Eric Lee Brumley
The Early Years
Born in Kansas City, MO, where his parents met while his mother was in music school, Eric Lee Brumley was raised an only child in Little Compton, Rhode Island. Eric began singing and performing after accepting Christ at the young age of 5 years old. He and his mom would write and sing songs together. He developed a love for Elvis Presley, Motown, ‘50’s oldies, gospel, soul, and blues, largely as a result of hearing the music of his father’s favorite radio stations. Eric’s home was always filled with instruments growing up, and the support of his mother helped him to develop his voice and musical giftings. At 12 years old, Eric began playing guitar and writing his own songs, but his main focus was on working to become a pro baseball player.
At the age of 15, Eric performed with The Continentals, touring the United States sharing the Gospel through their music. They finished the tour with a mission trip to Romania and Bulgaria where they ministered to third-world communities. It was during this trip that Eric realized the overwhelming need for missionaries in every corner of the globe.
The Calling
Returning home, Eric attended public school where he was distracted from his true calling by dreams of pro baseball, and by the pitfalls of alcohol and drugs. He grappled with these vices for several years, until, at the age of 18, his parents presented him with an ultimatum: move out of the house, or join a discipleship ministry. It was not an easy thing for his parents to do, but they did so in prayer, knowing that this was a crucial time in Eric’s life. Eric, making maybe the most important decision of his life, entered the ministry of Teen Challenge in Boston, Massachusetts, where he would spend the next 7 years undergoing a drastic transformation.
During his residency and apprenticeship at Teen Challenge, Eric studied scripture, led choirs, ministered to men in recovery, attended Global University, and regained his sense of mission, rooted in Christ, and manifested through the use of his musical gifts. Eric’s calling and gifts helped the ministry to reach new heights, as his original songs became anthems for Teen Challenge, for recovery from addiction and sin, and for the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. It was also during his time at Teen Challenge that he met his wife, Nicole, also a Teen Challenge alumni and former staff member. After 11 years in ministry at Teen Challenge, Nicole went on to complete Zion Bible College, and receive her Master of Arts in counseling from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.
The Music
Eric Lee Brumley’s heartfelt lyrics would be sung by congregations and thousands of redeemed men and women at choirs and events around New England. One of the most notable of these originals was Break Down the Wall. It was Frank Jordan, special advisor to the Boston Red Sox, who can be credited with “discovering” Eric, and introducing him to Let’s Cheer Records, the label that produced the 2008 Unity for Christ Tour live album that saw Break Down The Wall performed throughout California with gospel group A7, and leading to Eric receiving the key to the city of Palmdale, CA.
Eric led worship at Outreach Chapel in Everett, MA for 2 years, and is currently leading worship at Broken Chains Biker Church in Taunton, MA where he has served for the last 12 years under the leadership and guidance of Pastor Thomas Iddings.
Since 2008, Eric Lee Brumley has been actively performing and recording his original, gritty, soulful music in venues throughout the US, including SoulFest, HillFest, River Rock Music Festival, and many more. In 2011, an independent collection, Rough Cuts was recorded as a practice guide for musicians in an upcoming tour.
From 2021-2023, Eric was the lead singer of a Chris Cornell tribute band called Say Hello II Heaven under the stage name Jericho Matthews. Eric used this platform to advance the gospel of hope by sharing his personal testimony in venues around New England.
In 2018, Eric released an independent single entitled “To the Other Side” with Ari Mendes. In 2019, Eric Lee Brumley was signed to Old Bear Records, the New York label that released Eric’s debut studio album, The Devil Goes Fish’n Too: A Gospel Anthology, produced by Chris Hoisington of the Brothers McClurg. And in 2024, Eric Lee Brumley’s next full-length album, Electric Chair, will be released, along with several singles including a contribution to the second volume of Bellsburg, a tribute to world-renowned Christian artist, Rich Mullins.