#366: The Truth About The Gospel Industry That Is Actually True with Rick Robinson

On July 25, 2025 Isaac Caree released a podcast interview with Norman Gyamfi. Norman is a music industry executive and part owner of Maverick City Music. Suffice it to say, this conversation created a firestorm of controversy and conversation around Gospel Music, CCM, and the racial tension embedded within the music industry. We know these things are going on, but for maybe the first time – a business executive let it ALL out.

Being that Beyond Sunday is a podcast about worship and the church, I wanted to talk about it so I decided to invite Rick Robinson, a Gospel Music vet onto the show to break down what Norman said and why it is so problematic.

One of the things Rick says in the interview is: “Gospel music is a sound. Gospel music is a culture.” And while it’s ok to reinvent and innovate, the beauty of Gospel music does not need toned down or whitewashed in order to succeed. If we do that, we lose the heart and soul of what makes Gospel music what it is.

Topics Covered:

• The history of Gospel Music in Chicago
• The important difference between ministry and industry
• The difference between the sacred music of Gospel and the business of Gospel Music
• The difference between the members of Maverick City and the brand of Maverick City
• How Norman let us see behind the curtain of industry
• Why Norman admitting he was a Trump supporter didn’t bolster his argument
• The problem with anti-black rhetoric, especially coming from a black man
• Why worship should be its own award category
• Why artists need to first and foremost be authentic
• Confronting the racial tensions in the music industry
• Why black artists are constantly pitched songs by white songwriters but white artists rarely do songs from black artists

Resources Mentioned:

• Show Sponsor: Planning Center
• Rick Robinson
• Otis Blackwell/David Letterman Interview
• Yacht Rock: A Documentary

Show Sponsor: Planning Center

My goal in this podcast is to help you grow as a worship leader. Of course that includes your formation, but it isn’t limited to that—it’s also with practical tools to help you in your ministry.

It’s hard to talk about being a worship leader without mentioning Planning Center. As you know, I’m a huge fan. A lot of you are already using Planning Center Services to schedule your volunteers, plan your worship services, and give your team the tools they need to learn their music. But with Planning Center People, you can stay even more engaged with your volunteers and anyone looking for how to get plugged in.

First, some good news: People is completely free with any Planning Center subscription. No, you didn’t hear me wrong—it’s free. Second, some better news: you can use People to add new volunteers to your teams quickly and automatically.

In People, you can make forms for anyone interested in volunteering, put them in a step-by-step training workflow, and then automatically add them to Services to schedule them for the right team. And that’s just one way you can use People. From sending automated emails and seeing church-wide engagement to organizing your member database and keeping information up-to-date, there’s tons you can do.

The post #366: The Truth About The Gospel Industry That Is Actually True with Rick Robinson appeared first on Beyond Sunday Worship.