PART 2

Tracy Ferrie Interview (New Bass Player for Stryper)
By: Brett Christensen

In this, the second half of the interview, Tracy Ferrie discusses his musical career and the new Stryper album Reborn:

Stryper.com: After you married, how did you pursue your music career?

Tracy: What happened was very significant. I put out some ads about looking for cool Christian cats or something like that. (laughs) Something real corny with a picture of a cat. Some really cool guys responded, and kinda took me under their wing. Those were the guys from Electrik. They told me about their church Sanctuary, and they invited me to it. Up until then, I had not been discipled. That was one of the major problems with my walk and relationship. I had knowledge of God, but I didn’t know what He required of me, or how to live the Christian life.

So these guys brought me to church, and Sanctuary had multiple discipleship programs. My wife and I went through a year long course. It was a radical active discipleship, and we learned so many different aspects of living the Christian life. What we’re going to encounter, and how to handle different things. That changed my life, and my walk. I was equipped. There’s a scripture verse that says to be prepared to give that humble, quiet answer for the hope that you have. That is just so important to being a Christian.

So my wife and I were both discipled. I started recording for Electrik. That went on for about a year or two, something like that. I ended up being called to the East Coast, to witness to my family... which was fruitful. When I was out there I got a call from Dez Dickerson, do you know who that is?

Stryper.com: Yes, he used to play with Prince!

Tracy: He said that there’s a couple of bands he wanted me to check out. One was Whitecross. I tried out for them, but Rex Carroll didn’t think I was worthy. (laughs)

Stryper.com: Really?

Tracy: I actually tried out twice for Whitecross, and both times I got denied.

Stryper.com: Wow.

Tracy: Then a band called Seriah called me up. They were just the greatest guys. They were from my home state, Indiana, which really holds a soft place in my heart. So they came out with this little trailer and moved all my stuff back to Indiana. I ended up making a move because of the band. We rehearsed in Marion, Indiana up above this music store. It was a great time! We did some touring, and I did a record with them. I really thought they were one of the best bands to ever play for. The record company experience was not very, uh… (laughs)

Stryper.com: Pleasant? (laughing)

Tracy: It wasn’t the best experience… not a positive experience, let me put it that way. I ended up leaving the group over issues of that nature, and ended up getting a call from Scott Wendell. He didn’t feel he needed to audition me once Rex was gone (from Whitecross). Once he had parted with Rex, he and I ended up looking for a guitar player. We had auditioned and got a guy named Barry Graul, who played for DC Talk, Michael Sweet, and others. Now he is the guitar player for Mercy Me (not too shabby).

After settling into Nashville, I began to put out some resumes and pictures, stuff like that. You know, mail them to whoever and get them out. Somebody got a hold of one, and hand-delivered it to Michael Sweet’s address. I don’t know this person, I didn’t know Michael Sweet, and I wasn’t necessarily trying to get hold of him. But somebody hand-delivered it to his mailbox.

Stryper.com: You didn’t know who that was that gave it to Mike?

Tracy: No. He doesn’t either.

Stryper.com: Incredible. So your demo and your resume showed up in his mailbox?

Tracy: Right. Resume and picture. Neither of us, to this day, knows who hand delivered it to his mailbox. But I’m very grateful. He gave me a call, it was about the time he was forming his first solo tour. I was involved in the studio with White Cross at the time, and it would not have been right for me to bail on them. Especially in the middle of a recording. I ended up doing two records with White Cross, and in between that time, I was getting calls from Michael Sweet. I wasn’t available here, I wasn’t available there, and he went through two or maybe three bass players before I became available. I finally ended up doing the Real tour with him.

We became friends immediately. He would come to rehearse in Nashville, and at first was staying at a hotel. I said, “Look, we’ve got a really small extra bedroom with a really lousy bed (laughs), if you want to stay there.” He came over, and it was a very special time. My wife and I set him down, and shared with him the reason we were Christians today was because of the music of Stryper. Indirectly, for myself, but directly for my wife. It was very meaningful to him, because I think he had gone through some times of… I’m not sure how to put it. Maybe just being discouraged, let’s put it that way. I felt really led to say, “If you ever feel discouraged, and not being used, just look at our life. We are God’s success story through Stryper. We’re married today, we’re Christians today, and the fact that I’m getting to play for the very person who was instrumental in leading to this Christian life.” To me, only God could do something like that. It’d be like somebody at a Billy Graham crusade getting saved and getting to be their secretary or something like that. I knew some of the other bassists that played for Michael, and Michael is a stickler. (laughs) For me to endure the test of time would be a challenge. But by God’s grace, I’m still working with him.

Stryper.com: And now you’re Stryper’s bass player. How did that come about?

Tracy: During the reunion tour, they came through Nashville. I got a call from Michael, saying he would like to hook up maybe for dinner and before the show. He also said that if I would want to, I could lead them in prayer and devotions. Normally they would have Michael Guido, who I’m acquainted with and somewhat friends with in Nashville. Guido agreed to sit it out and let me lead the devotions that night, so I was in the bus with them and God put it in my heart what to say. That was another time to connect with the guys. I got to meet Timmy, who I might have met at the Stryper Expo, but just briefly. So there was another connection there.

When it was time for Timmy and the rest of the band to go their separate ways, I got the call from management. I was initially offered the shows to fill in, Orlando and whatever would be in the near future, to fill in for the interim. I’d been in some other wonderful bands: Rebecca St. James, Plum, Guardian, and others, and had some wonderful spiritual experiences on-stage. But the whole time in Orlando, I felt God’s presence very, very heavy upon me. Even in the hotel room. And this is a testimony, not a lot of the bands I’ve played for did I get my own room. This particular show, the band members did get their own room. Sometimes it’s scary, to be alone in a room with the tv and all that stuff. But I’ve been around a lot of wise, godly people who have counseled me on stuff like that.

A bus driver who drove for Rebecca St. James, a very wise, older man … he said when he goes in the hotel, he opens the door and says, “Alright, everybody out!” (laughs) He walks in, and he prays through the room. He kinda takes the Billy Graham approach, he actually gets rid of the tv. So in Orlando I unplugged it, and I had just a sweet, sweet time with the Lord. God was literally just waking me up in the middle of the night, having me pray for specific things: what to pray about for the show, and what to pray about when we have our time of devotions. I just felt God as a real presence and power. Being it was my first Stryper show, I was a little anxious about playing the parts and measuring up. That’s filling some very big shoes. God’s presence was so heavily on me, I would just cry all night long.

Stryper.com: Were you able to sleep at all?

Tracy: (laughs) I’d sleep a couple of hours, and cry. It was a weird kind of cry. It was like God’s heart, kind of cry. Then we did our sound check, got prepared, and I realized I’m getting to live out a dream that I’ve been working toward my entire life. Not necessarily Stryper, but just someplace where I felt like God was calling me into. The show was very moving, and I felt like there was a very powerful presence of God, at least from where I was standing.

Here is something else important about the Stryper show that I wanted to point out. With many bands I’ve been in, we’d try to get together and have devotional, or we’d pray or whatever. This time we got together before we went to the venue, and said, “Look, we’re going to get there and it’s going to be crazy. We’ll be lucky to have five minutes of praying.” So we literally spent at least two hours talking, praying, and reading scripture. For one of the first times I felt really prepared, spiritually, to go out and deal with what was going to happen. I felt God playing through me that night, as I have in other groups and situations. I was really encouraged that we took the time and we prayed. We took care of business, in a spiritual sense, before going out on stage. We bonded and we got some stuff out that God needed to get out, in talking to each other. It was wonderful! Not just the band, but also the band and the crew, which is very important because they are part of the family as well. It sounds clichéd, but you really can’t do it without them. Not do it right anyway.

So I felt the support and welcome that they provided as well. I got a very warm and positive response from Oz and Robert before, during, and after the show. Especially after the show, which was very confirming and rewarding. Which leads me to recording and developing an even deeper relationship with them.

Stryper.com: It sounds like God has been preparing you for quite some time!

Tracy: Yes. One thing I realize, having played live and recording with Stryper… is that I am indeed in a league with extraordinary gentlemen. Just getting to know them, and every opportunity there is to talk about God, and point each other in the right direction. That’s encouraging. Because a lot of times, these bands get out on the road, and they can sometimes get mischievous. You can really cause each other to stumble. That hasn’t been the case here, it’s more been the opposite.

The other thing I wanted to emphasize, I feel that my life has been a Christian success story, thanks to Stryper. I’ve been married sixteen years now, and I am in love with my wife. I’m very happy with my employment, and the relationships that come along with that.

Stryper.com: So what can you tell us about the new album?

Tracy: The album is a collection of songs Michael had been crafting in his studio her on the east coast. At recording time, Mike asked for out input and we began the process. Rob pounded out the drum parts and I played along in the control room. After that Mike & Oz worked out the guitar lines. We then belted out some background vocals in the overdub studio and left it in the hands of our engineer to make for a successful delivery and there you have it – Reborn.

It’s a good mix of tunes, even the one or two that seem like a ballad end up kicking you in the pants. My favorite tracks are “When Did I See You Cry” and the new version of “In God We Trust”. To me, Reborn is a cross between Against The Law and Michael’s Truth record; heavy, tight, and melodious.

Stryper.com: Any final thoughts for our readers?

Tracy: Be faithful in the little things for God measures things different than we do. I would like to say thanks to those who pointed the way, especially those who locked arms and walked with me. All you saints: Please keep us covered in prayer for it is powerful and effective. And finally, know that God in Christ Jesus truly has your best interest in mind. You have his word on it! (see Psalms 37:4)

Brett Christensen
www.Stryper.com
Keeping The Fire Burning!