August 13, 2019 • 25 mins
"I Will Survive" has been the empowered woman's anthem for over 40 years, since the disco tune was recorded by Gloria Gaynor in 1978. (The year yours truly graduated high school!) There have been many times in my life that I've drawn strength from it's lyrics and fun, funky disco vibe to get me through rough patches, so imagine my delight at being able to tell the voice behind the message how much her music means to me!
The inimitable Gloria Gaynor sat down with me recently to chat, and ooooooh boy, did we have a lot to talk about! Mainly, her fabulous new gospel album, "Testimony," just out! Full of fresh tracks, many featuring folks I'm privileged to call friends, like Bart Millard, Jason Crabb, Yolanda Adams, and Mike Farris... the music is somehow still familiar and eminently satisfying! Come on in and sit down with us, then put "Testimony" on your play list! ~ Delilah
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Oh, Hello. They're so excited that you've decided to join
me today because you are in for a very special treat.
My friend, I have a guess that's going to be
talking with me the way back in the disco days
of feathered hair, satin pants, the hustle, and other impressive
(00:28):
dance moves. I'd never have dreamed that someday I would
get a chance to talk to this lady. She is
known as the Queen of Disco, and her biggest hit,
I Will Survive, has become sort of a global anthem
female empowerment. I know, I know that probably gave it away.
(00:48):
The one, the only, the fabulous Gloria Gainer is setting
down and talking with me today. We're going to have
a heart to heart and wow, does this lady have
a big heart. Gloria Gainer's heart is even bigger than
my hair was back in the seventies. We're gonna talk
about what she's been up to for the last I
(01:08):
don't know tin thirty forty years, what moves her, what
motivates her, what she's involved with now, and what her
hopes and dreams for our world are. Before we get
into the hearts of the matter, though, I am going
to tell you a little bit about my friends at
(01:29):
the Home Depot. They are our sponsor. Without them, this
podcast series that I am having so much fun with
would not even exist, wouldn't be possible this summer. No
matter where you're listening to this podcast, the Home Depot
has all the supplies you need for your lawn and
gardening projects. You know why, because each garden apartment is
(01:54):
especially stocked with plants. Flowers and shrubs and trees thrive
in that area. Not to mention, they stuck the Garden
Department with the helpful products that make your gardens that
much more colorful and your lawn as green as it
can possibly be. The Home Depot, more saving, more doing so, Gloria,
(02:18):
I don't know how this has happened, but somehow you
are the number one person in all of my social
media feed now, really you are. You're the first thing
that pops up when I'm scrolling through Instagram. You're the
first thing that pops up when I'm on any social
media platform. I don't know how that happened, but I
(02:40):
see you every I think I saw you brushing your
teeth this one. No, Oh my god, where are you calling?
Me from Joys. Is that home? What part of joy
Z is home for you? Well? Now it's Greenbrook, which
(03:03):
is a tiny little town half an hour west of
Newark Airport. I have a girlfriend, Donna, who has a
shore house, a Jersey shore house in Sea Isle City,
and so when I lived in Philly, I used to
go down there every weekend almost and invade her house.
(03:24):
So I love I love Jersey. I love that area wonderful. Yeah,
I love it too. This is home, but I think
it I probably would have made it home, and I've
not been born here. You love it that much? You
have really love New Jersey and you look adorable and
fabulous by the way, Thank you. And you're traveling all
over the place performing busy, busy, busy. How many concerts?
(03:49):
How many shows are you doing this summer? Really? Not
that minute shows a year. That's still a lot, but
not as many as you used to do, not awhere near.
So how how does it feel knowing you kind of
started that global anthem of empowerment? I truly believe that
was a gift. It was a divine appointment, simply because
(04:14):
of the way it came to me, totally unexpected, and
it's amazing that the story of I Will Survive is incredible. Okay,
so I want to hear it. Give me the little
snapshot version. How how did it come to that version?
I um was in a very bad place. I had
(04:34):
surgery on my spine and I didn't know where I
was going to go, what I was gonna do, because
singing was my life, but it wasn't certain that I
was going to be able to go back to that.
I was in a back brace, and the record company
had said they were not going to renew my contract.
People going around the company saying the queen is dead.
When they got a new president over from England, where
(04:57):
I had been popular, and he wanted to repeat the
success that he had with a song in England. He
wanted to repeat that success here, so he asked me
to go out to California and record it. And with that,
of course, my contract had to be renewed. And when
I got to l A, I asked the producers. I said, okay,
(05:22):
this song substitute is the one that the president chose.
This is the A side. What's going to be the
B side? And they said, well, what kind of songs
do you like? What kind of songs you like to sing,
I said, I like songs that are meaningful and have
good lyrics, smooth melodies touch people's hearts. They said, well,
we think you're the one we've been waiting for to
record this song we wrote two years ago. And when
(05:44):
they wrote it out for me on a piece of paper,
I asked them if they were nuts, what are you stupid?
You're gonna put this on the B side. This is
a timeless lyric. Everybody's going to be able to relate
to this. I'm relating to it, the surgery that I
just had on my spine, I'm relating to it, the
fact that my mother just passed away not a few
years prior. Everybody is going to be able to relate
(06:07):
to this song. And they said, well, you know, our
deal is that we'd write the B side, and I said, well,
it won't stay there. It's up to me. And so
we took it back to New York to the record company,
but they wouldn't listen to it. They didn't want to
go against the President's choice. And so um when they
gave me when it was pressed, and they gave me
(06:27):
a box of them, I took the the studio fifty
four and had the DJ there player. When the audience
immediately responded to it, that was acute to me that
I was indeed right about the song. It was a
hit if it could perk up this New York jaded audience.
I was certain that it was a hit. So I
gave the DJ the box. Obviously, d S had him
(06:49):
give it to his DJ friends around New York. People
began to request it as they played it. So you
went our guerrilla on us. You you hit the streets
with it. You said, oh no, no, no, no, I
got another plan for this. I love that. I loved it.
Back in the day, we could actually do that. I
(07:11):
mean back in those days, I had artists come to
my studio at night when I was on the air
and say just listen to it, and I'm like, okay,
I'll put it on the air and listen to it.
I can't do that now. Everything has changed. Everything is
digital and very controlled, and I don't know. It just
always amazes me how we think we can control something.
(07:36):
I have that illusion for a long time. You know
that I can do things. Yeah, so you're the one
that said, no, I will survive. I'm gonna make this happen.
I'm gonna put this out there. The people like it,
people dance to it. Do you know today I still
when somebody calls me going through whatever. You know, he
(07:57):
walked out that door and blah blah blah, that's the
song they want to hear. Yeah, well, I know that
it's a divine appointment. I mean, how does something like
that happen? Come on, I was down for the count
looking back on your life. How has that song shaped
or been an anthem in your life? Because I know
(08:18):
you've been through some stuff. It's been an anthem in
my life on any number of occasions of my when
my all of my siblings have passed away, and of
course I turned to that for these. My mother passed
away first and way back before I recorded I Will Survive.
But nonetheless it was something that I thought I would
never survive. So, like I said, when I heard the song,
(08:39):
I related it to that my divorce. Uh, when I
got divorced, I was saying a marathon version of that song,
and nobody seemed to mind. There a lot of people
sinking it with me, so they were going through as well.
Wasn't your husband also your your manager? Yeah? He was
(08:59):
my manager from just before. I will survive until two
thousand and five. And what if you don't mind and
you don't have to share it. But but what happened
that you went this, this is not good for me? Well,
I mean kind of realize I've stated the party too
long and I had lost myself and him. You know,
(09:22):
we often do that, We women do that. We lose
ourselves in a man trying to help him to realize
and recognize and reach his potential, and we lose ourselves.
And what made you go, wait a minute, I can't
do this anymore. Well, there was an incident where I
had I was really sick, and he did not come
(09:45):
to my aid, and so I was like, okay, I'm done.
Once that light switched flips, there's no going back. That's right.
You know the problem with pushing a person to their
limit is that no one knows what their limit is
until they reach it, and then it's too late, and
and it's too late. Glorious such a perfect, perfect name
for you, lady, Glorious in all that you are and
(10:08):
in all that you do. We have covered a lot
of ground here, but there's so much more to your
story and we want to hear. We want to get
to the heart of the matter. So right now we're
going to take a quick break for a word from
my podcast sponsors will be right back and continue our
conversation with Gloria Gainer. Gloria, thank you for letting us
(10:30):
share that information with folks. I am so appreciative to
those that support this podcast experience of engaging guests like
yourself and meaningful conversations which inspire others to change the
world one heart at a time. And since then, fourteen
(10:50):
years later, how's your heart? How is your healing house?
How is life? Life is wonderful? My heart is healed,
and I am just I'm just loving life and loving
where I am now and where I'm going, and it's
just a great time of life for me. I mean,
(11:12):
my life is so wonderful now that I'm I'm really
sincerely praying for him. That says a great deal. Yeah,
because you know, the Lord showed me a picture once.
He showed me a picture of a mother leaning over
a baby's crib with a doctor and the doctor was
(11:35):
trying to give the baby a needle to heal him,
and the mother was holding back the doctor's arm because
the needle was going to hurt, never mind what the
medicine was going to do. She was concerned that the
needle was going to hurt. And he showed me that
I was in God's way trying to help my husband
(11:59):
because I was afraid that what he needed to go
through to get get himself together was going to be
too painful, and you were trying to protect him. Yeah,
and so that's when I was like, oh, yeah, okay.
And then I they're like a day or too later,
I got sick and he did not come to my aid,
and I was like, I'm done. I'm done. I'm done.
(12:22):
You're done, and you've moved on. And now you have
a testimony. Yes, I got a testimony. Have you got
a testimony? Yes? I know. It's got to feel good
when your fans are reaching out to you. Oh, it's awesome.
It is awesome. And you know, I mean, I'm living
(12:43):
the adage your mess becomes your message. So how bad
was your mass? The mess was messy? You see, here's
what happens. And they even wrote a song about it.
One day, I'll get someone to put music to it
and record it. But here's what happens. We women get
addicted to a man's potential. Yep, we it's in our
(13:07):
DNA to be there helpmate, and it's in our DNA
to help them to reach their potential. But what we
don't understand is that we're to help the man who
already knows his potential and is already trying to reach it,
then we help him. But if he doesn't know his
own potentially, he isn't trying to reach his potential. There's
(13:27):
nothing we can do. This is not our job to
show him his potential. It's his job to find out
his potential and his purpose and then start reaching for it,
and then we come along and help them. But you
know that the heart is deceitful above all things, and
the heart wants what it wants. And we go night
(13:47):
twenty years old, twenty five years old, even you know,
thirty years old. Your heart wants what it wants. And
we don't see the red flags, don't know everybody around
us sees the red flags. And we go grabbing him
and snatching him and tying in our hair, thinking the ribbons.
I mean, is it true it was so bad with me?
(14:10):
I wrote him a letter. And this letter was even
before we got mad, how stupid I was throw him
a letter saying I want my boyfriend back because already
he was down that path of destruction. And then what
did you do? You married him? I married him because
I guess I thought I could fix him. Man, girlfriend,
we have a lot in common. But it's true what
(14:34):
you said about we we fall in love and become
addicted to or we fall in love with their potential,
not with their reality. And that works well when you're
flipping houses, when you're renovating buildings. It even works well
when you decide you want to get involved in young
people's lives and help them get on the track of
(14:55):
success or you know, get off a bad track to
get out of foster care or but it does not
ever ever, at least not in my history. Sounds like
not in your history. Work when it's a grown adult
that you're trying to rescue, right exactly, it's not your job.
(15:16):
Stay in your lane. If you want to rescue somebody,
go to school and become an E. M. T. Right,
you know, go to mad school. Do not spend your
precious energy trying to fix somebody who doesn't want to
be fixed. I know it's right, But now you have
(15:38):
a testimony, and you are sharing amazing songs, amazing grace,
Joy comes in the morning, all these beautiful, beautiful songs
to encourage people as they face the mountains. Yes, people
who are being brathed and seeking to know their purpose
(16:01):
and potential. You know, God is placing every single one
of us, gives talents abilities with which to make our
way through life, with which to make our mark in life.
So my purpose with this album is to help people
to seek that out, To experience and appreciate and benefit
(16:23):
from His mercy, his love, his grace, and just to
have a wonderful life is what as as he wants
us to do. That's what that's that's all he wants
for us, is to have a wonderful life. You got
to work with some pretty awesome people on testimony. Oh yeah,
they was so good, so great, every single one of them.
(16:45):
It's so talented, And what I loved is the respect
and admiration that they have for one another. Tell me
about what it was like to work with bart I've
known bart since since Mercy Me was just taking off.
I got to play that song I can only imagine
and through that that's in o Barton the guys, what
(17:05):
was that like working with him? It was great work
with him there. He's so sweet and just so pleasant
to work with and so humble. It was just great
working with all of them. And his talent to write
lyrics was very inspiring for me as well. And Jason Crabb,
What a kid, That's who it was. I saw you
(17:25):
on social media with the other day. Jason Crabb. Oh yeah,
he's a sweetheart. What a handsome sweet man. Yes he is,
Yes he is. And he's just so warm and accepting.
You know, you just immediately feel close to him, and
it was this wonderful working with him as well. And Orlanda,
what did What was it like to work with Yolanda Adams?
(17:48):
Landa is a powerhouse. She is a powerhouse and she
brought the thunder on that recording and just so sweet,
unpleasant to work with and gorgeous. It was wonderful working
with her. She was the last one that we got
on the album. We had actually finished the album and
(18:10):
thought we weren't going to be able to get her
because we tried so many times to get our schedules
to coincide, it just wasn't working. And then at the
last minute before we were about to master the album.
She was available and we just made room for her
and did and I'm so full glad that we did.
So I gotta tell you, I don't know if you
(18:31):
know this. In a small world, one of the co writers,
producers and co writers that you worked with on testimony, Yeah,
Chris Stevens. Oh love Chris. Okay, So I gotta tell
you how I'm connected with Chris, like you know, seven
degrees of separation or whatever. It is. My sister, who
(18:56):
is my podcast producer. Yeah, we jumped in of this
podcast world together because on my radio show, I only
get to talk to people for three or four minutes.
But I want to hear your story. When I heard
that I got to talk to the Queen of Disco,
because I still have my little disco dress backed away,
(19:20):
my purple little disco dress. I had the little matching
tights underneath. I think I can get one leg in
the times. But but when I heard that I got
to talk to Gloria Gainer, I was so excited. So
my sister made it all happen and she started doing
the research and Chris Stevens, you worked with f Reid
(19:43):
Shipping and Chris Stevens. I'm told, so Chris married my
sister Diana's college friend Nancy. When Chris and Nancy got married,
my sister Dianna and her ends were like, oh, poor Nancy,
She's gone and married a musician. And then when they
(20:06):
saw her at the Grammys and the Doves and her
husband's winning all these fabulous awards for his amazing work,
and they're like, oh, yeah, so much for poor Nancy. Right. No,
they didn't really feel bad for her. They were just joking.
But you know, being being a musician has high high
(20:27):
highs and lo lo los. Yeah, you know what they said,
what's the difference between a musician and a pizza? What
is the difference? Well, a pizza can actually see the
family of four. So I understand your apprehension. Huh. I
(20:50):
wish you'd I shouldn't say luck because you don't need luck,
But I I pray for you that as you tour,
as you do, the crazy media tour and all that stuff,
that God would sustain your health, your voice, and that
you would you would just get to continue to testify
(21:10):
and share your testimony. I will, I definitely will. I
think your message what you said earlier that we are,
that we are all given gifts and talents and skills.
M h. I believe right now more than ever, Gloria,
our world needs people to step up to the plate,
and especially in this country. I mean, you know, I
(21:34):
when I will survive, was inducted into the Library of
Congress Music Registry. I did a speech, say, I asked
him if I could do a speech, and it was
all about the United States of America and the diversity here.
We have it all right here together in one country,
(21:56):
and we need to recognize that our diversity is our truth,
our diversity is our appeal. And yet we go at
odds with each other when there really is nothing to
be at odds about. Yeah, it's true. Well, you keep singing,
and you keep testifying, and you keep using your gift
(22:16):
to change the world one heart at a time, and
I'll keep singing your praises. Thank you so much, and
thank you for all that you do. You are so needed.
We need more like you, so thank you for all
that you do. Thank you for being a blessing to
me and to all of your listeners. And you and
(22:37):
your sister Gloria, you are such a true testimony to
love and faith and resilience. As your anthem says, I
will survive. You have. Indeed, your music has been touching
hearts for years, and we'll continue to do so for
more generations. I believe, and I'm glad you went back
into the studio and made test atimony, and that you
(23:01):
took the time out today out of your busy WorldWind schedule,
your worldwide touring schedule, to talk with me and all
those listening to our podcast Loves Someone. I encourage everyone
listening to purchase and download Gloria Gainer's new CD, Testimony.
It's available right now. It's a message that is needed
(23:24):
more now than ever ever. We are living in a
world divided, and every song on Testimony will speak to
your heart about peace, about faith, about reconciliation, about figuring
out how to love one another and how to do
(23:44):
it with a deep respect for one another. Gloria, thank
you for spending your time in your heart with us today.
I wish you the very best. I'm grateful for your
music and of course your message of faith and hope.
If you have missed any past episodes of Love Someone,
(24:04):
subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast platform and take
a look through our Library. You can hear me talking
to Wynona, Miranda Lambert, Brandy Carlyle, Katie Perry, Sam Smith,
Barton Millard from Mercy Me, Pat Monaghan of Train, Michael Boublay,
(24:26):
Josh Grobin, and so many other talented, talented people. The
list of recording artists and authors is extensive, but we
don't want to just talk to authors and recording artists.
We want to talk to ordinary people who are doing
extraordinary things, extraordinary things to make our world a better place.
(24:50):
Thank you for helping out in anyway every way that
you can. Thank you for being a part of love.
Someone with Delana did I know
Oh, Hello. They're so excited that you've decided to join
me today because you are in for a very special treat.
My friend, I have a guess that's going to be
talking with me the way back in the disco days
of feathered hair, satin pants, the hustle, and other impressive
(00:28):
dance moves. I'd never have dreamed that someday I would
get a chance to talk to this lady. She is
known as the Queen of Disco, and her biggest hit,
I Will Survive, has become sort of a global anthem
female empowerment. I know, I know that probably gave it away.
(00:48):
The one, the only, the fabulous Gloria Gainer is setting
down and talking with me today. We're going to have
a heart to heart and wow, does this lady have
a big heart. Gloria Gainer's heart is even bigger than
my hair was back in the seventies. We're gonna talk
about what she's been up to for the last I
(01:08):
don't know tin thirty forty years, what moves her, what
motivates her, what she's involved with now, and what her
hopes and dreams for our world are. Before we get
into the hearts of the matter, though, I am going
to tell you a little bit about my friends at
(01:29):
the Home Depot. They are our sponsor. Without them, this
podcast series that I am having so much fun with
would not even exist, wouldn't be possible this summer. No
matter where you're listening to this podcast, the Home Depot
has all the supplies you need for your lawn and
gardening projects. You know why, because each garden apartment is
(01:54):
especially stocked with plants. Flowers and shrubs and trees thrive
in that area. Not to mention, they stuck the Garden
Department with the helpful products that make your gardens that
much more colorful and your lawn as green as it
can possibly be. The Home Depot, more saving, more doing so, Gloria,
(02:18):
I don't know how this has happened, but somehow you
are the number one person in all of my social
media feed now, really you are. You're the first thing
that pops up when I'm scrolling through Instagram. You're the
first thing that pops up when I'm on any social
media platform. I don't know how that happened, but I
(02:40):
see you every I think I saw you brushing your
teeth this one. No, Oh my god, where are you calling?
Me from Joys. Is that home? What part of joy
Z is home for you? Well? Now it's Greenbrook, which
(03:03):
is a tiny little town half an hour west of
Newark Airport. I have a girlfriend, Donna, who has a
shore house, a Jersey shore house in Sea Isle City,
and so when I lived in Philly, I used to
go down there every weekend almost and invade her house.
(03:24):
So I love I love Jersey. I love that area wonderful. Yeah,
I love it too. This is home, but I think
it I probably would have made it home, and I've
not been born here. You love it that much? You
have really love New Jersey and you look adorable and
fabulous by the way, Thank you. And you're traveling all
over the place performing busy, busy, busy. How many concerts?
(03:49):
How many shows are you doing this summer? Really? Not
that minute shows a year. That's still a lot, but
not as many as you used to do, not awhere near.
So how how does it feel knowing you kind of
started that global anthem of empowerment? I truly believe that
was a gift. It was a divine appointment, simply because
(04:14):
of the way it came to me, totally unexpected, and
it's amazing that the story of I Will Survive is incredible. Okay,
so I want to hear it. Give me the little
snapshot version. How how did it come to that version?
I um was in a very bad place. I had
(04:34):
surgery on my spine and I didn't know where I
was going to go, what I was gonna do, because
singing was my life, but it wasn't certain that I
was going to be able to go back to that.
I was in a back brace, and the record company
had said they were not going to renew my contract.
People going around the company saying the queen is dead.
When they got a new president over from England, where
(04:57):
I had been popular, and he wanted to repeat the
success that he had with a song in England. He
wanted to repeat that success here, so he asked me
to go out to California and record it. And with that,
of course, my contract had to be renewed. And when
I got to l A, I asked the producers. I said, okay,
(05:22):
this song substitute is the one that the president chose.
This is the A side. What's going to be the
B side? And they said, well, what kind of songs
do you like? What kind of songs you like to sing,
I said, I like songs that are meaningful and have
good lyrics, smooth melodies touch people's hearts. They said, well,
we think you're the one we've been waiting for to
record this song we wrote two years ago. And when
(05:44):
they wrote it out for me on a piece of paper,
I asked them if they were nuts, what are you stupid?
You're gonna put this on the B side. This is
a timeless lyric. Everybody's going to be able to relate
to this. I'm relating to it, the surgery that I
just had on my spine, I'm relating to it, the
fact that my mother just passed away not a few
years prior. Everybody is going to be able to relate
(06:07):
to this song. And they said, well, you know, our
deal is that we'd write the B side, and I said, well,
it won't stay there. It's up to me. And so
we took it back to New York to the record company,
but they wouldn't listen to it. They didn't want to
go against the President's choice. And so um when they
gave me when it was pressed, and they gave me
(06:27):
a box of them, I took the the studio fifty
four and had the DJ there player. When the audience
immediately responded to it, that was acute to me that
I was indeed right about the song. It was a
hit if it could perk up this New York jaded audience.
I was certain that it was a hit. So I
gave the DJ the box. Obviously, d S had him
(06:49):
give it to his DJ friends around New York. People
began to request it as they played it. So you
went our guerrilla on us. You you hit the streets
with it. You said, oh no, no, no, no, I
got another plan for this. I love that. I loved it.
Back in the day, we could actually do that. I
(07:11):
mean back in those days, I had artists come to
my studio at night when I was on the air
and say just listen to it, and I'm like, okay,
I'll put it on the air and listen to it.
I can't do that now. Everything has changed. Everything is
digital and very controlled, and I don't know. It just
always amazes me how we think we can control something.
(07:36):
I have that illusion for a long time. You know
that I can do things. Yeah, so you're the one
that said, no, I will survive. I'm gonna make this happen.
I'm gonna put this out there. The people like it,
people dance to it. Do you know today I still
when somebody calls me going through whatever. You know, he
(07:57):
walked out that door and blah blah blah, that's the
song they want to hear. Yeah, well, I know that
it's a divine appointment. I mean, how does something like
that happen? Come on, I was down for the count
looking back on your life. How has that song shaped
or been an anthem in your life? Because I know
(08:18):
you've been through some stuff. It's been an anthem in
my life on any number of occasions of my when
my all of my siblings have passed away, and of
course I turned to that for these. My mother passed
away first and way back before I recorded I Will Survive.
But nonetheless it was something that I thought I would
never survive. So, like I said, when I heard the song,
(08:39):
I related it to that my divorce. Uh, when I
got divorced, I was saying a marathon version of that song,
and nobody seemed to mind. There a lot of people
sinking it with me, so they were going through as well.
Wasn't your husband also your your manager? Yeah? He was
(08:59):
my manager from just before. I will survive until two
thousand and five. And what if you don't mind and
you don't have to share it. But but what happened
that you went this, this is not good for me? Well,
I mean kind of realize I've stated the party too
long and I had lost myself and him. You know,
(09:22):
we often do that, We women do that. We lose
ourselves in a man trying to help him to realize
and recognize and reach his potential, and we lose ourselves.
And what made you go, wait a minute, I can't
do this anymore. Well, there was an incident where I
had I was really sick, and he did not come
(09:45):
to my aid, and so I was like, okay, I'm done.
Once that light switched flips, there's no going back. That's right.
You know the problem with pushing a person to their
limit is that no one knows what their limit is
until they reach it, and then it's too late, and
and it's too late. Glorious such a perfect, perfect name
for you, lady, Glorious in all that you are and
(10:08):
in all that you do. We have covered a lot
of ground here, but there's so much more to your
story and we want to hear. We want to get
to the heart of the matter. So right now we're
going to take a quick break for a word from
my podcast sponsors will be right back and continue our
conversation with Gloria Gainer. Gloria, thank you for letting us
(10:30):
share that information with folks. I am so appreciative to
those that support this podcast experience of engaging guests like
yourself and meaningful conversations which inspire others to change the
world one heart at a time. And since then, fourteen
(10:50):
years later, how's your heart? How is your healing house?
How is life? Life is wonderful? My heart is healed,
and I am just I'm just loving life and loving
where I am now and where I'm going, and it's
just a great time of life for me. I mean,
(11:12):
my life is so wonderful now that I'm I'm really
sincerely praying for him. That says a great deal. Yeah,
because you know, the Lord showed me a picture once.
He showed me a picture of a mother leaning over
a baby's crib with a doctor and the doctor was
(11:35):
trying to give the baby a needle to heal him,
and the mother was holding back the doctor's arm because
the needle was going to hurt, never mind what the
medicine was going to do. She was concerned that the
needle was going to hurt. And he showed me that
I was in God's way trying to help my husband
(11:59):
because I was afraid that what he needed to go
through to get get himself together was going to be
too painful, and you were trying to protect him. Yeah,
and so that's when I was like, oh, yeah, okay.
And then I they're like a day or too later,
I got sick and he did not come to my aid,
and I was like, I'm done. I'm done. I'm done.
(12:22):
You're done, and you've moved on. And now you have
a testimony. Yes, I got a testimony. Have you got
a testimony? Yes? I know. It's got to feel good
when your fans are reaching out to you. Oh, it's awesome.
It is awesome. And you know, I mean, I'm living
(12:43):
the adage your mess becomes your message. So how bad
was your mass? The mess was messy? You see, here's
what happens. And they even wrote a song about it.
One day, I'll get someone to put music to it
and record it. But here's what happens. We women get
addicted to a man's potential. Yep, we it's in our
(13:07):
DNA to be there helpmate, and it's in our DNA
to help them to reach their potential. But what we
don't understand is that we're to help the man who
already knows his potential and is already trying to reach it,
then we help him. But if he doesn't know his
own potentially, he isn't trying to reach his potential. There's
(13:27):
nothing we can do. This is not our job to
show him his potential. It's his job to find out
his potential and his purpose and then start reaching for it,
and then we come along and help them. But you
know that the heart is deceitful above all things, and
the heart wants what it wants. And we go night
(13:47):
twenty years old, twenty five years old, even you know,
thirty years old. Your heart wants what it wants. And
we don't see the red flags, don't know everybody around
us sees the red flags. And we go grabbing him
and snatching him and tying in our hair, thinking the ribbons.
I mean, is it true it was so bad with me?
(14:10):
I wrote him a letter. And this letter was even
before we got mad, how stupid I was throw him
a letter saying I want my boyfriend back because already
he was down that path of destruction. And then what
did you do? You married him? I married him because
I guess I thought I could fix him. Man, girlfriend,
we have a lot in common. But it's true what
(14:34):
you said about we we fall in love and become
addicted to or we fall in love with their potential,
not with their reality. And that works well when you're
flipping houses, when you're renovating buildings. It even works well
when you decide you want to get involved in young
people's lives and help them get on the track of
(14:55):
success or you know, get off a bad track to
get out of foster care or but it does not
ever ever, at least not in my history. Sounds like
not in your history. Work when it's a grown adult
that you're trying to rescue, right exactly, it's not your job.
(15:16):
Stay in your lane. If you want to rescue somebody,
go to school and become an E. M. T. Right,
you know, go to mad school. Do not spend your
precious energy trying to fix somebody who doesn't want to
be fixed. I know it's right, But now you have
(15:38):
a testimony, and you are sharing amazing songs, amazing grace,
Joy comes in the morning, all these beautiful, beautiful songs
to encourage people as they face the mountains. Yes, people
who are being brathed and seeking to know their purpose
(16:01):
and potential. You know, God is placing every single one
of us, gives talents abilities with which to make our
way through life, with which to make our mark in life.
So my purpose with this album is to help people
to seek that out, To experience and appreciate and benefit
(16:23):
from His mercy, his love, his grace, and just to
have a wonderful life is what as as he wants
us to do. That's what that's that's all he wants
for us, is to have a wonderful life. You got
to work with some pretty awesome people on testimony. Oh yeah,
they was so good, so great, every single one of them.
(16:45):
It's so talented, And what I loved is the respect
and admiration that they have for one another. Tell me
about what it was like to work with bart I've
known bart since since Mercy Me was just taking off.
I got to play that song I can only imagine
and through that that's in o Barton the guys, what
(17:05):
was that like working with him? It was great work
with him there. He's so sweet and just so pleasant
to work with and so humble. It was just great
working with all of them. And his talent to write
lyrics was very inspiring for me as well. And Jason Crabb,
What a kid, That's who it was. I saw you
(17:25):
on social media with the other day. Jason Crabb. Oh yeah,
he's a sweetheart. What a handsome sweet man. Yes he is,
Yes he is. And he's just so warm and accepting.
You know, you just immediately feel close to him, and
it was this wonderful working with him as well. And Orlanda,
what did What was it like to work with Yolanda Adams?
(17:48):
Landa is a powerhouse. She is a powerhouse and she
brought the thunder on that recording and just so sweet,
unpleasant to work with and gorgeous. It was wonderful working
with her. She was the last one that we got
on the album. We had actually finished the album and
(18:10):
thought we weren't going to be able to get her
because we tried so many times to get our schedules
to coincide, it just wasn't working. And then at the
last minute before we were about to master the album.
She was available and we just made room for her
and did and I'm so full glad that we did.
So I gotta tell you, I don't know if you
(18:31):
know this. In a small world, one of the co writers,
producers and co writers that you worked with on testimony, Yeah,
Chris Stevens. Oh love Chris. Okay, So I gotta tell
you how I'm connected with Chris, like you know, seven
degrees of separation or whatever. It is. My sister, who
(18:56):
is my podcast producer. Yeah, we jumped in of this
podcast world together because on my radio show, I only
get to talk to people for three or four minutes.
But I want to hear your story. When I heard
that I got to talk to the Queen of Disco,
because I still have my little disco dress backed away,
(19:20):
my purple little disco dress. I had the little matching
tights underneath. I think I can get one leg in
the times. But but when I heard that I got
to talk to Gloria Gainer, I was so excited. So
my sister made it all happen and she started doing
the research and Chris Stevens, you worked with f Reid
(19:43):
Shipping and Chris Stevens. I'm told, so Chris married my
sister Diana's college friend Nancy. When Chris and Nancy got married,
my sister Dianna and her ends were like, oh, poor Nancy,
She's gone and married a musician. And then when they
(20:06):
saw her at the Grammys and the Doves and her
husband's winning all these fabulous awards for his amazing work,
and they're like, oh, yeah, so much for poor Nancy. Right. No,
they didn't really feel bad for her. They were just joking.
But you know, being being a musician has high high
(20:27):
highs and lo lo los. Yeah, you know what they said,
what's the difference between a musician and a pizza? What
is the difference? Well, a pizza can actually see the
family of four. So I understand your apprehension. Huh. I
(20:50):
wish you'd I shouldn't say luck because you don't need luck,
But I I pray for you that as you tour,
as you do, the crazy media tour and all that stuff,
that God would sustain your health, your voice, and that
you would you would just get to continue to testify
(21:10):
and share your testimony. I will, I definitely will. I
think your message what you said earlier that we are,
that we are all given gifts and talents and skills.
M h. I believe right now more than ever, Gloria,
our world needs people to step up to the plate,
and especially in this country. I mean, you know, I
(21:34):
when I will survive, was inducted into the Library of
Congress Music Registry. I did a speech, say, I asked
him if I could do a speech, and it was
all about the United States of America and the diversity here.
We have it all right here together in one country,
(21:56):
and we need to recognize that our diversity is our truth,
our diversity is our appeal. And yet we go at
odds with each other when there really is nothing to
be at odds about. Yeah, it's true. Well, you keep singing,
and you keep testifying, and you keep using your gift
(22:16):
to change the world one heart at a time, and
I'll keep singing your praises. Thank you so much, and
thank you for all that you do. You are so needed.
We need more like you, so thank you for all
that you do. Thank you for being a blessing to
me and to all of your listeners. And you and
(22:37):
your sister Gloria, you are such a true testimony to
love and faith and resilience. As your anthem says, I
will survive. You have. Indeed, your music has been touching
hearts for years, and we'll continue to do so for
more generations. I believe, and I'm glad you went back
into the studio and made test atimony, and that you
(23:01):
took the time out today out of your busy WorldWind schedule,
your worldwide touring schedule, to talk with me and all
those listening to our podcast Loves Someone. I encourage everyone
listening to purchase and download Gloria Gainer's new CD, Testimony.
It's available right now. It's a message that is needed
(23:24):
more now than ever ever. We are living in a
world divided, and every song on Testimony will speak to
your heart about peace, about faith, about reconciliation, about figuring
out how to love one another and how to do
(23:44):
it with a deep respect for one another. Gloria, thank
you for spending your time in your heart with us today.
I wish you the very best. I'm grateful for your
music and of course your message of faith and hope.
If you have missed any past episodes of Love Someone,
(24:04):
subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast platform and take
a look through our Library. You can hear me talking
to Wynona, Miranda Lambert, Brandy Carlyle, Katie Perry, Sam Smith,
Barton Millard from Mercy Me, Pat Monaghan of Train, Michael Boublay,
(24:26):
Josh Grobin, and so many other talented, talented people. The
list of recording artists and authors is extensive, but we
don't want to just talk to authors and recording artists.
We want to talk to ordinary people who are doing
extraordinary things, extraordinary things to make our world a better place.
(24:50):
Thank you for helping out in anyway every way that
you can. Thank you for being a part of love.
Someone with Delana did I know
Host
Delilah
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