Kevin Jonas, Sr., is the co-founder and partner of the Jonas Group, an innovative entertainment company where he manages top artists such as Demi Lovato, Meaghan Martin, Honor Society and the entertainment phenomenon, and his sons, the Jonas Brothers. Jonas began singing at the age of 8 and went on to become a world traveling performer and multi-platinum songwriter. He spent much of his life serving as a worship leader, youth pastor, and senior pastor of various churches. He served as worship leader and faculty member of Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, TX, where he founded CFN Music, a music production and distribution company. Jonas lives in Dallas, TX with his wife Denise, and their sons, Kevin Jr., Joseph, Nicholas, and Frankie.
Interlínc’s president, Allen Weed, had a wide-ranging conversation with Kevin Jonas Sr, the father of the famous Jonas Brothers. Here is just some of what they talked about.
Allen: You’re the dad of some pretty famous guys. In what ways are you remaining their dad instead of their boss or manager?
Kevin Sr: I was pastoring a church when the boys were young and first started performing. Two of them were on Broadway and all three were doing commercials in NYC. Being a part of their lives was very important to us, so we spent our free time juggling being there. Maintaining involvement in our children’s lives was impossible if we weren’t around. We felt the same about ministry; if we were too involved in God’s work and forgot about our family, we might see people come to know the Lord and yet lose our own kids. We went as hard as we could at being there and yet still doing the best job we could at work.
For me, being a dad means I need to be there. I need to do my best to encourage them in their faith, to counsel them in their relationships, to show them a (hopefully) good example, and to pick them up if they are discouraged.
We have done everything we can, including making some choices related to their team, choices that hopefully were wise in regards to spiritual support for their lives. We bring people out on the road to encourage the entire team. Some of those people I have known for a long time, and some are new friends. Some are well known, and some are not. They come to encourage these guys who aren’t always around on a Sunday to attend church.
This all starts with being a father first.
I’ve spent much of my life in music, songwriting, and recording my own albums in the Christian world, so I had an understanding of many of the things that they would encounter. I feel like my life created a platform that we could launch from, since I had experience in numerous areas within the performance world in Christian music and also in the music business world.
I do wear both hats. I would say that 90% of my “manager” position is being the dad who is looking after his kids. The other 10% is dealing with the business side.
The evening that we were with the guys at the Nashville concert, I was impressed by the calmness of the atmosphere backstage – it really did honor Christ.
We believe in hospitality and in caring for people. We’ve made sure that the support team members are the best at what they do, and are people of character. We went through a number of people and refined our team numerous times to come up with this group that honor the boys, their beliefs, and their positions – at the same time, they give them the freedom to be the teenagers they are. The band members are the boys’ best friends in the entire world. They encourage them. I think most of the team would stand in front of a firing line for the boys. That is the atmosphere we want.
I really enjoyed my conversation with your wife, Denise. What a Godly woman she is. You get right down to spiritual things pretty quick with her. We’ve talked about you being the dad, what is her impact on the guys?
I credit her with anything good that they have. She came from a wonderful family that taught her well. She has a strong faith, a discerning spirit, and the ability to speak truth in a way that is encouraging. I can’t imagine doing this without her and our youngest son. She’s a nurturer, a comforter, and a truth teller. She is the best living example I know of a faith-filled person.
Twenty years from now, when you look back on these days, what do you think you will remember?
As a dad, I’ll remember things that others will never know about apart from this conversation. I’ll remember how proud I was when Nick was diagnosed with diabetes. We felt as if the world was falling apart, and yet he went from the hospital to a stage and sang his heart out. Or, when Joe fell down on the American Music Awards in front of everyone. He was embarrassed, had to go through the press line immediately and then walk through a crowd who mocked him. I’ll remember seeing from where he drew his strength. Then the fans surrounded him and album sales doubled that week, tripled the week following – and their career took off. I’ll remember when Kevin would get on his knees and hold a little girl, or wrap his arms around a person that had a disease or who was struggling or who might not have life for long apart from a miracle – he would just hold them and care for them.
Or when Joe was with the Special Olympics’ participants and irritated the press because he was the first celebrity that spent all of his time with the athletes and not the press.
There are things that mean a lot more to me than seeing the guys in front of 100,000 people at a concert. Being with them at the end of last year when they gave 11?2 million dollars that could have gone in their pockets to charities and ministries. Those are things that I will remember.
The way they’ve handled untrue things that have been said about them. That’s where the dad comes out.
When the boys were on Broadway, the producers didn’t allow the parents to stay. But certain shows would allow the parents to come in at the curtain call. Being a pastor, there was no way for me to afford a Broadway show every night, so I spent most of my time nearby – preparing sermons and doing meetings or phone calls while they were in their show. But, I would get back in time to see them bow on a Broadway stage. The feeling I got as a dad to see them living their dreams and having their prayers answered was truly deeply gratifying.
(Source: Interlinc online)
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