

Got a call late Sunday night... It was the station, they were telling me that Gospel Superstar Tonex had dropped an exclusive bomb on them... I was like, ok, what could it be? Did he win a 9th Stellar Award? (Black Gospel's top honor was held Sunday Night in Nashville), Did his already gold album go platinum? what?

"Naw, Brotha Greg", the guys told me, "he's retiring!!" Retiring?!!! I could not believe it. He was relatively new and definitely an artist for the youngsters, wonder what brought this on.... For those of you who are not in the know about gospel music, Tonex is like... Prince or Usher, only gospel.... He's beyond revolutionary with his ministry (when describing gospel it is, er, should be, always ministry)...This was HUGE news.... The guys told me that they had invited Tonex on the air to talk about his participation in the upcoming BET Gospel Celebration television taping. He talked about it alright but when he did he announced that it was going to be his last appearance....

He was fed up with the industry, he went on to say... The phoniness in gospel... One line he said really surprised me and that was that "you'd be surprised at how many gospel artists really hate each other but when the get on television and these shows they would have you think everyone get's along and loves one another... they are God's children"... Whoa!!! Now this is monumental news and some major revelations he's giving us...

He went on to talk quite candidly about his divorce to his wife Yvette. A lot of folk don't know he is divorced... I sure didn't.. last time I saw them, they were pretty cozy.... But stuff happens... But as some of the listeners pointed out, how could it happen to two people who were supposedly sanctified?? Interesting question and maybe we can blog about the subject later....

All I know is that this brotha was hurting.... and hurting bad... he cited financial problems... he said he had all these awards, all these record sales, but had no furniture in his house.... He said his record label was not taking care of him, careful not to blame them.... He points to his blog that he had written earlier that day to get the real emotion of what he was feeling... (www.myspace.com/tonex)

Dag, another casualty to this crazy industry... Gospel or no, I have seen this business tear the spirit out of many an artist, executive, and just every day workers... it is sad...

I remember my first meeting with Tonex. This meeting will always stick in my heart and soul as evidence that spiritual warfare is real. He was a guest at our annual KJLH Gospel Showcase at Knott's Berry Farm. He was fairly new and definitely cutting edge... But he rocked the house. The day long event was over and we were lounging in the resort hotel lobby. I was getting the last of the limos off for artists who had to get out of town for the next gig... and saying my thank yous to the artists who were staying the night and were just relaxing, networking in the lobby. Tonex, his wife and their background singers were sitting in the center of the lobby and I sat down with them - talking about their ministry, San Diego (that's my hometown too), what it's like to be in the industry after coming from San Diego... all that stuff... when this woman comes up to us and just joins in the conversation-uninvited....just walked up and jumped right in the conversation like she had been there all along... we found the woman's intrusion strange, but it was cool...

After about three minutes, a VERY strange look came over the woman's face and she started talking about stories and concepts in the bible that were, in her opinion, untrue. Now, it was not like a spiritual debate, more like a mocking of the Word... Tonex took her on and they discussed the Bible for a few minutes and then Tonex, just jumped up and said, ok, get thee behind me! You have no authority here!!! I was like, Huhhhh? Tonex said it again, Get thee behind me!!! And then started speaking in tongues.... I was like whoa.... The lady got louder and louder with her arguments which now started to turn into blasphemes...

She looked in the eyes of everyone in our group and uttered some kind of assessment of thier spirit... Curiously to me she said.. "ahhhh you're weak, I don't want you...." Tonex admonished everyone "just don't listen, don't take any of that into your spirit.. Plead the Blood of Jesus!! I was still flabbergasted by what I was witnessing... The woman looked at Yvette, (Tonex's wife) and said "You have such a beautiful voice...Why are you letting him take the spotlight, you are the one who should be a star... You should be out front!!!" Yvette told her "you don't have any authority over me...." the woman answered "you won't be blessed with any children.. you can't have children"...

By this time, the commotion was getting really loud in the lobby and people were starting to look our way to see what was going on... Tonex conitnued speaking in tongues and then he said, everyone speak in tongues, pray, rebuke the demon!! join hands in a circle around this woman!! We did and soon all of us were praying, speaking in tongues, rebuking the spirit that was before us... The woman started screaming and speaking in a really ugly language.. her eyes started rolling back into her head.... and after about three to four minutes, she collapsed right there....

The hotel security came and carried her away... They told us that the woman had been there all day trying to get into the theme park to see the concert but had no ticket. She had been disruptive all day... so, that meant she did not even know who Tonex was, so how could she have known anything about Tonex or his wife...We were like, where did she come from, was she drunk? no smell of alcohol.... it was weird... Tonex stated he saw her lurking about and he had an idea that the devil had consumed this woman's soul.. I asked him how, he told me that he has a very strong discernment.....

Yo, this was a really scary scene, but as God as my witness every word is true... I think about it from time to time and wonder, no I'm convinced that I was face to face with one of Satan's minions and was a particpant in batlling that demon down.... Now, some of you reading this may or may not belive in the gifts of the Spirit, but I do.. (I am a Pentecostal).. but even if I didn't, what I witnessed there at the Knott's Berry Farm Resort was true, actually happened, went down, occurred... it was real!!!

Anyway, that's my Tonex story.... If you are reading this blog on the same date that I posted it, then you are hearing a transcript of Tonex's shocking announcement. If you'd like to thear more hit this link: www.kjlhradio.com/tonex

1 comment:

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