Brandon Lake sat down with CBS Mornings' Jan Crawford on tour in San Antonio, and the six-time Grammy winner didn't hold back on what's really happening at his shows - or what it cost him to get there.
"Would you say that music is, in a way, your ministry?" Crawford asked. Lake's answer was direct: music is what God called him to do, and it's how he shares a message of hope and redemption with audiences who might never set foot in a church.
That message has carried real weight. With more than four billion streams and sold-out arenas on his King of Hearts tour, Lake has built a following that spans ages and backgrounds. But he told Crawford the ride hasn't always felt like a mountaintop. At the height of his career, he found himself struggling with dark thoughts he was too proud to admit - even to his wife. "I guess I'd say a lot of people's lowest moments come from a low moment. Mine came from a high moment," he said.
The South Carolina preacher's kid also revisited how he funded his first independent album a decade ago - promising fans a tattoo of their name on his leg in exchange for donations. He now has 23 last names inked on his thigh.
Lake's collaborations with Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson have pushed his music beyond typical Christian radio boundaries, including a platinum record with Jelly Roll and an unplanned onstage moment with Wilson and Cody Johnson in San Antonio. Asked what his music offers listeners who wouldn't call themselves religious, Lake said he isn't interested in preaching at people. "I think my songs are offerings, and they're open doors," he said.
This article is based on Brandon Lake's interview with CBS Mornings.
Watch the Full Interview here: Brandon Lake's Musical Calling
