His father Vernon Gortner was my great uncle. He studied to be a preacher with my grandfather and met and married his sister (my great aunt). But then he left my great aunt to run off with the woman who would become this guy’s mother. (So not blood related to me personally but the half-brother of my Dad’s cousin)

This kid had something of a ‘tiger mom’ experience except it was directed from birth towards making him a preacher. He had his debut at 4 years old.

Gift link.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/15/movies/marjoe-gortner-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.I1E.HvWK.7sKM0AmhhQRA&smid=nytcore-ios-share