Allison Durham Speer: Sketches
Q: How does a girl from Parksville, Kentucky, end up singing on a global stage?
A: Frankly, I am still trying to figure out how God has orchestrated my journey.
Q: Your grandmother, Lillie Alice Powell, was a strong influencer in your early life. Name three things you learned from her.
A: Don't make cornbread unless you have good buttermilk, don't drink anything made in a bathtub, and roll the window down before you spit. She would also say, "Two heads are better than three." Actually, she gave me the best advice, "Always be yourself."
Q: What goes through your mind when facing 30,000 Nazarenes at a general assembly service?
A: I feel overwhelmed at the great crowd of witnesses that God brings together every four years. Thirty thousand is but a drop compared to the saints of the ages gathered to throw our crowns at His feet.
Q: How has being a "Speer" influenced your own music?
A: The Speer Family is one of the oldest gospel music families. I married Brian, Brock and Faye's youngest son. They have been my teachers, mentors, advisors, and cheerleaders. I cannot comprehend, still, all the lives they have touched during the family's 80 years of ministry.
Q: Any embarrassing moments during live performances?
A: I once threw a cassette tape into the audience and hit a 93-year-old sleeping grandmother right on the head. That was the last time I threw products into the audience!
Q: How do you maintain fervency after singing the same song countless times?
A: I thrive not on what I am doing on stage, but on what God is doing in the hearts of those listening.
Q: Define "home."
A: My home is in Nashville and that is where I feel most relaxed. I can feel comfortable in many places but a wondrous reviving happens only when I am in my home. I have books, pillows, snacks, a dog (Ellie, a miniature Schnauzer), and I feel free to sleep or do jumping jacks—all the things that make me smile are at home. Also, I can be completely quiet in my own home. I don't have that luxury in other places.
Q: If you had to change careers, what might you be doing?
A: I would want to teach at a Bible school or become a novelist.
Q: Any special insights on being a woman in ministry?
A: Being a woman in ministry at this time in history has great benefits and special trials. God is opening doors for teaching and preaching women. A woman must have courage and a definite calling from God.
Q: What's on your iPod?
A: I have over 4,000 songs there—I love all styles of music. Also, all of the Gaither videos are on my iPod. You never know when Bill Gaither is going to call on you to sing a song that you really don't know!
Q: How do you maintain a spiritual balance when touring?
A: I get into the Word of God. Plain and simple.
Q: As you engage with the global Christian community, what common thread do you see?
A: People are hurting and the only refuge is in the presence of the Lord. I also see people wanting to live holy righteous lives with great fervor. This is exciting to me. The Church of Jesus Christ is alive and well!
Holiness Today, July/August 2006
Please note: This article was originally published in 2006. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.
