Christianity Today

Two years ago, Gabriel Wilson traveled from California to Oklahoma for the funeral of his paternal grandfather, a man he'd never known but felt a strong connection to. He learned of Cornelius McGuire's work as a musician and a minister, heard some of the songs his granddad wrote, and felt the impact of the man's life and art on the world.

It sent Wilson—former front man for the Rock 'n' Roll Worship Circus and The Listening—on a personal and artistic journey of discovery, delving into the fractured relationship with his estranged father and their ongoing efforts at reconciliation. Wilson's parents had divorced when he was two; he rarely saw his dad again. His mom remarried, and Wilson took that new name; he says his stepdad was "fantastic," but "there was always a part of my life that had a question mark."

As Wilson investigated his biological father's side of the family, he learned he was kin to some pillars of gospel music history. His grandfather, Cornelius McGuire, was a self-taught guitarist who grew up in a family of fiddlers and banjo pickers. One of Cornelius's sons, Dony McGuire (Wilson's uncle), married Reba Rambo—daughter of gospel legends Buck and Dottie Rambo—and Dony and Reba went on to make a name for themselves in gospel music as well. (Buck Rambo was recently named into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame; his late wife was already a member.)

What came out of Wilson's digging was his solo debut, The McGuire Side, a suite of songs cut with the blunt edges of country and folk—and smoldering with long-burning emotions. The first "side" of the album covers that family history, while the second side includes songs played at the funeral, country gospel songs written by his grandfather and father, and a moving rendition of "Amazing Grace."

We spoke with Wilson to learn more about the journey behind The McGuire Side, and how the album has affected relations with his birth parents.

Was it difficult for you to wade into these emotional waters for you or did it feel cathartic to get all this out?

A little bit of both. It was difficult yet it happened very naturally. It started when I attended my grandfather's funeral in 2010. The whole experience flipped me on my ear. I was going to see my family, many of whom had never met me before. Just to witness my grandfather's legacy being talked about. It took my whole life to see parts of myself in these people—the music and creativity and passion for ministry.

Being there in Oklahoma, it made so much sense. I'm a McGuire. I just started processing through journaling and through songwriting. The songs started emerging to help me process this stuff. I was torn, though. Do I release this stuff or should it be a private journal? I decided to share the songs with people and watch the way they would affect them. I'm hoping that the details of the story will inspire others to walk a journey of reconciliation, and inspire fathers and sons to build relationships.

Do you have a better relationship with your father now?

The best way to say it is that we're building a relationship. We're fighting through years of not having a relationship. But there's an amazing chemistry as father and son. We laugh alike, we look alike. It's been a pretty slow build, though. The discovery of the McGuire side has been bridge-building between my dad and me. It gave the relationship a sense of purpose.

Have your parents heard the album?

I sat down with my birth father in Nashville and showed him the record when it was being mixed. I told him the story behind each song. I sat and cried with him a lot. He said it brought up a lot of memories and feelings. And I recorded two of grandfather McGuire's songs and one of my dad's songs, and he loved what we did with them. That brought us even closer too.

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