Friday, August 23, 2024
On Friday, Aug. 16, country music artist Clifton Jansky was awarded with the honor of “Entertainer of the Year” during his performance on stage at the Gatesville Country Music Hall of Fame at the City Auditorium.
Jansky commented, “The first time I performed in Gatesville was when I was inducted into the Gatesville Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012.”
Coming back to Gatesville to perform, he said, “It’s just awesome.”
Jansky said that he’s been performing for at least 61 years.
"From Amarillo by Morning to Amazing Grace" is not just one of Jansky's single releases in Christian country music, but it is his life story. One of the lines in the song says, "Little did I know, God had a plan that was bigger than Tennessee."
As a young boy growing up in South Texas, Jansky's dream was to stand on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry with the big boys and sing. He had his first band at the age of eleven and recorded his first record at the age of seventeen. He was so successful in South Texas that country music was his sole source of income for 22 years. As a mainstream country artist, he had twelve records on country radio including a regional hit on "Amarillo by Morning" four years before George Strait.
Jansky has opened shows for Gary Morris, Lee Greenwood, Tanya Tucker, Eddie Rabbitt, Willie Nelson, Randy Travis, Ricky Skaggs, Sara Evans and the Oak Ridge Boys. It seemed as if he was one song away from really hitting the big times but, in reality, he was one prayer away from changing his life and his dreams forever.
Though Jansky has been singing and entertaining all of his life, he is a newcomer to Christian country music. He released his first single “Heart Transplant" to Christian country radio in Aug. 2000, and it became his first #1 Song. In November 2001, Clifton stood and sang on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium at the Christian Country Music Association Awards Show in Nashville. God fulfilled his dream as a six-year-old boy to sing on that stage and a few minutes later, he was awarded with the 2001 CCMA New Artist of the Year. Clifton has since been awarded 2002 CCMA Male Vocalist of the Year, 2004 CCMA Entertainer of the Year as well as 2005 CCMA Songwriter of the Year. He has had six number one singles in Christian country music and looks at the success as a door that God has opened to allow his message and music to be heard by a large number of radio listeners across the country and around the world through the internet.
Jansky is on the road and in the air for Jesus. He sings and speaks wherever God rings his phone to go. He has traveled overseas with International Evangelist Sammy Tippit to England, Macedonia, Siberia, and Scotland and has also sung in three different languages in stadium crusades in Romania and the former Soviet Union. He has ministered for 22 years in the prisons and jails of this land with Bill Glass Ministries, as well as doing revivals, concerts, banquets, and rodeos for everyone who rings his phone. Jansky stated, “I am now doing what God created me to do. My heart is to go where the people are and share God’s love through my music and my life so that they can take the ride From Amarillo by Morning to Amazing Grace just like me.”
Jansky continues to reside in San Antonio. He has been in full-time ministry for over 28 years now and has committed his life to going where the people are and giving them the opportunity to give their lives to the Jesus who has totally and dramatically changed his life.
Since he first started in the music industry, when asked if his music has changed over the years, Jansky responds, “Everybody’s music changes, but I’m still a classic country guy and now I do Christian and country music as well.”
