Stephen Stanley’s first headline tour blended cinematic rock and Gospel outreach, impacting lives across 27 cities with hope and healing. Alongside his father, a longtime pastor, he shared faith through song, ministry and personal testimony.
For 2,000 years, Christians have spread the Gospel—the good news that Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, has come to save and redeem all who would believe in Him. Methods of communicating that message may have changed over the centuries, but the message itself remains the same. Stephen Stanley is an up-and-coming Christian music artist who also leads worship at Crossroads Baptist Church in Covington, where his father, Brandon Stanley, has been the pastor for the past 19 years. The two recently teamed up on a six-week, cross-country journey, each using their unique gifts to share that same message across 26 cities in the United States, as well as Toronto.
The ambitious undertaking was more specifically Stephen’s first headline tour, showcasing his second and latest album, “Trustfall,” which he describes as “cinematic pop rock.” Released earlier this year by Capital Records, the album reached No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 list and was at one point Billboard’s No. 6 Christian album in the world. His powerful, soaring vocals and painfully honest yet hopeful lyrics have struck a chord with over a million followers to date on TikTok, and his songs have been streamed more than 180 million times on social media.
“I get a lot of my taste of music from my dad,” Stephen said. “He loves 70s, 80s, 90s rock, so we listened to a lot of that growing up.” His music and performances are full of passion and emotion, not unlike that which is generated behind the pulpit his father fills on Sunday mornings. “I think I get it from my dad, [too],” Stephen said, “if you’ve ever heard him preach.” When writing songs, he draws heavily from life experience. “I think that’s where music comes from,” Stephen said. “I think it has to.” He is open about his own struggles. “A lot of my music is about mental health and depression and anxiety, and I’ve had very personal experiences with that,” Stephen said. “A lot of people that listen [to my music] struggle with that, as well, so being able to meet them [out on tour] and hear their stories was extremely fulfilling.”
“Of course, I want to go out and tour and play giant shows and stuff, but the more I do this, the more I realize that doesn’t fulfill you.”
Stephen Stanley
When planning the tour, Stanley purposefully chose not to play in churches but in rock music venues—the kinds of places where he and his father have gone together to see concerts since he was a kid. Only this time, he was the one performing, bringing his own brand of rock with a message of the hope and healing found in Jesus. The formula for each night of the tour was much the same, starting with a talented opening act called Jake and Shelby. Brandon then shared a “gospel encouragement” before making a presentation for Compassion International, a Christ-centered organization devoted to diminishing childhood poverty. Finally, backed by drummer Brady Scoggin, Stephen would take the stage and deliver a “high-energy, yet intimate” performance amidst a background of flashing video and billowing smoke.
After the concerts, Stephen would meet fans and sign autographs while his father prayed for those who were hurting. Both listened to stories, one on one, and offered encouragement and hope. The line marking the end of one day and the beginning of the next began to blur as everyone pitched in to break down and load out sound, lighting and video equipment. Well after midnight, it was time to hop on the truck—a scaled-down version of an entertainer tour bus—and head to the next town.
Though Brandon handled the bulk of the driving, father and son took bleary-eyed turns sitting behind the wheel, steadily guiding the “bandwagon” as it rocked and rolled down countless miles of moonlit highway. Nine bunks in the back strained to cradle a sometimes-changing assortment of weary performers, managers and lighting crew. “Sleep was tough,” Stephen said. “The bus sways, and you feel every bump on the road.” Gibson Knapp, a 16-year-old from Crossroads who joined the tour in San Antonio on its last leg home, claims to have hit the ceiling a couple times. Still, the bandwagon seems to have served its purpose well during the entire trip. “We didn’t have one busted tire,” Stephen said. “We didn’t break down one time.” After traveling all night, the crew would typically reach the destination city early the next morning and grab a shower at a Planet Fitness before arriving at the concert venue around 11 a.m. Then it was all hands on deck for load in, set up, sound checks and maybe a nap, if it could be squeezed in before showtime when the cycle would start again.
Twenty years ago, Stephen and his family could not have imagined that he would grow up to have a career in music. A jet ski accident had left the 9-year-old with a fractured cochlea and total hearing loss in his left ear. “My balance was really bad,” Stephen said. “I was a normal kid, liked to play outside, play baseball, and I couldn’t do that for a few months.” At a time when he might well have shrunk back from the life-changing trauma he had experienced, Stephen somehow managed to lean into it by pursuing another interest. “My mom had an old guitar, and she taught me how to play it,” he said, “and I just never stopped.” Stephen developed his musical skills quickly and soon began playing worship songs for Children’s Church at Crossroads before going on to lead youth in worship there. By the time he was 14, he was also leading adult worship services.
Although Stephen led others in songs of faith, he had begun to have doubts about his own. “When I was about 17, I had sort of a crisis of faith,” he said. “My question was, ‘Do I believe what I believe because of who my dad is and who my mom is and where I was born in the world, or do I really believe?’” It was a question that dogged Stephen for months. Finally, when he was about to go onstage to lead worship at a youth camp, he pressed God for an answer. “God, if you’re real, I need a sign. I need something,” he prayed. The answer came quickly, if in an unexpected way. “In the middle of playing music, the pastor walks up on stage,” Stephen said, “and he’s like, ‘Are you OK?’ And I’m like, ‘No, I’m not OK.’ And he’s like, ‘Can I pray for you?’ And I was like, ‘Sure.’ While the music’s still playing behind us, he prayed for things like faith and trusting in God. From that moment on, I haven’t questioned or been back there.”
With a wife and two young children, responsibilities at church and a budding career that often takes him away from home, Stephen recognizes the importance of staying centered and focused on what is most important. He tries to surround himself with people who hold each other accountable, even in a Christian music industry that “can be a very dark place at times.” Stephen credits his father for being a model of integrity he tries to emulate. “He’s the same way offstage as he is on,” he said. “He’s just a good man. I would call him my hero.”
Father and son are eager to set out on another tour whenever it can be worked out. The blessings and victories of the first one are fresh on their minds: 85 children sponsored for Compassion International, 2,000 copies of “Amazing Grace,” a book Brandon wrote, given out, lives changed and 27 more rock concerts enjoyed together.
Stephen is learning that his calling is more about mission than music. An incident conveyed to him through an Instagram message helped to illustrate the point. “She said she was on the edge of a parking garage about to jump,” Stephen said. “She said my song called ‘Gonna Have to Trust You’ came on, and she decided not to do it.” His career as a Christian music artist appears destined for success, but he constantly reminds himself to keep it all in perspective. “Of course, I want to go out and tour and play giant shows and stuff,” Stephen said, “but the more I do this, the more I realize that doesn’t fulfill you. Actually doing ministry and having an impact on people’s lives—that’s what is fulfilling.”
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