Danny Liston’s story is one of deliverance and redemption.  Being  in the family line of alcoholics and substance abusers. Liston’s life seemed to be played out for him.  Mix in his musical abilities and success with bands like Mama’s Pride and you have a road paved with roadblocks to mental clarity, physical health, and more importantly spiritual guidance. 

Like most who have come to Christ after experiences like substance abuse, there was someone close to Liston who prayed for his deliverance – his wife, Pam.  

“My wife had gotten saved probably eight years before me.  I saw something in her…but I come from a family of alcoholics.  So due to my substance abuse, I’d lost my recording contract with Atlantic.  After that, I bought a bar – great thing to do when you’re an alcoholic – ‘It’s all free!’” 

After one of those “free” nights of drugs and drinking, Liston traversed to his day job, hung over, desperately searching within himself for this addiction to be over for good. 

“I was on this rooftop and what had to happen for me did: I admitted to myself that I was a substance abuser – that I was an addict.  I could tell that I was dying physically.  And the only thing I could do was cry out to God, because I couldn’t see a way out.”

That way out came after he went to church with his wife that night.  “Called out” by the minister, Liston was confronted with the God who could save him; a confrontation that wouldn’t take root until two years later.       

“It took me two years from that to come home and lay it down and tell my wife that I had to trust God.  I’ve been 21 years sober now and it’s been strictly by God’s grace.”   

Looking past the substance abuse, Liston has achieved success in the mainstream music world with his band, Mama’s Pride – even including a recording contract with Atlantic.  After losing that contract and receiving deliverance from addiction, Liston was encouraged to pursue music again, but for a different purpose.  

“I had been in the secular arena, got out of it, got back in.  I had been playing guitar at my church and my pastor told me I should be a worship leader.  I told him I wasn’t wired that way only because people had told me that I had too much entertainer in me.  And I took them at their word and believed it.” 

Believing in those sentiments could have been the downfall to Liston’s future ministry and career in Christian music.  But once again, God used that familiar voice by his side to prod him to make the decision.    

“My wife got on me about it, saying that this is what God created me to do and I resisted it.  A trip to Africa flipped it for me.  I did a missions trip to Zimbabwe and because the lead guy had to leave I started to do worship because I could play guitar and sing. 

When I finally did submit to God, everything that I wanted to happen in my life musically began to come together that first time I led worship.  Then I started writing stuff that was true for me.  I did enough to where they said I needed to do a record and here I am – the new kid on the block of Christian music at 54!”

Liston says he’s “living proof that God can make old things new.”  That thought process is beginning to have an affect on fans and members of Liston’s old Mama’s Pride days. 

“Once a year Mama’s Pride does a show at The Pageant.  Well, we did one a few weeks ago as a CD release party.  The guys came down to support me and we knew they’d draw a crowd.  I wanted those that had followed us all those years, to know that I hadn’t sold them out musically.    My lyrics have changed but my music is still from my heart – it’s still who I am and you’ll be able to relate to it. 

From that, they came in and we were able to minister to them in a way that they could relate to.  For me, that was the blessing.  I’m glad people of the church liked it, but reaching the lost is my heart.”

At the heart of Liston is reaching the lost as evidenced in his involvement with Service International, a disaster relief organization that has given him opportunity to put feet to the Gospel all over the world.     

“I started working with Service International in 1997 because I like to work with my hands.  I spent some time in Zimbabwe, Kosovo, London – surprisingly to most, London is worse than Kosovo!  It’s a disaster relief agency, and what’s cool is that they go in and reach the people that get overlooked by the government.   

It’s the greatest evangelism tool I’ve ever been involved in.  It’s the only thing I‘ve ever wanted to do occupationally more than music.  It’s so rewarding.    I alaways encourage people to do more than put a buck in the bucket – do something hands on for God.” 

Doing something big for God is what Liston and his music is all about.  An offering of hope to the masses that they would believe in the God that set Liston free 21 years ago.

“I am a man in a place where I don’t deserve to be.  It’s purely the grace of God that has brought me to this point.  I want people to know that no matter what mistakes they’ve made, that God’s faithful.  He doesn’t give up on us so we don’t need to give up on ourselves or each other.  My old drummer said that before what we did was for what we could get out of it – and now it’s about what you can give.  If I can give someone hope, then that’s what it’s all about for me at the end of the day.” 

- J Man