Our History

In 1995, as part of our stake (parish) realignment, I met Glenn Rawson as a member of my new church ward (congregation) in Blackfoot, Idaho. He had previously taught, Tauna (Watkins Barbieri), one of our daughters, in Seminary.

I worked for local radio station KLCE, which aired "Sounds of Sunday" each Sunday morning featuring religious music conducive to Sunday worship. The program was created by Jim Burgoyne, our station manager. However, we both felt that the program could be improved by adding some Gospel related messages. As a radio announcer, I would have loved to deliver those messages myself, but I lacked the resources, and I questioned how appropriate I would be as an already established 'pop music' radio personality.

The first Sunday when Linda (my wife) and I attended our new ward Gospel Essentials Sunday School class, we discovered that Glenn was our teacher. I reflected on how much Tauna enjoyed him as her Seminary teacher. I thought this was our opportunity to validate our daughter’s opinion. Tauna was right. Glenn was truly a gifted teacher!

The next Sunday while in his class, I remembered my thought of producing Gospel messages to add to "Sounds of Sunday," and wondered if Glenn could deliver such messages. I closed my eyes and listened to him speak for a moment. I then quickly concluded that he had a ‘dramatic radio-style voice’ and would sound great. Plus he was already rehearsed at giving such messages. I approached him after class and asked him if he was interested. He was more than willing to participate in such a project. Furthermore, he said that he had hundreds of stories ready to use. I concluded that “the wheel was already invented,” and Glenn would be the right person to record these.

Glenn and I discussed finding the time to record them on several occasions for over a year. Finally Tuesday night, July 15 1997, we went into the studio, offered a prayer, and began to record his first story, "Close Enough to Touch." Glenn brought me some instrumental music to use to produce the stories. I edited it to the length of his story, and mixed it in. As we listened to the finished product, I was overwhelmed! Glenn’s narration was more expressive and polished than anything I could have done. Glenn was a humble man, and he had little understanding of the impact his story would have on listeners.

I played the story for Jim. He was delighted. A few days later, Glenn and I returned to the studio to produce two more stories. Jim heard them too, and then asked our program director Wayne Richards to add the stories as regular features during "Sounds of Sunday." Wayne's directive was that we air one story each hour, three in rotation per Sunday. Glenn and I eagerly accepted the challenge.

I became resolved that this project was greater than anything I had imagined, and I envisioned that some day everyone in the country should hear these stories! - but I had no idea how that would come to pass. We took the project very seriously and I religiously archived all the tracks of every story.

The stories aired for the first time August 3, 1997, and subsequent additional stories aired each Sunday thereafter. We produced 3 new stories each week for a year. As our son David was serving as a missionary in the Brazil Rio de Janeiro North Mission at that time, I felt I was serving a simultaneous mission in the production of these stories each week. I typically spent about 8 hours each Saturday producing them. Glenn’s part - voicing 3 stories - usually took less than an hour. He was a gifted first or second-take talent most of the time. Music was a bigger challenge, trying to find just the right selection to embellish the mood of each story, and editing it to the proper length. By the end of July 1998 - 156 stories later - I felt both out-of-breath and excited at reaching our goal! However, the following year, we continued to produce additional new stories to replace less impressive ones.

In 1998, John Hair of KOSY in Salt Lake City heard the stories as he was driving through southeast Idaho one Sunday. He called me, and asked if KOSY could obtain the stories to air them also during their "Sounds of the Sabbath" program, which he produced. I was excited! However, Glenn had opened most stories with the phrase "Sounds of Sunday." So I made special edits creating new versions of those stories opening with the phase "Sounds of the Sabbath" for KOSY to air.

In 1999, KXRQ in Vernal, Utah asked to air them during their "Sounds of Sunday" too. We accommodated, and later added them to "Sounds of Sunday" at stations in Manti, Utah too.

During 1999, we also involved the talents of Michael Leavitt and Deanne Casperson in producing instrumental tracks. They are marvelous keyboardists who have the tremendous talent to compose scores to fit the stories. All I had to do was mix in the music – no editing required.

With over 230 stories produced, on August 1, 2004 we increased the air schedule to 4 stories per Sunday. And on August 3, 2006 with over 260 stories produced, we increased the air schedule again to 5 stories per Sunday. Today we have over 300 stories produced, and have polished the original stories with several new recordings of songs and improved audio quality.

I was encouraged by the number of stations that were airing the stories, but the only way for other stations to air the stories was for them to play during a "Sounds of Sunday" type program as well. This presented a new challenge. "Sounds of Sunday" requires a unique music library and a program director to organize it.

So in early 2004, I began production of a weekly one-hour syndication of "Sounds of Sunday" which included one Glenn Rawson Story. It began airing weekly on KBAR, Burley, Idaho and KART, Jerome, Idaho. Later it was added to KVSI, Montpelier, Idaho and KITT-FM, Soda Springs, Idaho. On Mother’s Day 2005, the syndication began streaming worldwide along with the other scheduled stories over internet station www.kzion.com.

In mid 2006 the syndication was added to KACH in Preston, Idaho, and in November 2006, BYU Radio became an affiliate, which is streamed over the internet at www.byuradio.org, and which is programmed on DISH Network Channel 980, American cable network Channel 97 in Mesa, Arizona, and KWBR-FM, St. George, Utah. www.kzion.com plays the program several times to accommodate numerous time zones.

January 7, 2007, we added a 1½-hour addendum to “Sounds of Sunday” which included 2 additional Glenn Rawson Stories. As a 2½-hour show, it was then added to KMVX-FM (Mix-103) in Twin Falls, Idaho, and KLCE in Blackfoot, Idaho www.klce.com where most of the stories were produced. On March 18, the addendum was increased to 4 hours allowing the program to be configured to be any length from ½ to 5 hours in ½-hour increments. All 5 scheduled stories are included in the 5-hour show.

We extend the "Sounds of Sunday" to other stations. Since most stations outside of the intermountain area require a sponsor to air it, we are seeking local and national sponsors. Our goal is for "Sounds of Sunday" to air on radio stations throughout the English speaking world. This brings me back to that first night in 1997 when we produced our first story, and my vision that Glenn’s stories should someday be heard throughout America.

By way of interest, in January 2008, Glenn and several LDS Church historians were hired by Salt Lake County businessman Larry H. Miller to produce a series of television programs called "The Joseph Smith Papers" which airs over television station KJZZ - Channel 14 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Glenn is the script writer and moderator. The program airs each Sunday at 8:00 P.M. Mountain Time.

There is some curiosity about Glenn. What is he really like? Emphatically, Glenn is exactly as you hear him! He is not pretentious or fake. One of his passions as time permits is sunrise jogging – rain, snow, shine, cold or warm. He writes and researches every story he delivers, and he believes every word! And he doesn’t wear headphones when he records. He is a humble man, and is actually a bit shy and uncomfortable taking praise for his work. He is at home behind a pulpit, but is reluctant to be noticed as a student of a class. At first glance, one could describe him as a scrawny little red-haired guy, but he has certainly become much more to me - as his hair approaches "flaming red" (Thomas S. Monson). I am nearly 14 years his senior; he is like the younger brother I never had. He has become an inspiration to me, and a major part of my life has been committed toward advancing his Gospel insights. I have come to realize that this is a major mission my Father in Heaven has reserved for me.

Our lives have been changed over the years as we have given ourselves to this project. I know I could never have done anything like this without Glenn, Jim’s support, and of course our Heavenly Father’s direction. I know He is real in our lives. Many listeners have expressed appreciation to us for these stories through personal conversations and feedback from our websites, and feel they have improved their lives. I can't tell you how much the stories have affected me as the producer. Rarely is a story produced that tears don’t come to my eyes. Glenn has a tremendous gift! His comments have increased my understanding of the Gospel, brought me closer to the Spirit, and committed me more intimately.

I cannot comprehend the total effect Glenn’s stories have on listeners, but I believe that all people are influenced by their friends. As listeners hear and embrace a Gospel principle, their light radiates to others. My prayer is for these stories to touch countless lives either directly or indirectly (even non-listeners), to help prepare them to receive the fullness of the Gospel and the dedication to live by its principles – to become prepared to meet the Savior at His coming.

To offer suggestions or to contribute your support, please contact me at watkins@srv.net.

Sincerely,
Carl Watkins
Producer of the "Glenn Rawson Stories" and "Sounds of Sunday" (syndicated)

Additional Credits: A special thanks to so many wonderful people who have contributed their talents to this project over the years.

Thanks to Rachel Phelps Hanson, Becca Rammel Whyte, Sean Rammel, Jeff Rammel, Angie Herbst Mikesell, Courtney Gardner Stavros, Heidi McCombie Baxter, Mary West Hammond, Michael Severn, Brad Bowen, Mackenzie Wright Romriell, Rod Love, Ron Simmons, Tom Farnes, Michael Farnes, Michelle Cheney Christensen, Jordan Kesler, Katie Kesler Ulrich, Page Pearson, Victor Stanley, Austin Hill, Russell Virgin, Ben Clegg, Wade Egan, Sheila Walton, Damian Hall Ward, The Blackfoot High School choirs, James Hatch, Carol Jordan, Ron Simmons (Bingham County Tax Collector) Judd Erickson, Maryanne Davidson, Mary Peterson, Renee Davis, Judy Infanger, Sheri Saunders, Tauna Fell, Coralee Bird, Brianna Bird Kirkham, Bret Bagley, and Hannah Rawson (Glenn’s & Debbie’s daughter), Cristy Watkins Heinrichs (our daughter), and others I’ve failed to remember.

Thanks to Mindy Carey at KLCE for introducing me to Coralee and Brianna Bird and for bringing some great music to my attention.

Thanks to Deanne Casperson and Bonnie Egbert who also gave me some great new songs embellished by Mike Leavitt’s wonderful keyboard parts to use with the stories.

Thanks to Michael Leavitt, Deanne Casperson, and Merrill Page for their new instrumental tracks created uniquely for specific stories. And thanks to Paul Cardall, Jay Richards, Kierre Lewis, Lex de Azevedo, Merrill Jenson, Marvin Goldstein, Kurt Bestor, Michael Dowdle, Chad Barker, and so many others for the use of their instrumental music as well. Many of their recordings were as if they had written the music around Glenn’s stories, but in reality they had actually never heard them. It must have been the Spirit directing them! I can’t recall how many times I was inspired to find music from particular sources. We have never been alone in this project.

Thanks to Marilyn Archibald, Steven Archibald, Sharon Hoge, Glen Morgan, Donavan Harrington, Cindy Campbell, Alice Cannon, Cindy Felt, and many others for directing and assisting in the “Give Me Liberty” theatrical performances.

And thanks to our son David for creating and maintaining our websites, and to Brian and Rachel (Phelps) Hanson for managing the marketing of Glenn’s merchandise.