You
won't find many people wired the way Keith Blanchard is.
A
guitarist/singer/songwriter/author from Memphis, he makes a
living as a musician, playing mostly in suburban clubs with his
group King's Trio. On and off stage, the compact 41-year-old is
intense, exuding a controlled energy and absorbing whatever
moment he's in. But ask him what really gets his mojo going and
he'll cheerfully tell you about his conversations with God. Not
just prayer, you see, but two-way exchanges, a give-and-take
that surprised no one more than Blanchard when they started
about a decade ago. And he says they aren't impressions or
celestial patter, but fully articulated sessions that he soon
realized were meant to be written down and shared.
"One morning I found a voice in my head and it woke me up. I
thought I was coming out of sleep and then it spoke again
and it threw me back. The only way I can explain it is that
it was God. For
Blanchard, there's no point in dwelling on doubt, there is
only the search for truth.
"Early in
my childhood, I had big questions. I thought seriously about
becoming a priest until I discovered the guitar. Life continued
and things came down on me," he said, referring to a
relationship gone sour and some generally crummy karma.
Blanchard
resolved to delve into his spirituality and find his truth. The
conversations with God awakened him and gave him great clarity
of purpose, so he's devoted himself to writing and
self-publishing these illuminating chats with the Divine.
"It takes
people to a new way of thinking," Blanchard claims.
"Even if
people read it as fantasy or fiction, they'll still find it
exploring new ideas."
No particular dogma is embraced. He freely invokes Christ and
Buddha, and refers to chakras and original sin. No religion
predominates because "They're all interwoven -- different song,
same divinity."
His book,
"The Divine Principle: Anchoring Heaven on Earth," has finally
been printed and Blanchard has begun the arduous task of seeing
to marketing and distribution. A book signing at 7 tonight at
Borders Books and Music in Germantown is one of the inaugural
events.
And while
this stage of authorship is just getting under way, Blanchard is
already preparing for the next project. "I want to write more
books. People are saying they wished it would go more in depth
-- they're hungry for more in certain subjects."
You might
imagine that transcribing your personal debates with Providence
would be activity enough, yet Blanchard has plenty of other
sticks stirring his spiritual fires.
While his daily bread comes from playing good old rock and roll
with King's Trio, he also has been doing some work with
LavenderSoul, an aggregation of local musicians creating songs
that are "soothing, meditative, and healing. We just open
ourselves up and meditate and breathe and ideas just happen."
With typical confidence, Blanchard asserts that "LavenderSoul is
going to become a household name."
Beyond
that, he's looking to create a nonprofit organization that
reflects his vision and energy. "I want to fund a facility that
feeds, clothes and houses people -- something that makes a
difference, even if on a minute level. My goal is to open up a
large spiritual center in the Memphis area where people could
walk in and feel they're at home."
It's
ambitious for a man who is, in addition to everything else,
married for two years and has a child on the way. But he is
resolute.
"I want to
make a strong impact with the gifts God has given me."
