Clayton Inman’s tongue-in-cheek title invites you to look inside his love of singing about the Lord he loves
By John Herndon, KentuckySings.com
LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. — If you thought you knew everything you should know about Clayton Inman, his new book, “I did it for the Money,” will certainly let you know differently.
Spoiler alert: The Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Famer hasn’t really been singing since 1983 for the money. No way. But you can be sure the tongue-in-cheek title gives you a little insight into Inman’s earnest desire for his first foray into publishing.
Whether you are an artist, a longtime fan or someone who has just discovered Inman and Triumphant Quartet, he wants to encourage you and give some insight he’s learned from more than 40 years of singing about Jesus. And to do that, you’ll just have to read the book.
Inman sat down to talk with me when Triumphant Quartet was in town for a concert at Sand Spring Baptist Church on Oct. 15. He talked about his book – which we had not read at the time – and about his ministry and life as one of America’s most beloved gospel singers.
“Actually, I had no intention of ever writing a book,” he said. “In August of 2024, I was sharing a story with Danny Jones (of the Singing News). He liked the story and said, ‘You have more stories than just that one. You need to write a book.'”
At the beginning of 2025, Inman began the 18-month writing journey. His process was simply recording stories into a phone memo, then crafting them into something concise and readable. Throughout the process he was careful to remind himself that “you can’t create something based on what you like or don’t like. You might create this but the majority might not like it and vice-versa. What is a compelling story?”
His 16-chapter, self-published work succeeded in bringing together those compelling stories from life on and off the road since 1983. That’s when Clayton landed his first full-time singing job with the Singing Americans. But those chapters aren’t just a history of what Inman has done. They give a glimpse of who he is and what makes him tick. And it’s almost like you are sitting across a table just having a conversation about those 43 years.
And that could also be a description of the face-to-face interview Clayton granted on Oct. 15.
He was thoughtful. Reflective. Funny. Focused on Jesus. Always focused on Jesus. That describes “I did it for the Money” and it describes every conversation we have had with Clayton Inman over the years.
We aren’t going to give you a lot of details about the book. It’s short enough that we read all 16 chapters in less than 90 minutes, even when taking notes for this review.
What we are going to talk about are some unmistakable forces that have shaped Clayton Inman over 43 years and beyond. Whether seeing them in print or listening to Clayton elaborate on some of the stories, these three areas shine on this gospel legend.
First, Clayton absolutely adores his wife, Michelle. He refers to her often in his book but one incident he shares is unforgettable. In Chapter 6 he recounts how he needed some money for a four-day trip not long after joining the Singing Americans. Clayton also wanted to be sure that his wife and son, Scotty, a toddler, would be fine.
He writes on page 22, “She went to the fridge. Then the pantry. Took stock of what we had. Then she looked at me and said, ‘You know what? We have $11 in the bank. You take $10. Leave $1. We’ll be fine.’
“That’s the woman I married.”
And through the book he often credits her with being the rock behind his success. Sitting across from me in October, Clayton added, “Michelle never let the kids know – Scotty and Jordan – know how she was affected by something that happened while I was gone. She never let the kids see what she was having to bear.”
Secondly, Clayton loves what he does. Anyone that has seen him on stage with Triumphant could tell you that. But learning about his struggles breaking into the business – sending audition tapes to nearly every hot group of the 80s, going back home to Memphis for a while after leaving the Singing Americans – is compelling, especially considering that Clayton has been at the top of Southern Gospel for decades.
But to this writer, the most surprising episode in Inman’s life is that he originally turned down the opportunity to join the new group Louise Mandrell had invited David Sutton, Eric Bennett and Jeff Stice to form.
Of course, that group would eventually become Triumphant Quartet, but Clayton says he turned it down twice because of plans to start a trio, Inman & Company, with his son. The details, laid out in Chapter 10, are just fascinating.
Thirdly, Clayton loves the Lord more than anything. In reading the book there’s not one incident that magnifies that. Instead, every single word is a declaration that Jesus is Lord. And that’s how it should be. He recounts some health issues – including a dangerous heart blockage – and shares how God protected and provided following Triumphant’s horrific bus fire in 2021.
But as we talked on Oct. 15, I asked Clayton if he’d ever considered a career in another musical genre. His voice is strong and it’s easy to picture Clayton being successful in country, pop or classical music. From our vantage point, it’s a legitimate question.
However, Clayton is a gospel singer. He’d grown up as a huge fan of the Imperials and says he wore out their “Sail On” album. He thought for a moment.
“There was one time,” he said. “I really wanted to sing really badly. I was living in Memphis and there was a local club in town. It was like a cash prize kind of thing. It was like a karaoke thing with a cash prize. I had a song I wanted to sing and I told Michelle. She would understand it.
“I got to the club and I stepped out of the car and I didn’t even make it to the front door. When I got home, she asked what made me change my mind. I said, ‘That’s not where I am supposed to be.”
Clayton believes that singing about Jesus is where he should be. His many fans would undoubtedly agree. His career has followed some major changes in Christian music.
But the message has never changed.
“As a group, we have prided ourselves in choosing songs that are strong lyrically,” Inman said of Triumphant during his interview. “We don’t care where they came from. It creates a narrative that is going to speak to somebody out there.”
And Clayton Inman’s first book will also speak to many in a different way. It might make you laugh. It might make you cry. But regardless of where you are, you will find something that encourages you in your faith.
