What do Reliant K, Jennifer Knapp and Out of Eden have in common? One name: TOBY McKEEHAN.
Not only has Toby signed each of these artists to his record label, Gotee, but he also takes a personal interest in their musical careers, coaching them, helping to promote their albums, even touring with them.
No doubt about it, Toby and dc Talk have transformed the Christian music industry, opening doors for scores of other artists.
The band’s music has mixed rock, rap and pop in unimaginable ways, achieving an impressive track record:
"Back when we were selling our cassettes door-to-door, we never imagined that dc Talk would one day be so successful," Toby says. "We were just three friends getting together and making music."
So, what’s it like to be so successful — not to mention a record label executive — at such a young age? We dropped by Gotee Records to find out. Here’s what Toby had to say in his own words.
TOBY TALK
Blessings From Above
Honestly, I get blown away every day. I truly feel blessed from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes. But I don’t feel responsible for all of this. I believe that God has blessed me with people who are committed and people who are excellent and passionate about what they do.
When I moved to Nashville 11 years ago, I didn’t know exactly what I’d be doing. I knew I was signing a deal with ForeFront Records, and I knew I was going to be opening for a band called DeGarmo and Key. I also knew that my friends Michael Tait and Kevin Smith were with me and that they were both very talented people whom I loved and whom I was committed to. But that’s all I really knew at the time.
Yet for some reason, God laid a prayer on my heart. It wasn’t that dc Talk would rock the world. It wasn’t that our band would win millions of people to Christ through music. It wasn’t any of those things. It was this simple prayer: "God, I know things are gonna happen. I don’t know what it’s gonna be, but I would ask that You just surround me with the kind of people I need. Give me friends and family and partners who will hold me accountable; who will love me and whom I can love back. Let us serve You together."
God has been so amazing. And beyond any success in my life, God has been true to that prayer. I’m very quick not to take all the credit for anything. I do my best to push it back on all the people in my life.
When dc Talk steps on stage to receive a Dove Award, we know it’s foolish to think it’s all because of what three guys have accomplished. We know it takes a staff; it takes a family; it takes a lot of people to make art go to all those places. Not only that, it takes a lot of people to make the art.
TOBY TALK
How Gotee Records Got Started
Gotee grew out of dc Talk’s down time.
You see, making a record is about a two-and-a-half-year process for us. We also take time off between projects — which, we think, is good for us.
So, during one of those down times seven years ago, I and two other guys — Todd Collins, our manager/engineer and Joey Elwood, our producer — ended up brainstorming an idea: What if we started a label that was very artist-driven?! Our vision was to create a company that makes the art and the ministry the most important thing — not just marketing.
Anyway, several months later, as we were getting our plans in motion, we met three very talented ladies who called themselves Out of Eden. We ended up signing these artists and launching Gotee Records.
Soon, other musicians followed: Christafari, Johnny Q. Public and Grits. And the rest, as they say, is history. The common thread through Gotee acts is that these are groups that have a heart to share Jesus through their music. That’s pretty much an unstated requirement of Gotee Records. The truth is, I’m only attracted to artists who have a desire to share Jesus through their lives and through their art.
TOBY TALK
The Love of My Life
I truly believe that my wife, Amanda, is a godsend — what more can I say? We’ve been married for seven years, and I realize more and more how perfect she is for me. Amanda is a tough Jamaican woman who holds me accountable. She gets in my face when I’m working too hard or when I’m not putting the emphasis of my life where I need to put it. At the same time she encourages me in what I do, and she loves the things that I have a chance to create.
TOBY TALK
What It’s Like to Be a Dad
Amanda and I are blessed with a 2-year-old boy named Truet. When I wake up, it’s hard to leave the house. Sometimes I’ll drop by our home during lunch and just hold him.
It’s amazing, but I see things through Truet’s eyes sometimes. I know he’s watching me and is discovering what’s important in my life. For example, we’ll pray at the table, sit down to eat and he reaches his hands out to hold hands when we pray. Even if we’re not ready to do that yet, when he sits down he immediately puts his hands out to pray. Then he goes. "A-MEN!"
TOBY TALK
My Greatest Goal
I want to live Jesus every day — not only through my art, but in my life . . . every day of the week. I do think it’s important for people to know that. A lot of times they see dc Talk and me as just "big business and lights." But we know that’s not real life. The real life is who we are in Jesus and how we’re living that day to day.