We were lucky to catch up with Kelly Garner recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kelly, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My current album, “It’s Not Over,” is the most meaningful project I’ve ever recorded. The title track proclaims that “It’s Not Over” for anyone in life. We have hope, his name is Jesus, and God has a purpose and plan for you no matter what stage of life you are in. I was a CCM artist back in 1995, toured the country, traveled to overseas events to lead worship, then went into education for 16 years. After teaching at Belmont 10 years, Miami 3 years while a doctoral student and building a Commercial Music program at Union University, I felt God call me back to my first love, being a recording artist and songwriter. I have written songs for so many notable and award winning artists in southern gospel. Now it was time to record the songs myself. The first single from the album was a duet recorded with Joseph Habedank entitled “Forgive Myself.” It hits at the heart of our own condition saying, “If Jesus can forgive me, then it’s time to forgive myself. My current radio single is “The Day I Get Home.” It is a song about my mother who passed away in October 2022. It talks about her faithfulness as a church member and bible teacher. Beginning with the lyric, “with her hand on her bible, she stood throughout the years and taught the old-time gospel through all life’s toils and tears..” The chorus goes on to talk about the moment when she sees Jesus, she will lay down her trials and trade a cross for a crown. It then says “freedom from suffering is something I’ve never know. But, I’ll know what it’s like on The Day I Get Home!” It’s a special about a special lady and is zooming up the charts. It’s an exciting time. My first single from the album broke into the Top 60 and it will be fun to watch how much further this song goes. One of the other songs on the record talks about an illness that I’ve had now for 8 years. I am epileptic. It begins with the lyric, “I never knew I’d still be in this valley. I thought my God would rescue me by now..” The chorus resonates with so many proclaiming “even when God doesn’t send a miracle, even when He doesn’t answer like I prayed He would, I still know my God is able. He is with me. He is faithful. Yes, I know, my God is still good!” I am in between 2 surgeries that could cure me from the illness. I am a perfect candidate for the RNS chip implant. Whether it cures me or not, I know my God is still good. The album is a culmination of 14 songs that speak to hope, courage and resilience, never giving in, putting our faith in Jesus. I watched my mother finish the race pressing all the way to the goal, reading her bible and being the courageous Christian prayer warrior she had always been until her last breath. That exactly the way I want to finish! So for now, indeed “It’s Not Over!” I’ve got work to do until the moment God takes me to my heavenly home.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started singing at the young age of 3 at my grandparents church, Mt Olive Baptist, on Sand Mountain in Altoona, AL. As I grew older, I continued to get up and sing in Piedmont, AL at my home church First Baptist. In my teens, I started leading songs in Gospel Singings at my grandparents church. This story is told in my song “Good Ole Gospel Sing,” the first song on my current album, “It’s Not Over.” We had dinner on the ground for lunch and sang out of shaped-note books all day. It was quite a part of my heritage, as much as also singing spirituals with my “Manny,” the lady who kept me while my mother taught school. What a heritage to be taught by her and Mrs. Maddox who led the all-day “Sings.” I came to Nashville at 18 to do a single-song demo, but then returned as a Commercial Music student at Belmont University at 22. I had already received a B.S.Ed in Secondary Math from Auburn, but realized music was my first love. I signed a recording contract with Diadem Records upon graduation in 1992 and released my first record in 1995. After touring worldwide, I decided to sign an exclusive songwriting deal in 1998 with Centergy Music Group in 1998 and wrote there 5 years. This is where I wrote hits for Legacy Five, Karen Peck and New River, Gold City, Greater Vision, Vestal Goodman, The Martins, The Talleys, The Perry’s, Brian Free and Assurance, and many others. I then started teaching in education for 16 years, during which time I earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Performance (voice) with a cognate in Music Technology from the University of Miami in 2014. After spending those 16 years as an educator, I restarted my career as an artist releasing “It’s Not Over” independently in 2023 with a star-studded, award winning cast of musicians and producers. We have recently released my second single, my very own original “The Day I Get Home,” which is zooming up the charts. I am having a great time, making the music that I’ve always wanted to make with my own original songs and other favorites on the album like Waymaker and Forgive Myself! It’s the album that I feel got me back to my first love, being a recording artist-writer. So indeed, “It’s Not Over.” In addition to music, I also have written 2 full books myself and have contributed to 4 others, including a book of choral arrangements called “Yes and Amen!” My book include my dissertation “Vocal Recording Techniques for the Modern Digital Studio” and “So You Want to Sing Country” for NATS and Roman/Littlefield publications. I wrote the “Songwriting” chapter 6 in Tim Baskerville and Sedona Elton’s widely used University textbook, “Music Business Handbook and Career Guide.” Other contributions include “The Voice Teachers Cookbook” by Meredith Music Publications.
As an educator, I also served on the General Board of Directors for Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA) from 2018-2022 and won six prestigious Downbeat Awards from Downbeat Magazine while working on my doctorate in Miami from 2011-2014.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Even though I appreciate how streaming gets our creative work to the world, I think that it has changed our industry and how musicians make money. Years ago our greatest income was royalties. Not anymore. The non-creators need to understand that the artist now live by their performance fees and merchandise sales. In order for us to continue to make the music, we need our fans to support any way they can, with buying a USB, CD, Tshirt, or other merchandise. Because we love making our craft we want to continue, so please help us do that in any way that you can. There is nothing too small. We’ve got to work together to continue making the music!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is telling the story. We all have a story to tell and we need to tell it as we try to make this world a better place!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kellygarner.com
• Instagram: @kellygarnermusic
• Facebook: Kelly Garner
• Linkedin: Kelly K. Garner, D.M.A.
• Twitter: @kellykgarner
• Youtube: @kellygarnermusic
• Yelp: Kelly G.

Image Credits
Karen Will Rogers