Charlie Peacock on Music, Meaning, and Letting Go of Power

The Russell Moore Show

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7d ago 47:34

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Is God’s will for your life more of a dot or a circle?

That’s one of the questions addressed by Grammy Award–winning producer and artist Charlie Peacock, whose new memoir Roots & Rhythm explores what it means to find one’s calling in life, how to heal from the past, and how to give up the quest for holding on to power.

This conversation reveals at least one middle-school-era debate over what counts as “Christian music” (spoiler: there was almost a fistfight over Amy Grant), and they explore deeper questions about fame, ambition, and why some artists burn out while others grow deeper with time.

Peacock shares stories behind producing music for Amy Grant, Switchfoot, and The Civil Wars—and what he’s learned from the visible economies of success and the hidden “Great Economy” about which Wendell Berry wrote.

You’ll hear thoughtful conversation on everything from Zen Buddhism and Jack Kerouac to AI and the future of music. Along the way, Peacock reflects on a note found after his mother’s death, a formative encounter with Kierkegaard, and what it means to live with grace as “an antidote to karma.” Peacock and Moore also talk about Frederick Buechner and Merle Haggard, as well as fatherhood, how to find a “circle of affirmation,” and why failing is as important as succeeding.

If you’re curious about how art and faith intersect in an age of algorithms and ambition, this conversation offers a human and hopeful perspective.

Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include:

Roots & Rhythm: A Life in Music by Charlie Peacock
On the Road: The Original Scroll by Jack Kerouac
Distant Neighbors: The Selected Letters of Wendell Berry and Gary Snyder

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