Born in rural East Texas in the 1950’s, Tom grew up in suburban Dallas.  Every Sunday he attended a church that would be called “fundamentalist” today, and he loved going to church.  At an early age, he developed a love for the music of those Sunday services, which would now be called Southern Gospel, and eventually became an accomplished pianist.

He served faithfully, progressing to increasingly more responsible positions in the music ministry of the church.  He studied the Bible.  He even went to services that most people skipped.  He did everything right, except for one thing he could not control:  he grew up to be gay.