A Rockin’ Pastor – Jay Watson
Some people may not agree, but Jay Watson, lead pastor of Nolensville’s Life community Church since 2007, made a rather profound statement when he declared, “I’m a pastor who likes to have fun.” And he has the most fun when he’s hooked up with long-time close friend Kyle Wiltshire.
The two men treasure their long-standing friendship, which includes visiting every day either by phone or in person. They both love music — especially rock — and have watched countless movies and videos together. Both share a fascination for deceased rock stars, especially those who died too young, like Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, John Lennon, etc.
Jay and Kyle insist that telling stories and caring for people are their two favorite pursuits. They dreamed of one day collaborating on a book
“I was at Sonic placing an order when Kyle called me,” Jay said.
“He said, ‘What if we do a book together on dead rock stars who faked their deaths and became secret agents?’ I almost went through the roof with excitement. Yes! We had our first meeting September 8, 2018, to lay out a plan and map a broad outline.”
The first character stepping from the authors’ imagination was Cole Denton. He’s a 20-year-old computer genius, a bit “geeky” and, not surprisingly, socially awkward. He’s amassed a ton of pop culture knowledge, making him a perfect 1999 vehicle for telling the amazing story of the allegedly alive but dead rock stars!
Like Jay and Kyle, the fictional Cole Denton wants to connect with people and make their lives better. He was tailor-made (literally) for accepting a bizarre offer presented to him by a good-looking man with exaggerated sideburns.
“It wasn’t difficult working together once we got the hang of dividing the work,” Jay said. “There were twists, turns, changes, detours, impasses, and some minor disagreements, but, finally, a first draft of Dead Rock Stars was completed in April 2020.”
Since then, the’ve secured a publisher, and Dead Rock Stars releases November 14, 2023.To find out what happens to Cole and the guy with the sideburns, visit deadrockstarsbook.com.