Hello friends and fans of Terry Scott Taylor...
This letter is for those of us whose lives have been enhanced, enriched and illumined by the music of our dear brother Terry. Casual admirers please don’t feel this letter is directed to you.
It’s been 5 ½ years since we sent a similar plea and it is with much prayerful consideration that we send this one. We feel you need to know some of the things our brother Terry has been going through these past few years. Terry has continued to struggle with a variety of serious health issues including prostate cancer. His prognosis is good but the battle was tough. One of the things that kept him going was being “employed” during the past few years doing the music for Netflix’s “Veggie Tales In The House.” Well, now the show has been cancelled and he is once again left in the lurch financially until the next big project comes up. The bright side of this is that Terry has been diligently writing a book (essays and stories from the past) and has recently begun writing “real” songs again and feels like he has entered one of the most artistically creative periods of his life. Unfortunately, after 40 years making music, he has no “hit” songs to cushion his retirement years and nothing but a legacy to leave his children and grandchildren (a wonderful legacy it is, but not one that will generate much income.)
Back in 2011 our friends Steve and Kathy Smith decided that they wanted to help support Terry and his family on a monthly basis. Here’s what Steve has to say:
“I’ve received so much from Terry that my wife and I decided several years ago that we wanted to reciprocate in some measure by helping him and his family financially. For the last 5 or 6 years, we’ve done this on a monthly basis and we’ve also tried to help as specific needs have arisen…
So here’s the appeal I’d like to make to you all. I’d like for those of us who can (this letter is for those of us who have the means to give right now) to commit to giving something to him and his family on a monthly basis. If enough of us would do this, it would make a significant difference in their lives. Terry is 66 and it would be great if he and Debi could be in a place where they have more space and freedom at this stage of their lives. The breadth of his talents are such that I believe he could have used them to create music over the years which would have appealed to a broader audience and which would have brought him greater financial success. Instead though, he chose to write the amazing music that God gave to him to write and we’ve all benefited from it. My personal perspective is that it’s completely right for us to return something to him.”
We are offering you a chance to be a part of what we’re calling the “Inner Circle”, a small group of friends and benefactors who have been blessed by God to be able to help our brother and his family thrive for the foreseeable future while he follows his calling to create art that honestly and creatively mines the deeper chambers of the heart of both man and his creator.
Please visit the link below and see if there’s any way you can help be a part of this community, because that’s what Terry wants to create here: a community of like-minded souls who can support one another in tough times. There are 5 tiers to the Inner Circle but even the smallest amount will get you free access to new music, demos, personal blogs, etc., straight from Terry’s hand. It will also offer deep discounts on music product and merchandise on our web store. There is also a button for a one-time donation if that’s all you can do at this time (we know how it is). If giving financially is beyond your means right now we totally understand and simply ask that continue to lift our brother and his family up in prayer.
As always, the money from sales on the website (http://www.danielamos.com/store/) and the bootleg store (https://danielamosboots.bandcamp.com) go directly to Terry and help tremendously.
In the words of Charles Dickens, ‘God bless us, every one.”
Merry Christmas from the Daniel Amos family
Thank you for hearing and for being the support you've been to Terry and his family for these many years.
Sincerely and with much love and gratitude,
Tom G., the Townsends, the Lost Dogs, and Terry's family
Or, to make a one-time contribution...
For those who want to send checks or money orders, please send to...
Terry Scott Taylor
6017 Snell Ave. #353
San Jose CA 95123
Steve's Full Letter:
An appeal to the friends and fans of Terry Scott Taylor
From a friend and a fan
Like many of you, Terry’s music has meant a tremendous amount to me for many years. I first heard one of Terry’s songs 40 years ago in high school when a friend gave me an 8 track tape which had “Ain’t Gonna Fight It” on it. I wasn’t a Christian at the time but the song haunted me and was ultimately one of the chief things God used to draw me to the faith. As we all know, he’s written songs of great beauty and depth which are deeply impactful; songs which only Terry could have written. For me, his songs have been a source of encouragement, light, insight and perspective. My family and I have faced some very significant health issues over the years, and in a way that is difficult to describe, God has used Terry’s songs to help us through some extremely dark times. I vividly remember “Sanctuary” running through my mind and heart 23 years ago as our daughter had to undergo three very radical open heart surgeries in her first year of life.
I’ve received so much from Terry that my wife and I decided several years ago that we wanted to reciprocate in some measure by helping him and his family financially. For the last 5 or 6 years, we’ve done this on a monthly basis and we’ve also tried to help as specific needs have arisen. But Terry is now at a bit of a crossroads. Veggie Tales is wrapping up and his work for it concluded this month. He’s known for a while that this was going to happen and he’s been trying to find new work, but making a living in the commercial music industry is constantly an immense challenge.
So here’s the appeal I’d like to make to you all. I’d like for those of us who can (this letter is for those of us who have the means to give right now) to commit to giving something to him and his family on a monthly basis. If enough of us would do this, it would make a significant difference in their lives. Terry is 66 and it would be great if he and Debi could be in a place where they have more space and freedom at this stage of their lives. The breadth of his talents are such that I believe he could have used them to create music over the years which would have appealed to a broader audience and which would have brought him greater financial success. Instead though, he chose to write the amazing music which God gave to him to write and we’ve all benefited from it. My personal perspective is that it’s completely right for us to return something to him.
If you are able to make a commitment to Terry, there’s a Paypal link below to do this. If at all possible, please set it up as a recurring monthly payment – I think a monthly commitment is important so that he and Debi have an idea what the amount will be each month.
Paul said something in his second letter to the Corinthians which I think is relevant here “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”
Thanks so much for your consideration of this.
Steve Smith
