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You may know that he
starts a normal evening by tuning his bass. You
may know that four days a week he can be found
in local Memphis bars singing hits such as “You
Shook Me All Night Long” and “Too Much Time on
My Hands.” You may even know that he has been
playing the Memphis music scene for the past 14
years. But did you know that he is writing books
that change lives, including his own?
His name is Keith Blanchard and does
more than playing ‘80s hits and rocking the
local bars.
Blanchard, bass player for local band King’s
Trio, was awakened one morning by what he
described as God’s voice saying, “Good morning,
My friend, wake up for you and I have much to
talk about.” After that experience, Blanchard
embarked on an eight-year journey that broke the
mold of typical rock musician; he wrote a
spiritual book entitled The Divine Principle: Anchoring Heaven on Earth.
The Divine Principle
is a book that shares conversations Blanchard
had with God. In revealing these talks, The
Divine Principle gives insight of how to
awaken God in your inner self. “I wanted this
book to be a life changing experience for myself
and anyone who reads it,” Blanchard said.
And it has been just that.
Blanchard’s life has indeed changed since the
completion of his book in April 2004. “I feel a
major sense of accomplishment,” he said.
“Imagine completing a book that took eight
years, writing six to twelve hours a day.”
A
major area of Blanchard’s life that has been
enhanced by
The Divine Principle is his music. “Writing
this has allowed me to touch the depths of my
soul, giving me more of a creative musical
flow,” Blanchard said.
His band mates agree. Scott Sudbury, guitarist
for King’s Trio, noticed a significant
difference in Blanchard’s musical ability after
he wrote The Divine Principle.
“It
seemed Keith stopped worrying about the technical
aspects of the music,” Sudbury said. “He quit over
thinking, went with his gut, and really let his
talent flow.”
Blanchard even feels that some of his musical fans
view him differently since the publication of his
book. “When people find out they act a little
shocked,” Blanchard said. “A few people have said
things to me like ‘Wow, I didn’t know you were
capable of that,’ but after the initial shock wears
off they show their respects by saying how proud
they are of me and asking where they can buy a
copy.”
Sara Stansbury, a devoted King’s Trio fan, saw
Blanchard differently after she discovered he
wrote a book. “I always loved to hear them
sing,” Stansbury said. “But now it’s a little
more interesting knowing that a published author
is on stage.” The Divine Principle has
not only changed Blanchard’s life, it has
affected the life of many readers. “People have
expressed to me how the book has helped them in
one way or another or even changed their life
overall,” Blanchard said. “It really touches my
heart to hear that.”
Blanchard’s book has helped Sudbury have more
confidence in himself. “The Divine Principle
really showed how to not only find my inner
voice, but trust what it says” Sudbury said.
Mike Matheson, a
big influence in Blanchard’s writing career, was
proud of him for bringing The Divine
Principle to completion.
“There were so many processes I saw Keith going
through such as improving his writing skills,
editing and typing,” Matheson said. “So when he
completed
The Divine Principle it reminded me
that though a path may be challenging and long,
it’s worth taking.”
Matheson also feels that having another book of
this genre is a big gift. “It can be difficult
for people to find books they can identify with,
but having another voice [Blanchard’s book] out
there increases the chances that a life can be
touched,” he said.
So what is next for Blanchard? Well it is
probably safe to say that he will be
experiencing more changes. Besides having four
more books in the works, he is also recording
albums in a spiritual band called
LavenderSoul. Blanchard’s hopes are that
his music and books can be used together to
touch people’s lives and make a difference in
the world.
What does the
future hold for Blanchard? He said, “I
will probably leave this world playing, writing,
or creating something. That is what I do,
create!”
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