Photo Caption: Jimmy Snow enjoyed Sunday brunch with his family and new friends, prior to his performance at the Jamboree. - Katie Ryan Photo
By Katie Ryan
Just as he’d make you laugh till your belly hurts, he’d pull at your heartstrings. The son of a Canadian country legend was in the Border City recently, both sharing his stories and songs at the Southern Gospel Jamboree.
Jimmy Snow, son of the late Hank Snow, has clocked thousands of miles over the past three years when he decided to resign from his church to return to the road, preaching and singing. The road lead him to the Border City, where on Nov. 15 at the Gospel Fellowship, Snow shared the stage with a number of musical acts including A Touch of Grace.
The former host of the Grand Ole Gospel Time, at the Grand Ole Opry, and pastor of Nashville’s Evangel Temple, Snow aims to leave a lasting impact on his audiences, as he did earlier this month in the city.
“In the situation that we try to accomplish, we want to put something into their hearts so that it becomes a domino effect, that they all will leave something real positive with others,” said Snow.
“I am not a denominational type guy because there are so many of them, so we try to capture them all and bring them to a place that by the time we pray together they’ll walk away encouraged and strengthened and blessed being able to say they felt something. Everybody seems to get caught up in the moment and this is really what I am all about.”
Snow draws on his personal experience in the music industry and in the church, using songs as well in his performances.
“I have worked with a lot of wonderful people through the years. My Dad was the one who got Elvis on RCA Victor,” he said, prior to the jamboree, reflecting on his upbringing in the music industry and his own work as an artist.
“In those days there was no such thing as rock and roll. They didn’t know how to brand Elvis, but he was basically a country singer. What made Elvis was basically, not to degrade the fact that he wasn’t a good singer because he really was, but the fact that he acted different than any of the rest of us with his accentuation and moving around.”
Snow not only draws on his earlier years in show business, working with such acts as Buddy Holly and Andy Griffith, but also on his years at the Grand Ole Opry.
“It was an era. I did it for 23 years and 1,194 weeks and then the time came,” said Snow, of the Grand Ole Gospel Time, which was eventually cancelled under new ownership. “I looked at it as, well, this is my time. I fought to hang onto it, but once it was gone, it was gone.”
One of his more important stories Snow said is how he answered the call to preach and his commitment to God.
“I was a drug addict and an alcoholic and when I surrendered to God and went into the ministry, I talked about coming back to Nashville after being an evangelist for seven years and starting church where all the county artists starting going,” he said.
“Everyone from Connie Smith to Johnny Cash, Kris Kristopherson, Bill Monroe and all of these people at one time or another made their way through the doors of my church.”
Count your blessings if you had a chance to see Snow earlier. The travelling preaching and singer said he has no plans to travel until February, when he will make his 46th trip to Israel – an annual tradition that all started with Johnny Cash and the film he co-wrote Gospel Road.
For more information about Jimmy Snow, visit www.jimmysnow.com.