What made you decide to ask Oz to join Bloodgood? What was his reaction when you asked him? Really it was something I thought about years ago, that if I ever put the band back together, I would talk to Oz about joining. Paul Jackson and I had even talked about it way back when, and he thought it would be a great idea; and Les always was always been into it. So, when we did start to put Bloodgood back together, I really started pray about calling Oz, even though Stryper had reformed as well.

Oz and I got to hang out together in England back in the fall of 2000 at the Meltdown Festival. That was where we bonded our friendship. My wife and I fell in love with the guy! The three of us would talk into the wee hours of the morning. Plus, he has the same twisted sense of humor that you need to be in this band. He’s going to fit in nicely! Seriously, Oz has a great heart and is truly a humble man.

As I was driving down to meet Paul Jackson and few weeks ago for a rehearsal, I felt the Lord tell me, “Go ahead and call Oz.” So I did. No doubt, I caught him off guard! But he seemed truly flattered and excited about joining up with the band. I made it clear that I understood Stryper was his priority, but that I really felt the Lord telling me to extend the offer to have him join us, too.

When and how did you first meet Oz? I first met him when we were opening for Stryper in Bellingham, Washington, back in ’85. I knew then he was a “real guy.” All the guys in Stryper have always treated us well through the years.

Have you ever shared the stage with Oz before? Only if you count jamming with him when we were at Meltdown.

Back in 2000, when you spent a couple weeks hanging out with Oz in England, what is the most bizarre thing you learned about him then? That he’s a great maid! Man, he was cleaning up the apartment where we were staying every time I turned around. I’m hoping to have him to my place, too. It could use some spiffing up.

Also, he’ll work for food.

Does Oz like the Beatles? Isn’t it mandatory that all Bloodgood band members like the Beatles? Yes, it is absolutely essential that you love the Beatles to be in this band. One of the first things Oz did when we got to the flat in England was to start playing “If I Fell.” Of course, I know the harmony parts…it was instant friendship from that point on.

Other than the obvious of both being in pioneering Christian Metal bands, what do you have in common with Oz? Besides our love of the Beatles? Well, we both love the Lord Jesus! Oz doesn’t have stars in his eyes; he’s a real player, not some wanna be. There always seems to be a bond with other players that have been out on the road, been through the record business hoppla, and lived to tell the tale.

Any idea what Oz Fox's real name is? Yes, but I’m not a liberty to discuss it at this time.

Is Bloodgood going to play any Stryper songs live? If so, can you give us a list of potential candidates? I told Oz we’d love to play some Stryper or even Sin Dizzy songs if he wants us to.

Or how about hybrid Bloodgood / Stryper songs like "Soldiers Of Peace Under Command" or "Battle Hymn Of The Flesh"? Yes, well be doing "I Want to Live in Your Heart for 10,000 Years," "You Lose, Honestly," "You Won’t Be Shakin’ It Anymore," and "To Hell With the Black Snake."

Is Oz considered to be a full-fledged permanent member of Bloodgood or a guest member? Is there any formal agreement or is this arrangement more casual and you're just taking it as it goes? Formal? This is rock and roll! As far as I’m concerned he’s full-fledged member as long he stays current on his membership dues.

How would you summarize people's reaction to the Oz Fox news? Overwhelming! As soon as the word got out, within a few hours I had 24 pages of New Friends Requests and Comments on our MySpace site! Everyone seems very fired-up about it.

Any idea how the other members of Stryper feel about Oz's future involvement with Bloodgood? Well, the first thing I asked Oz to do was pass it by Michael. I don’t want to do anything to rock the boat (pun intended) and I certainly want Michael’s blessing all the way. As far as the others guys, you’ll have to ask them.

If Oz insists on wearing stripes on stage, are you going to make him wear red and black instead of yellow and black? Perhaps you can convince him to wear your circa 1987 "Fox" tails shirt? Actually, I want him to wear black and white stripes so he can ref basketball games when shows are over.

While hosting a retro Christian metal video show called Rewind, Oz referenced the phrase "We work for food." What does that mean? Well, that’s an inside joke between Oz and myself, so you’ll just have to guess!

What's your favorite Stryper song? What is it about that song (or songs) that does it for you? It will always be “You Know What to Do,” because that was the first song I heard. Matt Crouch (TBN) was hosting some music show and played the video from that song and I just loved it. I had already put Bloodgood together at that point, so when I saw that video, I knew the Lord was behind it—this whole Christian heavy metal concept— because we had no idea anybody else was doing it besides us. My second favorite song would be “Soldiers Under Command.”

Oz and Les live in California. You and Paul live in Washington. Where does the drummer live? Have you guys worked out the logistics of rehearsing yet? What's the strategy there? That’s already underway. Mark Welling, Paul, and I have had a few rehearsals up in the Lake Forest Park area just north of Seattle. Les and Oz are practically neighbors, too, so they can get together down south. When it’s time to do a show, we’ll fly them up to Seattle and put in a few days rehearsal, then head out.

Craig Church played guitar along with Paul Jackson on the Rock Theater shows, but Bloodgood has historically been a one-guitar band. Why add a second guitarist? Can the addition of a second guitarist rightfully be considered a clue as to the future musical direction for Bloodgood? Well, we actually did a lot of shows with two guitarist towards the end, especially after we released All Stand Together. Everyone in the band likes the fuller/fatter sound of two guitar players. We also had a keyboard player (Dave McKay) with us on our last road trip.

Yes, it is definitely a clue as to our musical direction.

After years of dormancy, it seems that a lot has been happening lately in the Bloodgood camp. What has prompted this? Why now? What's your motivation? The Lord has and will always be the primary motivation behind this band and ministry and, in a nut shell, I know He is leading me to put the band back together.

For me, I earnestly began praying about this after I landed in the hospital a few years back. It changes your perspective quite a bit when you are in a life and death situation, to say the least. I have a new appreciation for how short and unpredictable life is. One minute I’m leading worship and preaching a message, the next, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to talk again.

Though I’d thought about and prayed about putting the band back together several times over the years, I never felt like it was time. Now, of course, I do. All of us are so looking forward to just being together again. Les, Mark, and Paul are like “war buddies.” We’ve been through so much together that we will never experience with anyone else. There’s a camaraderie that can’t be duplicated. We really love each other and there is a depth of friendship that, I think, will translate well to everyone who sees us.

To my understanding, there currently isn't an official drummer for Bloodgood. Have there been any new developments relating to this subject? Will former Bloodgood drummer Mark Welling be playing drums for Bloodgood live? Mark Welling is definitely back in Bloodgood. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love playing with Mark. When the two of us “lock in,” it’s pure heaven!

As a pastor / worship leader, you've maintained the familiarity with being "on stage" through the years. However, It's been quite a few years since standing on stage as Bloodgood's bassist. Talk about the difference between the two, and what you like best about each of the roles. This is a great question. There are definite similarities between the two, yet they are quite different in many regards. As a pastor and worship leader, you have to remain as transparent as possible. As a worship leader, you want to be as professional as you can, but not to the point to where you might distract from what the Lord is doing that morning. However, you must play skillfully as the Psalms teach us. To me, not playing well is a major distraction! I always pray before church each Sunday something like, “Lord, thank you for the talent you’ve given each of us and that we can bless you with these gifts in return. Help us to play and sing skillfully so that we will in no way be a distraction to anyone.”

In Bloodgood it is a similar situation, but we are there to do a show, to entertain, as well as preach the Gospel. I have always felt that one of the ways you “qualify” yourself to share with any audience is to first win their respect as a band. If you can shred, then they are more likely to listen to what it is you are telling them through your music as well as between songs. One of our goals has to always be the best live act there is; to blow people away with our show, then reel them in with the Gospel.

Bottom line is that God gets the glory in all you do. Any adulation or praise we get is directed to Him who deserves all our glory! After all, anything gifts or talents we may have are given to us from Him.

What can we expect from Bloodgood in 2007? More tour dates? I’m sure 2007 will see some Bloodgood shows. I don’t doubt we’ll be heading back to Europe before the end of the year, too.

Everyone wants to know this one: how about a new Bloodgood album? Yes a new album is already in the planning stages for us. All of us are beginning to write new material. We’re encouraging Oz to be apart of that, too.

It's been nearly two years since being diagnosed with "spontaneous carotid arterial dissection." Talk about that experience, your road to recovery, and how that experience has affected your life. Apart from what I’ve already mentioned, the road to recovery has been long. It’s been almost two years since it happened, and I’m still not 100%. However, my voice is almost completely healed and I have returned to preaching and singing again at my church. I was even able to lay some additional vocal tracks on my solo/worship project, which was a major blessing for me.

Though it has been one of the hardest times of my life, it has also been one of the best. The Lord has and continues to teach me through all this. It has given me a compassion for the sick that I never had before. It has given me a deeper love for my wife and boys. It has made me appreciate life like never before. Most importantly, it has brought me into a deeper relationship with the Lord. Throughout this entire trial, the Lord has been my strength. He has spoken to my heart on several occasions that have literally transformed me in so many ways. As hard as it has been, I would not trade it for anything.

Bloodgood has always been ministry oriented band. Is your vision for Bloodgood any different now than it was back in 1985? My vision for the band is still simply that we remain obedient to God in all we do. It is very easy to get wrapped up in the industry and get caught up in all of it shuck and jive. But when all is said and done, it comes down to you and God. Did you seek Him out? Did you listen to His voice? And did you do what He told you to do?

What do you know now that you wish you had known in 1985? I wish I had known how important it was to have a good attorney!

Is there anything else you'd like add? Yes, I want all of our fans to keep us in their prayers. I know that whenever the Spirit is moving, the enemy won’t be far behind.