John Michael Talbot

For other people named John Talbot, see John Talbot (disambiguation).

John Michael Talbot (born May 8, 1954) is an American Catholic musician, author, television presenter and founder of a monastic community known as the Brothers and Sisters of Charity.^[1]

John Michael Talbot
Talbot in 2014
Background information
Birth name	John Michael Talbot
Born	(1954-05-08) May 8, 1954 (age 71)
Origin	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Genres	Contemporary Christian music, country, folk-rock
Years active	1970s–present
Labels	Sparrow, Troubadour for the Lord
Website	johnmichaeltalbot.com

Life and career

Talbot was born into a Methodist family with a musical background in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and started learning to play the guitar at an early age. At age 15, he dropped out of school and was performing as a guitarist for Mason Proffit, a country folk-rock band formed with his older brother Terry.^[2]

Talbot embarked on a spiritual journey that led him through Native American religion and Buddhism and finally to Christianity. At this point, he and his brother, Terry, joined the Jesus movement and recorded the album Reborn, which was re-released by Sparrow Records (originally released as The Talbot Brothers on the Warner Brothers label).^[3] He married his first wife Nancy in 1971.

Two solo albums followed for Talbot: John Michael Talbot (1976) and The New Earth (1977).^[2] Both of these were recorded at Golden Voice Recording Studio in South Pekin, Illinois, and produced by Billy Ray Hearn. Reading the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, he was inspired to begin studying at a Franciscan center in Indianapolis. He and his wife divorced, and he became a Catholic and joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1978.^[4] His new beliefs influenced his next solo albums, The Lord's Supper (1979) and its follow-up, Come to the Quiet (1980).^[2] In the years that followed, he continually released new albums and became the best-selling artist in the history of Sparrow Records.^[2]

He started a house of prayer called "The Little Portion". Talbot moved The Little Portion to Berryville, Arkansas, on land he had purchased during his Mason Proffit days. He founded his own community, the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, at Little Portion Hermitage as an "integrated monastic community" with celibate brothers and sisters, singles, and families. By 1989, Talbot had married Viola Pratka (with the permission of the Catholic Church), a former Incarnate Word Sister who had come to the community in 1986.^[5]

In accordance with the community's general constitutions, Talbot's title is "General Minister and Spiritual Father". For many years, he has promoted the work of Mercy Corps.^[6][7]

The hermitage suffered a fire in April 2008 in which the chapel, library and many common areas were destroyed.^[8] On April 10, 2010, the Bishop of Little Rock, Anthony Taylor, dedicated the new buildings. On October 2, 2010, the Brothers and Sisters of Charity at Little Portion Hermitage celebrated the opening of the new monastery church and common center.^[9]

Talbot is the host of an inspirational television program, All Things Are Possible, on The Church Channel which is owned and operated by the Trinity Broadcasting Network.^[10]

See also

• Contemporary Catholic liturgical music

Discography

With Mason Proffit

Year	Title	Chart Position	Label	Number
1969	Wanted		Happy Tiger	1009
1971	Movin' Toward Happiness	177		1019
	Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream	186	Ampex	A-10138
1972	Rockfish Crossing		Warner Bros.	BS-2657
1973	Bare Back Rider	198		BS-2704
1974	Come And Gone *			2S-2746

* double album reissue of Wanted and Movin' Toward Happiness

Solo

Year	Title	Chart Position	Label	Number	Notes
		Top Contemporary Christian
1974	The Talbot Brothers		Warner Bros.	2767	With Terry Talbot
1976	Firewind		Sparrow		With Terry Talbot, Keith Green, Barry McGuire, 2nd Chapter of Acts
1976	John Michael Talbot		Sparrow	1003
1977	The New Earth		Sparrow	1010
1979	The Lord's Supper		Birdwing	2013
1980	Come to the Quiet		Birdwing	2019
	The Painter		Sparrow	1037	With Terry Talbot
1981	For the Bride		Birdwing	2021
	Troubadour of the Great King		Birdwing	2034
1982	Light Eternal		Birdwing	2035	GMA Dove Award winner
	Songs for Worship, Vol. 1		Birdwing	2044	Also Sparrow CD 1159
1983	No Longer Strangers	21	Sparrow	1075	with Terry Talbot
1984	The God of Life	23	Birdwing	2056
1985	Songs For Worship Vol. 2		Birdwing	2053	Also Sparrow CD 1159
	The Quiet		Sparrow	1254
1986	Be Exalted	10	Birdwing	1183
	Empty Canvas		Sparrow	1255	Also Meadowlark 7015
1987	Heart of the Shepherd	13	Birdwing	2094
	Quiet Reflections		Sparrow	1150
1988	The Regathering	16	Sparrow	1153
1989	The Lover and the Beloved		Sparrow	1193
1990	Hiding Place	19	Sparrow	1214
	The Birth of Jesus: A Celebration of Christmas	20	Sparrow	1241
	Come Worship the Lord Vol. 1		Sparrow	1243
	Come Worship the Lord Vol. 2		Sparrow	1244
1992	The Master Musician		Troubadour	4620
1993	Meditations in the Spirit		Troubadour	4621
1994	Meditations from Solitude		Troubadour	4622
1995	Chant from the Hermitage		Troubadour	4623
1996	Brother to Brother		Troubadour	3604	with Michael Card
	Our Blessing Cup		Oregon Catholic Press	10075
	The Early Years		Sparrow	1580
	Troubadour for the Lord		Sparrow	1545
1997	Table of Plenty		Troubadour	4624	Also OCP 10402
1998	Pathways to Wisdom		Troubadour	4625
	Pathways to Solitude		Troubadour	4626
	Hidden Pathways		Troubadour	4627
	Spirit Pathways		Troubadour	4628
	Quiet Pathways		Troubadour	4629
	Pathways of the Shepherd		Troubadour	4630
1999	Cave of the Heart		Troubadour	4632	with Phil Keaggy and Michael Card
2000	Simple Heart		Troubadour	4633
2001	Wisdom		Troubadour	4635
2003	Signatures		Troubadour	4636
2005	City of God		Troubadour	4637
	Monk Rock		Troubadour	4638
2006	The Beautiful City		Troubadour	4639
2007	Living Water 50th		Troubadour	4640
2011	Worship and Bow Down		Troubadour/OCP	4641
2016	The Inner Room		Troubadour/OCP	4642
2020	Songs from Solitude		Troubadour/OCP	4647
2023	Adoration		Troubadour/OCP	4645
2024	Late Have I Loved You		Troubadour/OCP	?

Collections

• 1980 Beginnings
• 1989 Master Collection V1 - The Quiet Side
• 1995 Collection
• 1995 The Talbot Brothers Collection
• 2003 Signatures
• 2003 History Makers
• 2008 The Troubadour Years

Bibliography

Books

• St. Romuald's Hermitage of the Heart: 40 Days to Peace, Prayer, and the Presence of God — (Book Baby) (2021)
• The Music of Creation: Foundations of a Christian Life — (Tarcher/Putnam) (1999) ISBN 1-58542-037-9
• Changes: A Spiritual Journal — (Troubadour For The Lord) ISBN 1-883803-00-4
• Blessings: Reflections On The Beatitudes — (Crossroads Publishing) ISBN 0-8245-1077-1
• Come to the Quiet: The Principles Of Christian Meditation — (J.P. Tarcher) ISBN 1-58542-144-8
• The Fire of God – (Troubadour for the Lord) ISBN 1-883803-01-2
• Hermitage: A Place Of Prayer & Spiritual Renewal — (Troubadour For The Lord) ISBN 1-57921-040-6
• Simplicity (with Dan O'Neill) ISBN 978-0-89283-635-2
• The Joy of Music Ministry (Resurrection Press) ISBN 1-878718-63-0
• Lessons of St. Francis: Bring Simplicity & Spirituality Into Your Daily Life — (Plume Books) ISBN 0-452-27834-1
• The Lover and the Beloved: A Way Of Franciscan Prayer — (Troubadour For The Lord) ISBN 1-883803-04-7
• Meditations From Solitude: A Mystical Theology From The Christian East — (Troubadour For The Lord) ISBN 1-883803-05-5
• Reflections on the Gospels, Vol. 1: Daily Devotions For Radical Christian Living – (Troubadour for the Lord) ISBN 1-883803-02-0
• Reflections on the Gospels, Vol. 2: Daily Devotions For Radical Christian Living – (Troubadour for the Lord) ISBN 1-883803-03-9
• Reflections on the Gospels, VOL. 3: A Passion For God – (Servant Publications) ISBN 0-89283-705-5
• Signatures (with Dan O'Neill) – (Troubadour for the Lord) ISBN 0-89283-635-0
• The Way of the Mystics: Ancient Wisdom For Today (with Steve Rabey) — (Jossey-Bass)ISBN 0-7879-7572-9
• Reflections on Saint Francis (Liturgical Press) ISBN 978-0-8146-3302-1
• The World Is My Cloister: Living from the Hermit Within (Orbis Books) ISBN 978-1-57075-858-4
• The Universal Monk: The Way of the New Monastic (Liturgical Press) ISBN 978-0-8146-3341-0
• Blessings of Saint Benedict (Liturgical Press) ISBN 978-0-8146-3386-1
• The Jesus Prayer - A Cry For Mercy, A Path of Renewal (Inter-Varsity Press) ISBN 978-0-8308-3577-5
• Nothing Is Impossible With God (Dynamic Catholic) ISBN 978-1-937509-61-3

Video releases

• All Things Are Possible With God (2014, Troubadour for the Lord)
• Nothing Is Impossible (2012, Troubadour for the Lord)
• Live in Concert (2001, Troubadour for the Lord)
• Quiet Reflections (1991, Santa Fe Communications, Inc.)

Information sources

• Troubadour for the Lord: The Story of John Michael Talbot by Dan O'Neill — (Crossroad Publishing) (1983) ISBN 0-8245-0567-0
• Signatures: The Story Of John Michael Talbot by Dan O'Neill — (Troubadour For The Lord) (2004) ISBN 1-883803-10-1 (revised version of his earlier biography "Troubadour for the Lord")