August 16, 2025 • 27 mins
On this week's program, host Phil Tower welcomes Kevin Matthews. In Chicago and throughout West Michigan, Kevin needs no introduction.
For those who don't know Kevin as well, he is a radio icon, and a three-time Radio Hall of Fame Nominee, and author of: Broken Mary: A Journey of Hope(2017).
This was Kevin's first book, and it tells the story of his battle with multiple sclerosis and his discovery of a broken statue of the Virgin Mary, which inspired his spiritual awakening.
Kevin followed Broken Mary with Mary's Roadie: My Travels with Mary the Mother of Jesus(2024).
Mary’s Roadie is Kevin’s follow-up book, where he shares the events and experiences that unfolded after his life-changing discovery of the Broken Mary statue.
Kevin join us on the program to share not only his story but an update on his amazing journey and travels since finding a broken statue of the Virgin Mary in a West Michigan dumpster, nearly 10 years ago.
Kevin also shared with us how his travels with Mary are the focus of an upcoming documentary titled Broken Mary: The Kevin Matthews Story.
This film, produced by ODB Films and Family Theater Productions, explores his journey of faith, his radio career, and his struggle with multiple sclerosis, culminating in his encounter with the broken Virgin Mary statue.
The film will screen for one night only, on October 7, and audiences nationwide will have the opportunity to see Kevin’s story on the big screen in a feature-length documentary.
Links: Get Kevin's First Book: Broken Mary
Kevin's Follow-up To Broken Mary: Mary's Roadie: My Travels with Mary the Mother of Jesus(2024)
Broken Mary The Film Website
Kevin’s Website: Broken Mary
Watch the trailer for Kevin's film debuting nationwide October 7, 2025.
St Mary of Egypt... Referenced in our conversation:
St. Mary of Egypt: Prolific Prostitute Turned Saint
For those who don't know Kevin as well, he is a radio icon, and a three-time Radio Hall of Fame Nominee, and author of: Broken Mary: A Journey of Hope(2017).
This was Kevin's first book, and it tells the story of his battle with multiple sclerosis and his discovery of a broken statue of the Virgin Mary, which inspired his spiritual awakening.
Kevin followed Broken Mary with Mary's Roadie: My Travels with Mary the Mother of Jesus(2024).
Mary’s Roadie is Kevin’s follow-up book, where he shares the events and experiences that unfolded after his life-changing discovery of the Broken Mary statue.
Kevin join us on the program to share not only his story but an update on his amazing journey and travels since finding a broken statue of the Virgin Mary in a West Michigan dumpster, nearly 10 years ago.
Kevin also shared with us how his travels with Mary are the focus of an upcoming documentary titled Broken Mary: The Kevin Matthews Story.
This film, produced by ODB Films and Family Theater Productions, explores his journey of faith, his radio career, and his struggle with multiple sclerosis, culminating in his encounter with the broken Virgin Mary statue.
The film will screen for one night only, on October 7, and audiences nationwide will have the opportunity to see Kevin’s story on the big screen in a feature-length documentary.
Links: Get Kevin's First Book: Broken Mary
Kevin's Follow-up To Broken Mary: Mary's Roadie: My Travels with Mary the Mother of Jesus(2024)
Broken Mary The Film Website
Kevin’s Website: Broken Mary
Watch the trailer for Kevin's film debuting nationwide October 7, 2025.
St Mary of Egypt... Referenced in our conversation:
St. Mary of Egypt: Prolific Prostitute Turned Saint
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend is
a weekly program designed to win form and enlightened on
a wide range of public policy issues, as well as
news and current events. Now here's your host, Phil Tower.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
And welcome in.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
It's West Michigan Weekend from iHeartRadio. I am so glad
that you have tuned in this weekend on our program.
This week we catch up for the whole program with
Kevin Matthews, three time Radio Hall of Fame nominee of
Chicago and Grand Rapids radio personality well known to thousands
(00:39):
across the Midwest and across the country. Kevin's story, Broken
Mary might be familiar to you. It happened several years
ago when he found a statue of the Virgin Mary,
broken and discarded in a dumpster here in Grand Rapids.
The rest of the story is pretty amazing. It led
to a book, Kevin's first book, Broken Mary, A Journey
(01:00):
of Hope, a follow up book, Mary's Roady, and now
a nationwide film release from Fathom Entertainment. Kevin's story is amazing.
It's a story of redemption, story of salvation, a story
of hope, especially for people who feel broken. You'll notice
(01:21):
that reference several times in our conversation.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
This is a.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Conversation about faith, about Catholicism, about devotion to Mary, and
just a word of caution. If that's not your thing,
you may not want to listen to this program this week,
but I encourage you to listen because Kevin's story is
nothing short of amazing. Here's my conversation with Kevin, recorded
(01:48):
at Big Events Studios just a few days ago here
on iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. On location for this episode
inside Big Event Studios in towntown Rapids because that's where
our guest for this full program is. And you'll only
get a full program if you have a good story
to tell on iHeartRadio. Kevin Matthews is with me Radio icon,
(02:13):
three time Radio Hall of Fame nominee, soon to be inductee.
It'll happen. I had just a personal note. I had
a chance. My first two weeks at the station I
really enjoyed working at some forty years ago, were Kevin's
last two weeks. We were both at WLAV. Kevin's also
(02:33):
worked at WGRD attended GVSU. Kevin and I worked together
for a couple of weeks, but at his career skyrocketed.
He spent twenty years was it twenty years at the loop?
Over twenty years at WLUPAM in Chicago. Quite a career
and ended up back in Grand Rapids. You were diagnosed
(02:56):
with MS two thousand and eight. Then eventually you're out
of radio not long after that.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, I was fired. It wasn't by choice that my
price tag was a little too expensive, and it's much
better to just replace me with some syndicated guy who's
earning even more money.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
So if you haven't heard Kevin's story by now, it
led to a book called Broken Marry. It's a powerful book.
Even if you are not a religious person or a
person of strong faith, the story is worth reading because
it's really it's kind of like, and this happened to
Kevin Matthews. The story involves Kevin finding a broken merry
(03:43):
statue in a dumpster in what year was that?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
That was twenty eleven, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
And real quickly you were going in to buy flowers.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
You notice the statue of the.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Virgin Mary in the dumpster on your way in.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Who's actually on the ground because the statue's heavy. It's
an old statue, concrete statue of the Virgin Mary. And
I did the Holy Spirit. You know when I used
to years ago say I heard this voice. Well, I've
been educated enough through so many priests that I know
(04:18):
and are become dear friends. That's the Holy Spirit. And
that Holy Spirit said, buy your wife some flowers. I
had just gotten fired from radio. I'm driving thinking what
am I going to do? How am I going to do?
Where am I? I'm not a religious man at this point. Yeah,
I was born Catholic. But I look up and there's
a flower shop. There is no such thing as coincidences
(04:41):
at all. No, I agree. And if I would have
driven past that flower shop and not turned in, I
would be dead now and I would be in hell.
There's no question. I turn into the flower shop. I've
got MS. It's just snowed. I'm very cautious at how
I walk now because I don't want to fall. And
(05:02):
I'm going into the flower shop. I turned to my
left and I can see ten yards away, lying on
the ground next to this dumpster was the Virgin Mary.
I carefully walked over and there she is, on her back.
She's looking directly at me. She's cracked in half, her
hands are missing. And then that is the first encounter
(05:24):
I ever had with Christ and he said, will you
deny me? Will you deny my mother? And that's where
it all began. I had to get that statue, and
it's funny. I went into the shop and I said,
you know, can can I help you? And I go,
I really want to buy that statue that's laying on
(05:44):
the ground, and this woman said, no, it's not for sale.
It's a family heirloom. And again I hear that voice,
will you deny me? Will you deny my mother? And
I closed my eyes and the first time in a
long time, I prayed God helped me. And then what
came out of my mouth. I have no idea where
(06:05):
it came. I said, I'll help nuns that live out
around here. And the woman heard me and she goes,
I know your voice. Are you Kevin Matthews? You got fired?
What happened and it opened the door. I was able
to give money in her name to these nuns. I
would later find out the nuns are the Franciscan Nuns
(06:27):
in Lowell, Michigan. And they impacted my life. And that
was over ten years eleven twenty eleven. Here it is
twenty twenty five. I've written two books on the Virgin Mary,
this experience. I have a movie coming out in theaters
across America October seventh, and I feel I didn't do
(06:50):
any of this. This is all God. This is all God,
and that's what is so amazing. And during this journey,
because it's not a story, stories have endings, this continues.
It's a journey of hope. That's the first book, and
the second book is Mary's Roadie. We have been all
over the country and it is amazing how many people
(07:17):
have been touched by this message. We're all broken, but
we're loved by God.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
I want to stop you right there because there's so
much to talk about with the travels, because you and
I had a great opportunity to spend some time together
right when Broken Mary came out.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
You gave me a copy of the book.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
You gave a lot of people a copy of the book.
I had the wonderful opportunity to hear you speak a
long time ago at the assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Mary in Belmont, Michigan, Packed Parish. But I want to
go back to the radio stuff people knew you knew
you for twenty years. In fact, the trailer and we're
(07:58):
going to put the link to the trailer in the
podcast notes for this conversation, which I know a lot
of you will want to go back and check out.
But the trailer really talks about it gives you just
a really quick ten second glimpse at the fame and
just the life you live, which is completely different what
you're living now. It's recognition, but it's recognition because of
(08:23):
this spiritual awakening that.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Happened with you.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
But you still have to encounter people Kevin who are like,
what the hell happened to you? You know you're diehard
fans of the Loop. The crazy stuff you did on
the air. I mean I knew because I listened to
a lot of it here in Grand Rapids years.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Ago when you were on the radio.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
We were still listening to AM one thousand in our
cars back People still listen to AM radio. Tell me
about some of those encounters are People are like, where's
the real keV?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Where did you go? The real Kev's always been I
was real on the radio. I was young. I was
with people, you know, the little instigators like Steve Dahl
and Jonathan brand Meyer and Gary Meyer. We were lunatics
and we got paid well. And I was fined so
many times by the FCC, and my boss, Larry Word
(09:17):
was happy to write the check. He's a part of this.
I'm still Kevin, and I've had a lot of people
go what happened to you know, they've encouraged it because
I don't one thing that I have a covenant with God.
I made a covenant with God, and when you make
a covenant with God, you can't break it. And I said,
(09:38):
all I want to be God is I want to
work for you. After I got fired, I was auctioned
off as an altar boy and I was literally on
sitting on an altar with a priest. I was auctioned
off for one thousand dollars and I'm looking at the crowd.
I'm fired from radio. And at the same time, I've
(09:59):
never been happier because here I am dressed as an
altar boy with little altar boys who thought I was
a complete psycho. And I said, God, I just want
to work for you. And I thought, my job with
you is for eternity. You're not going to fire me.
The benefits are great, and that day really changed my life.
(10:21):
And I said to Christ, I said, Jesus, look at
You're my shepherd and he is, Christ is the shepherd
of shepherds. I said, I am nothing more than a
shepherd dog.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
All.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I'm broken up, I'm bruised, I'm old, I can hardly walk,
but I want to be your shepherd dog and love me.
Gather these lambs that have strayed from you, bring them
back without biting or barking. And that's what I am.
I am a shepherd dog that doesn't bite, doesn't bark.
God gives us a choice either follow me or don't.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
And you had this incredible story to tell. Yeah, I
know there's some really key things that happened along this journey.
After you find the broken merry statue which to this day,
which travels with you. Yeah, it's still broken, right, it's
still we kept her broken.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
I a priest told me where I could get her fixed.
And bottom line is I just said to this guy,
I said, you know he wanted to put new hands
in painter And I said, no, that is me. This
statue is me. I'm broken. I can't put her together.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
I want to stop you right there, because that's so important.
I've I've run into so many people and you and
I worked in secular radio. This conversation right now is
running on iHeartRadio, on secular radio, and I think so
many people today, especially so many young people. You run
into these people, I run into these people. People are
not going to churches because they have this false sense
(11:46):
of what religion is or vision or what the media
has told them. But really at the core of it
is people who are strong in faith are people who
are broken. Their lives were an absolute crap hole.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Yeah, say that word on the radio.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Yours is a story of being found and just an
incredible gratitude for that that you're showing now and paying
it back. But I look at this, Kevin and think,
I love how you're saying. You know, I want to
work for you God, I want to go on the road.
And that part was wonderful. But I know our mutual friend,
(12:24):
father Mark Shebbish, was a big part of this journey.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
You mentioned the.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Franciscan Life Process Center in Lowell. God rest her soul
sister Colleen, and she who was who is the biggest
tycoon in icon and she was in just the most
on fire woman but in a you see her in
a room, you never think this woman is a woman
who makes things happen. You had a special relationship with her.
(12:54):
She was a mentor, she was a spiritual advisor. Just
can you can you talk about her and Father Mark
for a couple of minutes.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Well, it's you know again. I was born a Catholic
and I went you know, I was baptized in the
Catholic church. You know, communion, confession, all that, but I
call myself at that time. As I got older, I
became a zombie Catholic where I just went maybe on Easter,
(13:23):
maybe on Christmas if I didn't have too much to drink.
Then I'm too drunk to go to church. I'm that Catholic.
And especially my kids graduate now I could really become
a devoted zombie Catholic and not go.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
There are a lot of devoted zombie Catholics and other
denominations and people who just mechanically go to church and
go home.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
And you know, God still loves us, gives us a chance.
You know, you said, God, I want to work with you.
Let me just tell everybody. God's a great guy. He's
just a wonderful and Sister Colleen Anne I eventual. Actually,
Father Mark said after years. I had the statue for
two years and I made a vow that I would
(14:06):
give money in these nuns name. He goes, don't you
know these nuns money? And I go yeah, he goes, well,
I know where they are. I think that the Franciscans.
I went out there and I brought the statue and
I told what happened, and that night it came out
of my mouth before I ended, I said, we're all broken,
(14:27):
but we're loved by God. And Father Mark was driving
home from that night, he said, that's a really beautiful homily.
Why don't you come to Saint Anthony's and I'll start
the homilies and you finish it. We're all broken, we're
loved by God. And I've done stand up. I worked
with Tim Allen Seinfeld. How hard can it be to
(14:47):
stand in a church talking about the Mother of Christ?
And then I got flop sweat and I did the
seven thirty and this beautiful it was Christ. Just as
I'm ending, I'm telling people, this statue doesn't belong to me.
Take her home. If you know people that are broken,
that are sick, and she would go to you know
(15:08):
hospice or emergency rooms. And I'll never forget that day
because I did all three masses. The ten o'clock. I
said to father Mark, I don't want to do the
eleven thirty. I'm dying up here, and he goes, Kevin,
turn around. There are people lined up at the statue
and it was a game changer. And you know, people go, well,
(15:30):
you shouldn't worship Mary. Well, I have a mother, Phil
do you worship your mom?
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I miss my mom.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I know I do too, and I immensely. And in fact,
I came up in my childhood. I didn't like my
dad because he was just a mean guy. But Mom,
it's I think. I'm so attracted to Mary because of
the gentleness of my real mother. And now I have
(15:59):
this beautiful one who gave birth to Christ So yeah,
a sister, Colleen in She passed away just a few
months ago. And I would go out and I would
talk to her. She knew me very well, and I
could ask her anything. I'd say, do you think I'm close?
What is Mary? The mother of Christ?
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Am? I offending her? Can you help me? And she
was so sweet and she.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Loved our blessed mother so much. She's so lucky right
now because I have a picture of her. I see
her every morning, and I don't say, yeah, I miss you,
but I know that you're smiling, you're having fun, you're
in heaven. You helped me so much, and she's still alive.
She's with me to this day. Great. So everybody I've
(16:42):
met is not a coincidence. God here, Oh, we're gonna
phill you and I when we first met, I didn't
have the statue. I got kicked out of ten golf
courses in ten years. I literally, I'm lucky to be alive.
And I don't compare myself to disciples. But look at Paul.
(17:06):
Look at the disciple Paul. He used to kill Jews,
and I mean it was Christ compiled all these disciples
that were basically a mess. And I've gotten in. I
love this term that I often use. And so those
people that think they're too broken, where God doesn't like them,
(17:27):
or it's too late, I'll never be able to come.
All saints have a past, all sinners have a future
that's powerful. It's never too late. And I've never been
happier in my life.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
It's funny you said that I was curiously searching one
night and I googled who are the worst saints? Yeah,
and there is a saint and you can look her up.
She was Egyptian and for twelve years she was a prostitute.
And I'm sorry I'm not recalling her name. She has interview,
but I'll put a link at the podcast. But at
(18:01):
one point she's enjoying it, seducing men so much. In fact,
the saint they talk about her that she enjoyed it
so much.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
She didn't charge the men.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
And then eventually she said, I'm going to go to
Jerusalem and entice more men there and continue her prostitution.
While on the way, she had a conversion and became
a devout person of faith and lived the rest of
her life in devotion to God and her spirituality. And
of course it is today has been sainted, and you
(18:31):
look at it.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
And go, here's a person who was twelve years.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Of prostitute on her way to Jerusalem to inseduce and
entice more men, and she has a conversion story. Weird,
crazy stuff like that. Kevin Matthews is with US Radio Icon,
three time Radio Hall of Fame nominee and author of
two books that are worth your time, even if you're
not one of those Jesus people, even if you're not
(18:58):
spiritual broken Mary, which is an incredible story.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
We all have stories.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
When you and Kevin has more stories. We could fill
three probably thumb drives of stories from Kevin. And someday
you're going to write that book of all the things
that happen You're radio.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
But this is the.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Most powerful story in the story. I have no doubt,
Kevin Matthews, you will be remembered for twenty five fifty
years for now, but the story of your life being
saved because of a statue of the Virgin Mary. The
first book leads to travel. You've traveled all around the world.
I've lived vicariously through the things you've shared on social media,
(19:40):
just incredible things. That part of your life alone led
to Mary's Roady, which came out last July, which is
your story of life in the road being Mary's Roady,
literally going into parishes. You've spoken all around the world, prisons, prisons,
I say, how do these things happened? Share with our
(20:01):
listeners all these happen?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Prayer, I speak, I talk, I talk, And years ago
I said, Mary, let's be around the most broken and
you always have to. I heard that saying you be
careful what you pray for. And as soon as that happened,
we're around the most broken. I mean people that are
(20:25):
serving life in prison, to people who you know. I
have MSS yes, but I know people. I'm going to
go see a woman that I love she has a
muscular dystrophy, or I I'm so blessed and I talk,
I talk the other day. I was ready. I could
(20:46):
have died and been happy. Let's go. I was in
I've never said this before, but you know I do
go to church and to the I'm Catholic and Christ
built this church. And I was at adoration, where you
can go inside a Catholic church. The Eucharist is there
(21:07):
and you can just literally be with God and you've
got it. And for those who have never been there, Kevin,
I'm sorry to inorder you.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
It's adoration is if you're not Catholic, it's a very
powerful thing because people sit in complete silence, and usually
it's twenty four hours of adoration. There's a thing on
the altar inside the church called a monstrance, and that's
where the host, the body of Christ is displayed, and
(21:34):
it's nothing more than what it is. It's adorations, people praying,
it's people thinking, it's people unloading, it's a lot of things.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
So go ahead if you're literally with Christ. That Eucharist
is not a symbol. That is the body of Jesus Christ.
And I was in a iteration. And if you know,
people say, well, why doesn't God talk to me? And
I say, well, why don't you stop talking? Sh quiet?
You know, it's just like we're all little children. Just
(22:05):
sh be quiet.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
And I'm in adoration. I'm trying to turn off the
world because I'm thinking about everything. And suddenly it was
just silent. My brain shut off.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
And then God said to me, be in me as
I am in you, and I be in me as
I am in you. And then I took that home.
And I've been thinking about that lately. Be in me
(22:36):
as I am God.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
What is your name?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Moses? I am? And adoration. I was out gardening, planting flowers,
which is just ridiculous, and I was so hot and
I'm so sore, and I look around me and I
just stop. I'm seeing so many birds, so many flowers,
(23:00):
and there was silence, and there were clouds and there
were I said God, I am with you. I am
in you. You are in me.
Speaker 4 (23:08):
Every blade of grass, every leaf, every molecule of air.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I literally am in God.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
And I was saying, I'm ready to go home, and
it didn't happen here.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I am today. I'll be done. I'm glad because I
need it. Yeah, for this, we know what I'm saying
to me. It's not just a story. It's so simple.
Speaker 4 (23:32):
We're all loved, no matter how broken, how the most broken,
the filthy, the contaminated, the sinful are the most loved.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Kevin's two books, we have two minutes left and I
want to get these in. Kevin's who books are Broken Mary.
That's the first book, and the second book will make
a lot of sense. It's not a long book. It's
a great read. It's a short read but worth your time.
The second book is Mary's Roady My Travels would Marry
the Mother of Jesus, and it came out a year ago.
It's available wherever you get books. But it is the
(24:06):
basis for all those travels, as Mary's Roadie is the
basis for Broken Mary, the Kevin Matthews story. Where can
we send people to learn more about the books and
the trailer.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Where's the best place for the best place the trailer
is go on social media and just go to Broken
Mary Film and like us and follow us in the
trailers there everything. Also, I'm really I'm appreciative. I'm My
publisher is Matthew Kelly. You can go to Amazon anywhere,
(24:41):
and if people would like me to come and speak,
go to Brokenmary dot com, Brokenmary dot com and you can.
I'd love to come and speak.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
And if you're interested, you have a rosary as well.
I have two of you reciting the rosary.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Yeah. Again, just if you go to Broken Mary and
again Brokenmary dot com, you can book me to come
and speak and you can also hear the rosary. And
that's one thing I have to leave because Mary. I
went to Fatima, Portugal for the one hundredth anniversary of
the Miracle of Fatima, and that happened in twenty seventeen
(25:22):
and that turned my life around. Where the Mary asked
me to spread a pine cone almost hit me in
the head and Fatima and if it would have hit
me in the head, it would have killed me. And
I look, it's shattered on the brick and I'm like,
what is this? And the beautiful grace of Mary said,
plant the seeds in my rosary? Because I asked her,
(25:44):
what do you want me to do? I've written a book.
What do you want me to do? Plant the seeds
in my rosary? And that's what I do. The rosary.
The rosary is Mary's ambilical cord. It's how she feeds
this Jesus.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
And it's a basis for the movie Broken Mary. Kevin
matthews story, So you know where to find him. He's
on social media. You can learn about the film. The
film comes out in October October seventh, by the way,
and I knew this was going to be a challenge.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
We'll have to do a part two. Sure, Thank you
Heaven Matthew, God bless you Phil.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
And that's my conversation with Kevin Matthews. What a story.
Fathom Entertainment will bring Kevin's story to the big screen.
To Matthew's Story Documentary to theaters nationwide for one night
only on October seventh. It's an inspirational story. It's a
story of redemption, salvation and certainly inspiration. Kevin Matthews's story
(26:42):
is truly miraculous. It's one of fame, one of brokenness,
the theme you heard in our conversation, and as I
mentioned earlier, redemption told in this inspirational film from Fathom Entertainment.
You can learn more at brokenmaryfilm dot com, brokenmaryfilm dot com,
and also Broken Mary. He's been our guest for the
(27:04):
full program. I hope you enjoyed the conversation, a different
type of conversation. I certainly enjoyed it, and of course
it's available as a podcast as well. That's our program
for this week. Thank you so much for tuning in.
Let's do this next week right here on this iHeartRadio
station you've.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Been listening to iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend
is a production of Wood Radio and iHeartRadio
This is iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend is
a weekly program designed to win form and enlightened on
a wide range of public policy issues, as well as
news and current events. Now here's your host, Phil Tower.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
And welcome in.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
It's West Michigan Weekend from iHeartRadio. I am so glad
that you have tuned in this weekend on our program.
This week we catch up for the whole program with
Kevin Matthews, three time Radio Hall of Fame nominee of
Chicago and Grand Rapids radio personality well known to thousands
(00:39):
across the Midwest and across the country. Kevin's story, Broken
Mary might be familiar to you. It happened several years
ago when he found a statue of the Virgin Mary,
broken and discarded in a dumpster here in Grand Rapids.
The rest of the story is pretty amazing. It led
to a book, Kevin's first book, Broken Mary, A Journey
(01:00):
of Hope, a follow up book, Mary's Roady, and now
a nationwide film release from Fathom Entertainment. Kevin's story is amazing.
It's a story of redemption, story of salvation, a story
of hope, especially for people who feel broken. You'll notice
(01:21):
that reference several times in our conversation.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
This is a.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Conversation about faith, about Catholicism, about devotion to Mary, and
just a word of caution. If that's not your thing,
you may not want to listen to this program this week,
but I encourage you to listen because Kevin's story is
nothing short of amazing. Here's my conversation with Kevin, recorded
(01:48):
at Big Events Studios just a few days ago here
on iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. On location for this episode
inside Big Event Studios in towntown Rapids because that's where
our guest for this full program is. And you'll only
get a full program if you have a good story
to tell on iHeartRadio. Kevin Matthews is with me Radio icon,
(02:13):
three time Radio Hall of Fame nominee, soon to be inductee.
It'll happen. I had just a personal note. I had
a chance. My first two weeks at the station I
really enjoyed working at some forty years ago, were Kevin's
last two weeks. We were both at WLAV. Kevin's also
(02:33):
worked at WGRD attended GVSU. Kevin and I worked together
for a couple of weeks, but at his career skyrocketed.
He spent twenty years was it twenty years at the loop?
Over twenty years at WLUPAM in Chicago. Quite a career
and ended up back in Grand Rapids. You were diagnosed
(02:56):
with MS two thousand and eight. Then eventually you're out
of radio not long after that.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, I was fired. It wasn't by choice that my
price tag was a little too expensive, and it's much
better to just replace me with some syndicated guy who's
earning even more money.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
So if you haven't heard Kevin's story by now, it
led to a book called Broken Marry. It's a powerful book.
Even if you are not a religious person or a
person of strong faith, the story is worth reading because
it's really it's kind of like, and this happened to
Kevin Matthews. The story involves Kevin finding a broken merry
(03:43):
statue in a dumpster in what year was that?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
That was twenty eleven, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
And real quickly you were going in to buy flowers.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
You notice the statue of the.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Virgin Mary in the dumpster on your way in.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Who's actually on the ground because the statue's heavy. It's
an old statue, concrete statue of the Virgin Mary. And
I did the Holy Spirit. You know when I used
to years ago say I heard this voice. Well, I've
been educated enough through so many priests that I know
(04:18):
and are become dear friends. That's the Holy Spirit. And
that Holy Spirit said, buy your wife some flowers. I
had just gotten fired from radio. I'm driving thinking what
am I going to do? How am I going to do?
Where am I? I'm not a religious man at this point. Yeah,
I was born Catholic. But I look up and there's
a flower shop. There is no such thing as coincidences
(04:41):
at all. No, I agree. And if I would have
driven past that flower shop and not turned in, I
would be dead now and I would be in hell.
There's no question. I turn into the flower shop. I've
got MS. It's just snowed. I'm very cautious at how
I walk now because I don't want to fall. And
(05:02):
I'm going into the flower shop. I turned to my
left and I can see ten yards away, lying on
the ground next to this dumpster was the Virgin Mary.
I carefully walked over and there she is, on her back.
She's looking directly at me. She's cracked in half, her
hands are missing. And then that is the first encounter
(05:24):
I ever had with Christ and he said, will you
deny me? Will you deny my mother? And that's where
it all began. I had to get that statue, and
it's funny. I went into the shop and I said,
you know, can can I help you? And I go,
I really want to buy that statue that's laying on
(05:44):
the ground, and this woman said, no, it's not for sale.
It's a family heirloom. And again I hear that voice,
will you deny me? Will you deny my mother? And
I closed my eyes and the first time in a
long time, I prayed God helped me. And then what
came out of my mouth. I have no idea where
(06:05):
it came. I said, I'll help nuns that live out
around here. And the woman heard me and she goes,
I know your voice. Are you Kevin Matthews? You got fired?
What happened and it opened the door. I was able
to give money in her name to these nuns. I
would later find out the nuns are the Franciscan Nuns
(06:27):
in Lowell, Michigan. And they impacted my life. And that
was over ten years eleven twenty eleven. Here it is
twenty twenty five. I've written two books on the Virgin Mary,
this experience. I have a movie coming out in theaters
across America October seventh, and I feel I didn't do
(06:50):
any of this. This is all God. This is all God,
and that's what is so amazing. And during this journey,
because it's not a story, stories have endings, this continues.
It's a journey of hope. That's the first book, and
the second book is Mary's Roadie. We have been all
over the country and it is amazing how many people
(07:17):
have been touched by this message. We're all broken, but
we're loved by God.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
I want to stop you right there because there's so
much to talk about with the travels, because you and
I had a great opportunity to spend some time together
right when Broken Mary came out.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
You gave me a copy of the book.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
You gave a lot of people a copy of the book.
I had the wonderful opportunity to hear you speak a
long time ago at the assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Mary in Belmont, Michigan, Packed Parish. But I want to
go back to the radio stuff people knew you knew
you for twenty years. In fact, the trailer and we're
(07:58):
going to put the link to the trailer in the
podcast notes for this conversation, which I know a lot
of you will want to go back and check out.
But the trailer really talks about it gives you just
a really quick ten second glimpse at the fame and
just the life you live, which is completely different what
you're living now. It's recognition, but it's recognition because of
(08:23):
this spiritual awakening that.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Happened with you.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
But you still have to encounter people Kevin who are like,
what the hell happened to you? You know you're diehard
fans of the Loop. The crazy stuff you did on
the air. I mean I knew because I listened to
a lot of it here in Grand Rapids years.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Ago when you were on the radio.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
We were still listening to AM one thousand in our
cars back People still listen to AM radio. Tell me
about some of those encounters are People are like, where's
the real keV?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Where did you go? The real Kev's always been I
was real on the radio. I was young. I was
with people, you know, the little instigators like Steve Dahl
and Jonathan brand Meyer and Gary Meyer. We were lunatics
and we got paid well. And I was fined so
many times by the FCC, and my boss, Larry Word
(09:17):
was happy to write the check. He's a part of this.
I'm still Kevin, and I've had a lot of people
go what happened to you know, they've encouraged it because
I don't one thing that I have a covenant with God.
I made a covenant with God, and when you make
a covenant with God, you can't break it. And I said,
(09:38):
all I want to be God is I want to
work for you. After I got fired, I was auctioned
off as an altar boy and I was literally on
sitting on an altar with a priest. I was auctioned
off for one thousand dollars and I'm looking at the crowd.
I'm fired from radio. And at the same time, I've
(09:59):
never been happier because here I am dressed as an
altar boy with little altar boys who thought I was
a complete psycho. And I said, God, I just want
to work for you. And I thought, my job with
you is for eternity. You're not going to fire me.
The benefits are great, and that day really changed my life.
(10:21):
And I said to Christ, I said, Jesus, look at
You're my shepherd and he is, Christ is the shepherd
of shepherds. I said, I am nothing more than a
shepherd dog.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
All.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I'm broken up, I'm bruised, I'm old, I can hardly walk,
but I want to be your shepherd dog and love me.
Gather these lambs that have strayed from you, bring them
back without biting or barking. And that's what I am.
I am a shepherd dog that doesn't bite, doesn't bark.
God gives us a choice either follow me or don't.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
And you had this incredible story to tell. Yeah, I
know there's some really key things that happened along this journey.
After you find the broken merry statue which to this day,
which travels with you. Yeah, it's still broken, right, it's
still we kept her broken.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
I a priest told me where I could get her fixed.
And bottom line is I just said to this guy,
I said, you know he wanted to put new hands
in painter And I said, no, that is me. This
statue is me. I'm broken. I can't put her together.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
I want to stop you right there, because that's so important.
I've I've run into so many people and you and
I worked in secular radio. This conversation right now is
running on iHeartRadio, on secular radio, and I think so
many people today, especially so many young people. You run
into these people, I run into these people. People are
not going to churches because they have this false sense
(11:46):
of what religion is or vision or what the media
has told them. But really at the core of it
is people who are strong in faith are people who
are broken. Their lives were an absolute crap hole.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Yeah, say that word on the radio.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Yours is a story of being found and just an
incredible gratitude for that that you're showing now and paying
it back. But I look at this, Kevin and think,
I love how you're saying. You know, I want to
work for you God, I want to go on the road.
And that part was wonderful. But I know our mutual friend,
(12:24):
father Mark Shebbish, was a big part of this journey.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
You mentioned the.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Franciscan Life Process Center in Lowell. God rest her soul
sister Colleen, and she who was who is the biggest
tycoon in icon and she was in just the most
on fire woman but in a you see her in
a room, you never think this woman is a woman
who makes things happen. You had a special relationship with her.
(12:54):
She was a mentor, she was a spiritual advisor. Just
can you can you talk about her and Father Mark
for a couple of minutes.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Well, it's you know again. I was born a Catholic
and I went you know, I was baptized in the
Catholic church. You know, communion, confession, all that, but I
call myself at that time. As I got older, I
became a zombie Catholic where I just went maybe on Easter,
(13:23):
maybe on Christmas if I didn't have too much to drink.
Then I'm too drunk to go to church. I'm that Catholic.
And especially my kids graduate now I could really become
a devoted zombie Catholic and not go.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
There are a lot of devoted zombie Catholics and other
denominations and people who just mechanically go to church and
go home.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
And you know, God still loves us, gives us a chance.
You know, you said, God, I want to work with you.
Let me just tell everybody. God's a great guy. He's
just a wonderful and Sister Colleen Anne I eventual. Actually,
Father Mark said after years. I had the statue for
two years and I made a vow that I would
(14:06):
give money in these nuns name. He goes, don't you
know these nuns money? And I go yeah, he goes, well,
I know where they are. I think that the Franciscans.
I went out there and I brought the statue and
I told what happened, and that night it came out
of my mouth before I ended, I said, we're all broken,
(14:27):
but we're loved by God. And Father Mark was driving
home from that night, he said, that's a really beautiful homily.
Why don't you come to Saint Anthony's and I'll start
the homilies and you finish it. We're all broken, we're
loved by God. And I've done stand up. I worked
with Tim Allen Seinfeld. How hard can it be to
(14:47):
stand in a church talking about the Mother of Christ?
And then I got flop sweat and I did the
seven thirty and this beautiful it was Christ. Just as
I'm ending, I'm telling people, this statue doesn't belong to me.
Take her home. If you know people that are broken,
that are sick, and she would go to you know
(15:08):
hospice or emergency rooms. And I'll never forget that day
because I did all three masses. The ten o'clock. I
said to father Mark, I don't want to do the
eleven thirty. I'm dying up here, and he goes, Kevin,
turn around. There are people lined up at the statue
and it was a game changer. And you know, people go, well,
(15:30):
you shouldn't worship Mary. Well, I have a mother, Phil
do you worship your mom?
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I miss my mom.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I know I do too, and I immensely. And in fact,
I came up in my childhood. I didn't like my
dad because he was just a mean guy. But Mom,
it's I think. I'm so attracted to Mary because of
the gentleness of my real mother. And now I have
(15:59):
this beautiful one who gave birth to Christ So yeah,
a sister, Colleen in She passed away just a few
months ago. And I would go out and I would
talk to her. She knew me very well, and I
could ask her anything. I'd say, do you think I'm close?
What is Mary? The mother of Christ?
Speaker 4 (16:17):
Am? I offending her? Can you help me? And she
was so sweet and she.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Loved our blessed mother so much. She's so lucky right
now because I have a picture of her. I see
her every morning, and I don't say, yeah, I miss you,
but I know that you're smiling, you're having fun, you're
in heaven. You helped me so much, and she's still alive.
She's with me to this day. Great. So everybody I've
(16:42):
met is not a coincidence. God here, Oh, we're gonna
phill you and I when we first met, I didn't
have the statue. I got kicked out of ten golf
courses in ten years. I literally, I'm lucky to be alive.
And I don't compare myself to disciples. But look at Paul.
(17:06):
Look at the disciple Paul. He used to kill Jews,
and I mean it was Christ compiled all these disciples
that were basically a mess. And I've gotten in. I
love this term that I often use. And so those
people that think they're too broken, where God doesn't like them,
(17:27):
or it's too late, I'll never be able to come.
All saints have a past, all sinners have a future
that's powerful. It's never too late. And I've never been
happier in my life.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
It's funny you said that I was curiously searching one
night and I googled who are the worst saints? Yeah,
and there is a saint and you can look her up.
She was Egyptian and for twelve years she was a prostitute.
And I'm sorry I'm not recalling her name. She has interview,
but I'll put a link at the podcast. But at
(18:01):
one point she's enjoying it, seducing men so much. In fact,
the saint they talk about her that she enjoyed it
so much.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
She didn't charge the men.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
And then eventually she said, I'm going to go to
Jerusalem and entice more men there and continue her prostitution.
While on the way, she had a conversion and became
a devout person of faith and lived the rest of
her life in devotion to God and her spirituality. And
of course it is today has been sainted, and you
(18:31):
look at it.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
And go, here's a person who was twelve years.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Of prostitute on her way to Jerusalem to inseduce and
entice more men, and she has a conversion story. Weird,
crazy stuff like that. Kevin Matthews is with US Radio Icon,
three time Radio Hall of Fame nominee and author of
two books that are worth your time, even if you're
not one of those Jesus people, even if you're not
(18:58):
spiritual broken Mary, which is an incredible story.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
We all have stories.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
When you and Kevin has more stories. We could fill
three probably thumb drives of stories from Kevin. And someday
you're going to write that book of all the things
that happen You're radio.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
But this is the.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Most powerful story in the story. I have no doubt,
Kevin Matthews, you will be remembered for twenty five fifty
years for now, but the story of your life being
saved because of a statue of the Virgin Mary. The
first book leads to travel. You've traveled all around the world.
I've lived vicariously through the things you've shared on social media,
(19:40):
just incredible things. That part of your life alone led
to Mary's Roady, which came out last July, which is
your story of life in the road being Mary's Roady,
literally going into parishes. You've spoken all around the world, prisons, prisons,
I say, how do these things happened? Share with our
(20:01):
listeners all these happen?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Prayer, I speak, I talk, I talk, And years ago
I said, Mary, let's be around the most broken and
you always have to. I heard that saying you be
careful what you pray for. And as soon as that happened,
we're around the most broken. I mean people that are
(20:25):
serving life in prison, to people who you know. I
have MSS yes, but I know people. I'm going to
go see a woman that I love she has a
muscular dystrophy, or I I'm so blessed and I talk,
I talk the other day. I was ready. I could
(20:46):
have died and been happy. Let's go. I was in
I've never said this before, but you know I do
go to church and to the I'm Catholic and Christ
built this church. And I was at adoration, where you
can go inside a Catholic church. The Eucharist is there
(21:07):
and you can just literally be with God and you've
got it. And for those who have never been there, Kevin,
I'm sorry to inorder you.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
It's adoration is if you're not Catholic, it's a very
powerful thing because people sit in complete silence, and usually
it's twenty four hours of adoration. There's a thing on
the altar inside the church called a monstrance, and that's
where the host, the body of Christ is displayed, and
(21:34):
it's nothing more than what it is. It's adorations, people praying,
it's people thinking, it's people unloading, it's a lot of things.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
So go ahead if you're literally with Christ. That Eucharist
is not a symbol. That is the body of Jesus Christ.
And I was in a iteration. And if you know,
people say, well, why doesn't God talk to me? And
I say, well, why don't you stop talking? Sh quiet?
You know, it's just like we're all little children. Just
(22:05):
sh be quiet.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
And I'm in adoration. I'm trying to turn off the
world because I'm thinking about everything. And suddenly it was
just silent. My brain shut off.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
And then God said to me, be in me as
I am in you, and I be in me as
I am in you. And then I took that home.
And I've been thinking about that lately. Be in me
(22:36):
as I am God.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
What is your name?
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Moses? I am? And adoration. I was out gardening, planting flowers,
which is just ridiculous, and I was so hot and
I'm so sore, and I look around me and I
just stop. I'm seeing so many birds, so many flowers,
(23:00):
and there was silence, and there were clouds and there
were I said God, I am with you. I am
in you. You are in me.
Speaker 4 (23:08):
Every blade of grass, every leaf, every molecule of air.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
I literally am in God.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
And I was saying, I'm ready to go home, and
it didn't happen here.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
I am today. I'll be done. I'm glad because I
need it. Yeah, for this, we know what I'm saying
to me. It's not just a story. It's so simple.
Speaker 4 (23:32):
We're all loved, no matter how broken, how the most broken,
the filthy, the contaminated, the sinful are the most loved.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Kevin's two books, we have two minutes left and I
want to get these in. Kevin's who books are Broken Mary.
That's the first book, and the second book will make
a lot of sense. It's not a long book. It's
a great read. It's a short read but worth your time.
The second book is Mary's Roady My Travels would Marry
the Mother of Jesus, and it came out a year ago.
It's available wherever you get books. But it is the
(24:06):
basis for all those travels, as Mary's Roadie is the
basis for Broken Mary, the Kevin Matthews story. Where can
we send people to learn more about the books and
the trailer.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Where's the best place for the best place the trailer
is go on social media and just go to Broken
Mary Film and like us and follow us in the
trailers there everything. Also, I'm really I'm appreciative. I'm My
publisher is Matthew Kelly. You can go to Amazon anywhere,
(24:41):
and if people would like me to come and speak,
go to Brokenmary dot com, Brokenmary dot com and you can.
I'd love to come and speak.
Speaker 3 (24:52):
And if you're interested, you have a rosary as well.
I have two of you reciting the rosary.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Yeah. Again, just if you go to Broken Mary and
again Brokenmary dot com, you can book me to come
and speak and you can also hear the rosary. And
that's one thing I have to leave because Mary. I
went to Fatima, Portugal for the one hundredth anniversary of
the Miracle of Fatima, and that happened in twenty seventeen
(25:22):
and that turned my life around. Where the Mary asked
me to spread a pine cone almost hit me in
the head and Fatima and if it would have hit
me in the head, it would have killed me. And
I look, it's shattered on the brick and I'm like,
what is this? And the beautiful grace of Mary said,
plant the seeds in my rosary? Because I asked her,
(25:44):
what do you want me to do? I've written a book.
What do you want me to do? Plant the seeds
in my rosary? And that's what I do. The rosary.
The rosary is Mary's ambilical cord. It's how she feeds
this Jesus.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
And it's a basis for the movie Broken Mary. Kevin
matthews story, So you know where to find him. He's
on social media. You can learn about the film. The
film comes out in October October seventh, by the way,
and I knew this was going to be a challenge.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
We'll have to do a part two. Sure, Thank you
Heaven Matthew, God bless you Phil.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
And that's my conversation with Kevin Matthews. What a story.
Fathom Entertainment will bring Kevin's story to the big screen.
To Matthew's Story Documentary to theaters nationwide for one night
only on October seventh. It's an inspirational story. It's a
story of redemption, salvation and certainly inspiration. Kevin Matthews's story
(26:42):
is truly miraculous. It's one of fame, one of brokenness,
the theme you heard in our conversation, and as I
mentioned earlier, redemption told in this inspirational film from Fathom Entertainment.
You can learn more at brokenmaryfilm dot com, brokenmaryfilm dot com,
and also Broken Mary. He's been our guest for the
(27:04):
full program. I hope you enjoyed the conversation, a different
type of conversation. I certainly enjoyed it, and of course
it's available as a podcast as well. That's our program
for this week. Thank you so much for tuning in.
Let's do this next week right here on this iHeartRadio
station you've.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Been listening to iHeartRadio's West Michigan Weekend. West Michigan Weekend
is a production of Wood Radio and iHeartRadio
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