Stories of Victory :: Joey Feci

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Even before he was born, Joey Feci was destined to be a drummer. He started off by practicing on his mother's womb, and then moved on to his crib rails. Eventually he graduated to pots and pans before his parents finally gave in and bought him a drum kit at the age of seven.

Joey soloed on the drums until he was 14, and then he joined his first band in Virginia Beach, where he was thrown into the world of secular music. Two or three bands later, he wound up in Inertia Creep, and headed off to Nashville to play with the "big boys". Inertia Creep was gradually swallowed up by the pits of the Nashville rock scene, alcohol, and marijuana. Ultimately, the group disbanded.

At this time, Joey was also filling in for another band called The Issues, who became very well-known on the Nashville music scene. Joey found himself in the "big leagues", performing in rock concerts for thousands of people at a time, and hobnobbing with well-known celebrities like Kid Rock. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, he was being consumed by the world of sex and drugs. "I was always around the stuff, but there seemed to be something pulling me away from really being a part of it. It's like God was protecting me from the very beginning. Somehow, I never truly belonged in that scene. There were moments when I gave in to the appeal of sex and drugs, but I always regretted it later, and I learned some hard lessons from it. People get no lasting satisfaction from these temporary ‘quick-fixes', no matter who they are..."

The Issues later moved to Atlanta when the Nashville music scene began to surrender to the invasion of country music. While still playing for the band, Joey took a job at Residential Construction Specialties as an appliance warehouse stocker. This is where he met Joanne, a billing clerk who would later become his wife. Joanne brought Joey to Victory World Church and introduced him to a world of vision, purpose, and purity through Jesus Christ. Joey was burned out with the drug-and-sex-laden secular music scene, and so it wasn't very hard for him to let it go and embrace a life with Christ. "There was no hesitation whatsoever in my mind when I made the decision to leave The Issues and drop the whole scene. The sex and drug music scene had always been something that, in the back of my mind, I never really wanted to be a part of anyway. I didn't have any ties or relationships that I felt I could not sever. I only became involved in the first place because that's what I thought was normal for someone in the music business. I had never met anyone who was ‘squeaky-clean' in the industry."

Joey was amazed with the people he met at Victory, as well as with the true sense of freedom and belonging he found in the presence of God. "Everyone that I met through Joanne at the church was really nice. I instantly felt like I was at home. It was nothing like the one or two times I had been to church when I was a kid. This newfound relationship with God definitely gave me something new and worthwhile to live for. Before, it seemed like there was nothing of substance in my life--nothing as fully satisfying as knowing God."

As Joey's desire for God increased, he became more involved with the church, and began playing the drums there. While pursuing God's will for his life, he met Leo Gonzalez, a song writer and worship leader at the church. Joey and Leo joined with several other musicians to produce Leo's first album, "Hold On." They are presently working on their 2nd album. Joey is also currently enrolled in school at Devry University, majoring in Network Administration.
As far as Joey's plans for the future? "Right now, Joanne and I are currently serving in Ancient Paths, and I'm a back-up drummer for Fusion (Victory's Young Adult Ministry). After I graduate from Devry, we will probably move to Kansas City to serve with the International House of Prayer (IHOP) for a season. We intend to raise our children in that environment. There is nothing like seeing a 5-year-old child meditating on a scripture for an hour or more, and having a real desire to seek the face of God."

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