Music with a saving message

The Lufkin Daily News recently ran a story about Clayton Dyess, a guitar-playing, Louisiana-based gospel singer who plays his songs in parking lots.

Several times Dyess' music and God's message have saved someone's life:

• 'One time I was playing at a Wal-Mart in Center and a woman went in the store to buy pills to kill herself,' he said. 'She came up to me and said that she heard my music and that God spoke to her and saved her right there.'
• Another time Dyess was playing by the river in Natchitoches on a rainy night, with barely anyone listening. Suddenly he heard a splash and saw a man that had jumped into the water to kill himself. Dyess said that the man swam to safety because his message spoke to him and he wanted to be saved. The man ended up joining him on stage and singing in the rain.
• Another time, a man passed Dyess on his way to buy alcohol to fuel his depression. Dyess said soon after, the man came up to him, gave him his alcohol and turned his life over to God.

Dyess gives away his CDs for free to spread God's message as far as he can.