Blab Music
John J. Thompson Debuts Sweet Marianne Single, Ties New Song to East Nashville Novel
On Friday, July 24, longtime author‑songwriter John J. Thompson will drop a new single that blurs the line between page and pitch. The track, “Sweet Marianne,” comes straight out of the pages of Thompson’s first novel, the rock‑and‑soul fable The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville.
The song is a collaborative effort that pulls in a handful of seasoned musicians. Electric guitar and backing vocals come from Phil Keaggy, accordion is handled by Jeff Taylor, percussion is provided by Steve Hindalong, and the vocal harmonies are rounded out by Thompson’s wife and musical partner Michelle Lynn Thompson of The Wayside.
Thompson gave the single its live premiere the night before its release. At Hope Church Nashville, he performed “Sweet Marianne” alongside Scout and The Saints and Grable Howie, celebrating the launch and raising support for a new event called Holy Mountain. The Wayside, Thompson’s band with his wife, will also play a first‑ever official Nashville show in years on August 16 at Sacrament Church in East Nashville.
Thompson’s roots in Christian contemporary music run back to the early 1990s. He first earned a publication outside his own True Tunes News when CCM hired him to review a John Fischer and Noel Paul Stookey show at Wheaton College. Since 1991, he has written and recorded primarily as The Wayside and has contributed regularly to True Tunes News from 1989 to 1998. In recent years he appeared in The Jesus Music film as a historian and has authored two books—Raised By Wolves; The Story of Christian Rock and Roll (2000) and Jesus Bread and Chocolate: Crafting a Handmade Faith in a Mass Market World (2015). The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville marks his debut as a novelist.
Today, Thompson teaches at Lipscomb University, directing its Music Industry Studies program, and manages Community Music, the Chicago‑based worship writers behind “Make Room.” He spent the last decade juggling the novel’s narrative and the songs that accompany it. According to Thompson, “Sweet Marianne” began as a lullaby—a chorus a young father improvises for his baby girl—and evolved alongside the book’s storyline. He expanded the piece with Dan Wheeler, who helped shape its harmony and lyrics, before inviting Phil Keaggy to record the track.
Jeff Taylor, known for work with Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Amy Grant, and Keith & Kristin Getty, read the novel and contributed an accordion line that mirrors the prayer‑like quality of the song. Steve Hindalong, a drummer and producer celebrated for his work with The Choir and the Lost Dogs, added percussion.
Thompson has called the project an “accidental band” that formed in a garage in East Nashville, bringing together musicians of varying ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Among the collaborators is Cesar Jimenez, a 70‑something accordionist from Mexico whose style recalls David Hidalgo of Los Lobos.
The single’s release is part of a broader community‑building effort. Thompson’s solo show on July 21 will feature guitarist Sam Wade—who recently finished a two‑year run with the touring company of Hadestown—and two talented Lipscomb students. He has said that the project demonstrates how community and control need not be at odds, and that the result is stronger when others are invited to contribute.
The upcoming Holy Mountain festival, bolstered by the Hope Church Nashville concert, will showcase a range of contemporary Christian artists. The Wayside’s August 16 performance at Sacrament Church will be their first Nashville appearance in many years.
In short, John J. Thompson’s new single “Sweet Marianne” links his latest novel to a collaborative recording effort featuring notable musicians. Set for release on July 24, the single is accompanied by performances that support a new festival and a forthcoming Wayside show, underscoring Thompson’s continued engagement with both music creation and community building.
The song is a collaborative effort that pulls in a handful of seasoned musicians. Electric guitar and backing vocals come from Phil Keaggy, accordion is handled by Jeff Taylor, percussion is provided by Steve Hindalong, and the vocal harmonies are rounded out by Thompson’s wife and musical partner Michelle Lynn Thompson of The Wayside.
Thompson gave the single its live premiere the night before its release. At Hope Church Nashville, he performed “Sweet Marianne” alongside Scout and The Saints and Grable Howie, celebrating the launch and raising support for a new event called Holy Mountain. The Wayside, Thompson’s band with his wife, will also play a first‑ever official Nashville show in years on August 16 at Sacrament Church in East Nashville.
Thompson’s roots in Christian contemporary music run back to the early 1990s. He first earned a publication outside his own True Tunes News when CCM hired him to review a John Fischer and Noel Paul Stookey show at Wheaton College. Since 1991, he has written and recorded primarily as The Wayside and has contributed regularly to True Tunes News from 1989 to 1998. In recent years he appeared in The Jesus Music film as a historian and has authored two books—Raised By Wolves; The Story of Christian Rock and Roll (2000) and Jesus Bread and Chocolate: Crafting a Handmade Faith in a Mass Market World (2015). The Ballad of the Lost Dogs of East Nashville marks his debut as a novelist.
Today, Thompson teaches at Lipscomb University, directing its Music Industry Studies program, and manages Community Music, the Chicago‑based worship writers behind “Make Room.” He spent the last decade juggling the novel’s narrative and the songs that accompany it. According to Thompson, “Sweet Marianne” began as a lullaby—a chorus a young father improvises for his baby girl—and evolved alongside the book’s storyline. He expanded the piece with Dan Wheeler, who helped shape its harmony and lyrics, before inviting Phil Keaggy to record the track.
Jeff Taylor, known for work with Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Amy Grant, and Keith & Kristin Getty, read the novel and contributed an accordion line that mirrors the prayer‑like quality of the song. Steve Hindalong, a drummer and producer celebrated for his work with The Choir and the Lost Dogs, added percussion.
Thompson has called the project an “accidental band” that formed in a garage in East Nashville, bringing together musicians of varying ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Among the collaborators is Cesar Jimenez, a 70‑something accordionist from Mexico whose style recalls David Hidalgo of Los Lobos.
The single’s release is part of a broader community‑building effort. Thompson’s solo show on July 21 will feature guitarist Sam Wade—who recently finished a two‑year run with the touring company of Hadestown—and two talented Lipscomb students. He has said that the project demonstrates how community and control need not be at odds, and that the result is stronger when others are invited to contribute.
The upcoming Holy Mountain festival, bolstered by the Hope Church Nashville concert, will showcase a range of contemporary Christian artists. The Wayside’s August 16 performance at Sacrament Church will be their first Nashville appearance in many years.
In short, John J. Thompson’s new single “Sweet Marianne” links his latest novel to a collaborative recording effort featuring notable musicians. Set for release on July 24, the single is accompanied by performances that support a new festival and a forthcoming Wayside show, underscoring Thompson’s continued engagement with both music creation and community building.
