This Side of Heaven by Rudy Lacy

Rudy began singing and playing the country

music circuit in Oklahoma and Texas in 1996 and in 2000 decided to take the leap and

move to Nashville to pursue his dream. Once there, he quickly landed gigs at the

legendary Tootsies, Legends and other lower Broadway hot spots. Despite his success he

continued to have a void in his life. After years of pleading from his wife Rudy began

attending church with his family and was touched by the awesome music at the "Church

in the Glade." It was then that Rudy found what he had been searching for all these years.

He found the Lord and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. Everything changed after that

and Rudy realized that he should not be pursuing music in the country genre. Saddened,

but trying to be obedient to the Lord's will, he gave up his dream of being a country recording artist.

Rudy and his family moved back to Oklahoma and became grounded in a new church

named Good News Community Church. Rudy felt that God was urging him to continue

with his music, but now singing for the Lord. He quickly became the Praise and Worship

leader at the fast growing church and gave a country flavor to the contemporary Christian

music he had grown to love.

Many people were shocked by the observable changes they had seen in Rudy since he

returned from Nashville as a born again Christian. The person who was most shocked,

even disappointed, was Rudy's sister, Shelbi. She had always been his biggest supporter,

played keyboard in his country band and was instrumental in the marketing of "Rudy

Lacy". She wanted him to succeed in the country music business maybe even more than

Rudy wanted it for himself. Since returning to Oklahoma the two barely spoke for over a

year as Shelbi could not fathom Rudy giving up his music dream. It was during that time

that Shelbi couldn't deny the way the Lord had moved in Rudy's life and wrote one of the

songs on the album, the title track "This Side of Heaven". She began soul searching and praying like she

had never done before and the powerful lyrics and beautiful melody lines began to pour

out of her. The Lord began to heal Rudy and Shelbi's relationship and today it is stronger

than ever. They helped produce this project along with Lee Velasquez of Edmond,

Oklahoma and pray that these powerful songs will touch your life as much as they have

touched theirs. It has been spoken by several different people in their lives that if only

one person is won to Christ as a result of this album then it will all have been worth it.

"Music should come from the heart and when it does, it will indeed move people," a

family friend wrote in a recent letter to Rudy. Rudy's soulful portrayal of Shelbi's songs

will definitely move you... move you closer to our Heavenly Father. "Come near to God

and He will come near to you." James 4:8

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