Jonny Diaz
“From the very beginning, I just described myself as a Christian who loves music. It was, and still is, impossible for me to be authentic with my songwriting and not talk about my relationship with Christ and how He’s impacted my life,” he says. While Diaz’s faith is evident with each release, his songwriting has never shied away from the messiness of life and relationships.
“I’m at a point where I genuinely feel like I have nothing left to lose,” he shares, noting that he spent years trying to recreate the magic that transpired with early No. 1 hit “More Beautiful You”—a practice that pointed Diaz toward endless striving but yielded little fruit.
“I just wasn’t trying to recapture any of that old stuff,” Diaz says of Everything Is Changing. “I wasn’t trying to make sure I hit any sales figures or any radio charts. I just wanted to write authentic songs, because I realized those are not only the ones that I’m going to be most proud of, but those are the ones that connect the best anyway.”
The evolution in his approach and subsequent viewpoint resulted in a newfound joy unearthed during the recording process. Diaz may have been unsettled as he attempted to spin too many plates—both personally and professionally—but he also discovered a peace culled from being certain of his calling. “Ultimately, this is where God has led me just through trying to be authentic,” he maintains. “I don’t have all the answers and not everything is going to be perfect, but there’s still joy down in my soul.”
At times, Diaz has also attempted to balance two full-time jobs as he acts as general manager of Fit Factory Nashville, the local 6,000 square-foot gym he owns and operates alongside wife Libby, who acts as head trainer. The new business venture has become an unconventional source of community and support for the couple and its more than 200 members.
“There’s something about getting through a tough work-out or even kind of suffering through something that just brings people together,” Diaz says. “We’ve seen God create a cool community through what we’ve done. It’s been such a neat way for us to meet, minister and invest in so many young adults in our area.”
Like any hard-working husband and father, he may be wearing a multitude of hats and life may not always be perfect, but he’s learning to find and appreciate the beauty in the messiness.
Everything is changing, but it’s really Diaz who’s being changed in the process; and he’s more than OK with letting God shine through his imperfections.
“In my effort to be genuine, one of the things God has called me to do is to not stand on stage and try and look like I have it all together,” he says, “but instead, stand on stage and admit where I need saving, because I can make my Savior look big by admitting all the things He’s saved me from. I can stand up there and say, ‘Here’s where my life has completely fallen apart, but here’s how God has pieced me back together.’”
