Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tori Gay. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Tori, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was moving over 500 miles to Tennessee to pursue the “music career” part of my ministry.
I’m originally from the little map-dot town of Foxworth, in South Mississippi, and I felt like I’d gotten to the point that I was doing all that I could do in my music ministry, there. I knew I wanted to be able to do more, to incorporate different ways of sharing Jesus with people, and I always thought that moving to Nashville would be the answer to that. Like most people in any genre of music, I had dreams of “making it in the business”, but I wanted to be sure that I was keeping God at the center of it all. So, I dreamed and waited to make that big move from 2004 (my first trip to Nashville) until 2012, when I finally felt like the Lord said, “It’s time.” I let a month or so go by before I told anyone I was moving, because I had to be sure it really was time, that it wasn’t just my hasty desire to get to Tennessee that was talking! I mean, packing up and moving that far is a BIG undertaking, not to mention life change. But, as I began to make all the arrangements, it was evident that God was in the relocation, because the way the details fell into place was unbelievable.
On November 26, 2012, I packed my car and made the move to Seymour, Tennessee. I had no job and no place of my own to live. A couple from my hometown lived here, and they were graciously letting me stay with them until I could get settled into my new life. Fortunately, I had the luxury of doing a test run, lol. If things didn’t go well, I could’ve repacked the car and headed back to Foxworth…but that’s NOT how I wanted it to go. After 3 months, I got a job, and a month later, I had a place to live…it’s hard to believe I’ve been here a decade!
Taking the risk of leaving the stability of my life in Mississippi is the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve been places, done things, and met people that I never would have if I’d been too scared to take that flying leap! The whole point was to further my music ministry, and that’s exactly what the Lord has done. Being here has given me the opportunity to work with, and become friends with, people that used to just be names and radio songs to me. I’m so thankful that God has given me the honor of being called to tell others about him through music and comedy; and I’m thankful that He gave me the faith to follow Him where He was leading!
Tori, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
When I was 4 years old, I sang my first solo in church. I grew up in a tiny country church, and my family there was always encouraging me to sing. A couple of years later, I started playing piano. A couple of years later, I started writing songs. (Well, to be honest, they didn’t really qualify as actual songs, lol.) When I was about 10, I started filling in when our pianist would be gone. That led to filling in at other churches in the area…sometimes, I even got a call if a music director was out. I loved being able to contribute to Kingdom work in that way, just doing what I loved to do. I never would have believed that God was using it all to prepare me for the ministry I’m in, now.
In 2000, I wrote my first *real* song. After that, I started writing more, and around 2007, I took a songwriting course that just turned on a part of my brain that I couldn’t turn off if I wanted to. Fortunately, I don’t want to! That made me look at writing more seriously, and I realized that the Lord might want that to be an important part of this ministry. I’m a Southern Gospel artist, and it’s the genre that touches my heart the most, but I’ve found that I unintentionally write quite a bit of Christian Country, too. Southern Gospel songs talk a lot about Heaven and biblical accounts, but Christian Country is a lot like regular Country – it relates to people’s everyday lives. And that’s important. With God, life is a much better journey, but there are still struggles and obstacles, and I think a lot of people need to hear songs about those, so they know they’re not the only ones who experience them.
In 2007 or so, Lula Bell showed up. She’s my comedic “friend” who travels with me. She’s a little gray-haired, curler-wearing old lady from South Mississippi, and she talks a lot about being old and being Southern. It wasn’t until 2017 that she made her public debut…it took me that long to pray up enough courage to put her in front of folks, lol. People seem to love her everywhere we go, though. She’s great at getting the audience loosened up for me to come in and sing about Jesus. It also gives them something to look at besides me!
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to having this opportunity to travel around and use singing, songwriting, and comedy to share Jesus with people! I always say – in complete sincerity – that I don’t really have any other talents, but I am SO grateful that what I can do, I can use to tell others about the Lord. I know what He’s done for me, and I know what He can do for them. For most of the 17+ years that I’ve been doing this, I’ve felt like my specific purpose is to edify the Church, because if we’re not getting the encouragement and strength we need as Christians, as Kingdom warriors, we can’t do much to help those who are in the fight around us. When I do a program, I just want to help people leave their lives outside the doors for a little while and focus on God.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I guess the most rewarding thing is to finish writing a song! It really is a “birthing process” for me. I know some people who can get an idea for a song and finish it in the same day. I am not typically that person, lol. When I get something started, I need a few days (sometimes months or years!) to let it marinate so I can get it written. There are songs I started but was never able to complete until I had a certain experience. The emotionally rewarding part is when someone says they relate or have been helped by a song I’ve written. Being in the music ministry is all about bringing people closer to the Lord and helping them along the journey, and when YOU have words that can accomplish that, because of your own relationship with Jesus, it’s just special.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think that the willingness to take more risks more often might not make sense to a non-creative. When your life is centered around creating things that people connect with – whatever it might be – you’re driven by a passion to do it, and that passion fuels the boldness that pushes you to do what’s necessary to continue the creation process. In the same way, the passion to create compels you to persevere. There is absolutely nothing else that I would have pursued so long and not seen bigger and better results. The fact that I’m in a ministry is the main motivator, but because I can’t stop singing, writing songs, or coming up with humorous bits to spread a little sunshine, I just keep doing it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.torigay.com
- Instagram: @tori_gay_
- Facebook: @torigaymin
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/torigayministries
Image Credits
Pat Hutchings and Tammy Mills