Matthew West – Text Messages

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When singer-songwriter Matthew West lost his Dove Award-winning voice to vocal chord surgery in 2007, his confidence vanished. “My name was only recognizable, respected, or highly regarded because of the voice and the songs I sang with that voice. Without it, I felt like nothing,” West said in his new book, Hello, My Name Is (buy), which his 2013 chart-topping single by the same name inspired.

In the silence of prayer, West’s devastation became peace. He jotted in his journal that God would heal his voice, and he would use it to give a voice to others. West’s voice recovered, and since then, his memorable career has been a product of that journal entry—including his new book, which he discussed in a spotlight interview with CCM Magazine days after its April 18, 2017 release.

CCM Magazine: What kind of stories are you hearing so far in reaction to the stories you told in Hello, My Name Is?
Matthew West: For starters, my mom loved the book. She’s read it three times. You can’t get a better endorsement than a vote of confidence from your own mother [laughs].

But it’s been exciting to see people’s responses. I’ve had this dream to extend my writing beyond songs, and now I’m having the chance to see that dream become a reality. I’m really proud of this book, but more importantly, I’m hopeful that it’s really going to impact people and help them discover who they are in Christ on a whole new level.

CCM: It’s funny you start by mentioning your mother. You’ve said she prayed that you would become an author, correct?
MW: Yeah, my mom’s always been a prayer warrior in my corner, which we all need. She called me years ago and said she’d been praying for me. She felt the Lord put it on her heart that, someday, I was going to not only be writing songs to tell the world about Jesus, but that I’d also be writing books to encourage the world.

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