TJ - Hey Michael, how’s it going?

MB – It’s going great!

TJ - So, what have you been up to since the good ol’ Bloodgood days?

MB – Dang, that’s a lot of time to talk about! My main focus has been trying to be a godly husband and raising my three boys. Since the “good ol’ Bloodgood days,” I’ve become the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Redmond, just east of Seattle. I’ve continued to play guitar and bass, as well as writing, and a little producing, too. I’m currently working with Craig Church (he was the second guitarist on the Rock Theater shows) on a worship project. The working title is “Michael Bloodgood and Friends.” Les Carlsen and Mark Welling have already cut some tracks along with my own son, Paul. I’m singing, playing guitar, bass, drums, strings, and other instruments throughout the project, so it’s been a real stretch for me, but I’m having a great time. It will include some original tracks along with various cover songs.

TJ - Pastor Bloodgood…That has a nice ring to it, haha. So, you and the guys still hang out together?

MB – Les moved to California years ago, but he comes up quite often to visit family and us. With that and the phone, we are in contact with each other a lot. David moved to Nashville quite awhile ago, but we stay in touch as often as we can. Paul Jackson still lives in the Seattle area, along with Mark Welling. We all try to stay connected as best we can.

TJ - What’s harder, pounding the bass in front of screaming fans or pounding the pulpit in front of a congregation?

MB – Well, I’m not a pulpit-pounding-pastor to begin with. In fact, you can hear my sermons on my church website at www.calvaryredmond.org. Preparing and delivering the Word of God each Sunday is certainly a more difficult responsibility, but one that I thoroughly enjoy.

TJ - Last year you suffered from “spontaneous carotid arterial dissection." What exactly is that and how are things going now?

MB – Well, it’s extremely rare, I know that. The carotid artery behind my left eye decided to dissect. What that means is, part of  vein  spontaneously  collapsed for no apparent reason. When that happened, the blood began to flow around the collapsed area, causing the vein to dilate. When that happened, it put pressure on three of my nerves which caused my left vocal chord to become paralyzed in addition to losing the use of the left side of my tongue along with the left part of my ability to swallow. To top it off, this condition also caused me to have severe cluster headaches along with a nasty backache that wouldn’t quit.  It was four and a half months before I could return to the pulpit and that was with not much more than a whisper of a voice.

To make a long story short, it was a life changing experience for me both physically and spiritually, too. God is awesome and saw me through what had been the hardest year of my life. I didn’t know if I would every be able to talk, much less sing, again. (You can hear my “comeback sermon” on my church’s website at www.calvaryredmond.org). Fast forward 13 months later, and I’ve just recently gotten my speaking voice back, praise God. My singing voice still has a way to go at this point, but I’m expecting a total healing in God’s time. Truly, He is my strength in all things.

Thanks so much for you and your listener’s prayers.

TJ - Awesome! I, being a big fan, and all your fans are definitely glad to hear that! Praise GOD! Do you miss all the touring and stuff?

MB – I sure do. Les and I are talking and praying about doing some dates in 2007 as the Lord leads. I miss meeting all the great fans and the stimulation of being on the road, so I’d like to do get out there again. I also miss playing with my good friends, who happen to be great players, too!

TJ - Any chance we’ll see a new Bloodgood cd?

MB – Yes, Les and I just started talking about that. He is planning on coming up to Seattle to begin writing with me.

TJ - I noticed back in the day, that Christian metal bands were targeted by both Christians and non-Christians. Christians said “You can’t be Christians because you play metal.” And non-Christians said, “You can’t be metalers because you’re Christians.” I was just curious to know, what was the most ridiculous accusation made about Bloodgood?

MB – That’s easy: Jimmy Swaggart held up a copy of our first album and told his TV audience that we were “four homosexuals without a prayer life.” Another one in the top ten was that we had performed a séance at the 1987 Greenbelt Festival in front of 20,000 fans.

TJ - Haha, I also remember hearing how you make no references to God or tell any of you fans about Christ. I’ve been to a few of your concerts and you had altar calls. Can you share with us your coolest story of a fan coming to the faith?

MB – We had a guy who’s dad was a preacher. He had forbidden his son from attending our show, that it would “confuse him.” So, of course, the son came to our show! As it turns out, his son was already plenty “confused”:  he was a heroin addict.  Well, at the end of the show, we came out to met the fans and his kid went up to Les, pulled out a hypodermic needle and said, “I want to trade this for a life in Christ!” We heard from his dad about a year later and he told us that he and his son were both working together in street evangelism  and thanked us for our ministry.

TJ - Where’s your favorite place to tour?

MB – In the States, the mid-West was always a great place to tour. Overseas, the Germans are the greatest fans we have. They still want us to come over and play every year!

TJ - Where would you like to tour that you haven’t been to yet?

MB – Australia, New Zealand, and Japan come to mind right off the top.

TJ - You guys put on one of the best live shows. How tough do you think it is going to be to perform again after all these years?

MB – Thanks for the compliment. We always tried to give 110%, no matter where we were. I don’t think it’s going to be any problem getting back to perform. A little jogging and working out, and we’re good to go. I can’t wait!

TJ - Well Michael, I am so looking forward to a new cd and tour! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview.

I hope and pray for a full recovery and many blessings for you and your family. Do you have any last words for the fans?

MB – Thanks.
One of my favorite verses has been Hebrews 12:1-3. It’s become a “life verse” for me. “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has ⁾sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. “

 Thanks for all your support and prayers. We’ll see you out there!