John Mays: 35 Years in Christian Music - Career Highlights, Funny Stories & Life Lessons

Join us for an exclusive longform podcast interview with John Mays, Vice President of A&R at Centricity Music and a legendary figure in Christian music with over 35 years of experience. From co-founding Centricity in 2005 to shaping the careers of artists like Lauren Daigle, Point of Grace, and Matt Redman, John shares his incredible journey from a teenage bassist in Andrews, Texas, to a powerhouse executive at labels like Sparrow, Word, and Benson Records.In this episode, John dives into hilarious behind-the-scenes stories, including funny moments from his decades in the industry, and offers heartfelt life lessons from his roles as a mentor, husband, and father. Hear about co-writing the iconic "Love In Any Language" for Sandi Patty, leading the Passion worship movement, and building Centricity into a hub for impactful talent like Jason Gray and Nichole Nordeman. Married to Dianne for over 30 years and a proud dad to Kelsey and John Austin, John’s passion for music and relationships shines through in this candid conversation.🔊 Don’t miss this deep dive into the life of a Christian music icon! Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more inspiring interviews.Timestamps:0:00 Intro3:15 Early Days as a Bassist12:40 Breaking Into A&R25:10 Funny Industry Stories38:50 Shaping Centricity Music50:20 Life Lessons & Funny Stories1:05:30 Legacy in Christian Music#JohnMays #CentricityMusic #ChristianMusic #PodcastInterview #MusicIndustryMore Cowbell Please Podcast is interviewing music industry pros. You'll get advice, humor, encouragement and even some therapy in the listen. Stories about songs, productions, career, origins, and a few embarrassing moments thrown in, from those credited on the hits you may know in the Contemporary Christian and gospel music world. Guests include mix engineers, mastering engineers, producers, A&R managers, artist managers, artists, and musicians. PODCAST:Watch On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBt6FZ88v_g64fr3KfLjQgPIM0vUYRZy9Listen on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-cowbell-please/id1796605641Comment to make show, guest, question suggestions. If you love stories and the music business, this podcast is for you. I interview professional music creators hearing their origins, song and production stories, experiences and embarrassing stories. Not to be taken too seriously! First episode drops Feb 20, 2024.Huge thanks to @TheModernFilmmaker for helping the amateur at least get started! Thanks to my first four guests - Danny Duncan, Doug Weier, Ian Eskelin and Luke Smallbone for agreeing to do this. Super grateful for David Furlong making a LOGO/ Brand I love! Thanks to Derek Steinbrenner for the ripping GTR!me: http://www.ainsliegrosser.comPatreonhttps://patreon.com/MoreCowbellPleasePodcast?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink