MIlwaukee Catholic Herald Article April 26, 2007

April 26, 2007
For entertainer, Mother Teresa’s words are songs
Bradley James releases CD of music inspired by late nun
By Maryangela Layman Román Catholic Herald Staff
Bradley James, a native of Beaver Dam, speaks to students at Our Lady Queen of Peace School, Milwaukee, during a March 9 visit. (Catholic Herald photo by Sam Lucero)ST. FRANCIS — As a dancer and singer who has worked on both coasts, Bradley James has rubbed elbows with many celebrities. But the woman who had the greatest impact upon his life was an elderly lady who, at 5 feet, barely reached to James’ elbows. At age 24, James, a native of Beaver Dam, met Mother Teresa in California and said the meeting in 1987 with the woman destined to be a saint, was a major fork in his life’s journey.It not only inspired James to volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity, but it eventually led him to record a CD of her words and prayers.In 2000, with the permission of the Missionaries of Charity, James released “Gift of Love,” a compilation of 13 songs, written and sung by James to the words of Mother Teresa. James noted he’s the only person to whom Mother Teresa granted permission to put her words to music.In one letter, Mother Teresa wrote, “I give you my permission to write melodies to my words and prayers. That would indeed be something beautiful for God – your gift of love to the Missionaries of Charity. Let us thank God for the desire he has kindled in your heart to use the gifts he has given you for his glory!”Grammy-award winning producer John Andrew Schreiner co-produced it with James who said it’s become the best selling independently produced CD in the world.How does a youngster from Beaver Dam end up working with and spreading the message of Mother Teresa? In an interview with your Catholic Herald during a March visit to Milwaukee, James said it’s the work of the Holy Spirit.“If you look at my life, and I’ve sung on Broadway, have a big career, live in Palm Springs, get to travel all over the world, sing in London, New York, and I think, my gosh, how did I get here? But if you’re faithful and you follow where you are supposed to be it’s just the next step, if your goal is always excellence … that is where the spirit leads.”Roots in Beaver DamJames, 43, born Bradley James Beilfuss, graduated from St. Peter Elementary School, and Wayland Academy, both in Beaver Dam. Constance Koehne, former chairperson of the music department at Wayland, recalls him as a talented youngster who was enthusiastic about music. When he graduated in 1981, he received the school’s top music award, she said, proudly describing her former student as bright, exuberant with a “fantastic personality.”Following high school, James studied in New York with The Juilliard School and was a scholarship student with the Joffrey Ballet. He continued dancing with Joffrey in California and was also involved in commercial work, early MTV videos and cabaret performances.His Catholic faith continued to be a strong part of his life and James said he was intrigued with the woman he saw as a living saint, Mother Teresa.“Growing up in Wisconsin, I was always aware of her, that there was this woman alive in our time, a saint, a living saint. This wasn’t something in a history book; there was a saint alive on the earth today,” he said. “I would read about her as all Catholics did. I was fascinated by her.”He described meeting Mother Teresa as almost an accident. He and a priest friend were planning to see a movie. James had read that Mother Teresa was in town that day to meet with former President Ronald and Nancy Reagan and he was hoping to get a glimpse of her. When they stopped, much to his amazement, he was able to meet her in person.Meeting led to volunteeringHe was so moved by the meeting he began volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity in California.He described one sister in particular, Sr. Sylvia, as being able to recognize people’s gifts and talents and to be able to put them to the best use.“Sylvia had a gift for knowing and including people and making it possible not only to have time with Mother alone – as she did with me generously – but allowing me to help and do things for the sisters that I was always more than happy to do. When the sisters said jump, I said, ‘How high?’ and that was a real big part of my life,” he described.James said the sisters taught him that God calls each person where they are. “You don’t have to go to Calcutta to be holy. Be holy right in your home, right where you are,” he said.Mother Teresa recognized that James was a musician and soon after meeting gave him permission to write music to her words and prayers. He did, and the sisters began singing the songs in their communities around the world. At times, Mother Teresa or the sisters would request that he write a song for a profession of vows or feast day.“I’d write a new song or Mother would send me some words and I’d put that to music and little by little the music kind of traveled. The sisters would take it here and there and it became global,” he said. James said he was gaining a reputation as “the guy from California who writes music to Mother Teresa’s songs and prayers.”Permission to record albumShortly before Mother Teresa died, James said Sr. Sylvia encouraged him to ask her permission to record an album of the songs.Hesitant to make the request, believing he’d be seen as one of many people who sought to profit from Mother Teresa, James finally summed up the courage to ask, after Sr. Sylvia said to the elderly nun, “Mother, Bradley has something to ask you.”“I said, ‘Mother, can I make a recording of these songs?’ and without a beat, she said, ‘Yes, you must do it.’”Not believing she understood what he was asking, James repeated his request to Mother Teresa several times in the months that followed.“‘Bradley, why do you keep asking me for permission?’” he recalled her saying. “‘I want you to do this because then people, especially young people will hear the words and pray the prayers in music.’”James explained he didn’t receive the Catholic support for the CD, which was completed after Mother Teresa’s death in 1997, that he had anticipated. Instead, he formed Only Little Things Music to produce the CD independently.James said at the request of Sr. Nirmala Joshi, Mother Teresa’s successor, he is working on a second CD of Mother Teresa’s words and prayers.When not writing or recording music, James performs in cabaret shows in California and also gives presentations and performs for corporate clients as well as in churches. During his recent trip to Wisconsin, he sang at weekend Masses at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, spoke to the school children and led a mission at St. Bernard Parish in Madison.The trip was also an opportunity to visit his father, Don Beilfuss, a Beaver Dam barber for 52 years.In California, James continues to volunteer with the Missionary Sisters of Charity and regularly visits prisoners at San Quentin.“Christ does not come with a food tray to feed somebody, but you and I can. He said very clearly in Scripture, ‘I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me to drink.’ Mother also said that over and over again. You have a loaf of bread, share that and make sure your money is spent so someone else isn’t suffering.”James’ work inspires othersJames and his devotion to Mother Teresa is an inspiration to those around him, according to Kaye Ballard, whose entertainment career includes Broadway musicals, film credits such as “The Girl Most Likely” and “A House is Not a Home,” the Tooth Fairy on Captain Kangaroo, vaudeville and numerous appearances on sitcoms, talk and variety shows.“He’s got a saintly quality about him,” said Ballard of James. “He’s such a good human being, it’s scary,” she added, noting she met James when he was co-owner of the popular Doug Arango Restaurant in Palm Springs. James “almost brought me back to the church,” laughed Ballard in a telephone interview with your Catholic Herald. Describing herself as a fallen-away Catholic, Ballard said she and James attend Mass together every Easter and Christmas, and “every time, people around us tell him what a gorgeous voice he has.”It was James who arranged for the actress to meet Mother Teresa. Ballard recalled she was in New York performing an Irving Berlin show when James called her at about midnight telling her if she wanted to meet the nun, she’d have to be at a church in the Bronx at 6 a.m.She did, and in her recent autobiography, she mentions James and described the life-changing event. Ballard, calling the meeting “one of the thrills of my life,” said Mother Teresa gave her a medal which she still cherishes.“There’s something very, very special about him,” said Ballard of James. “He’s very religious, such a generous person.”