Singing is nothing new for Aaron Gray and Josh Arnett, but when they combined it with their building talents, they weren’t expecting what happened next.
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- [Woman] What happens when a couple
of talented builders who like to sing
post a song on socialmedia and it goes viral?
- We didn't even knowwhat the word viral meant.
- [Woman] You get the Singing Contractors.
♪ Thing sings my soul ♪
♪ My savior God ♪
- [Woman] Singing isnothing new for Aaron Gray
and Josh Arnett.
Both men grew up in musical families
that performed at churchcamps and meetings.
Since 2015 the singing contractors
have had well over 100million views on YouTube.
Aaron and Josh kept their day jobs,
but they also perform often
and have recorded two albums.
Their latest, Buildinga Christmas to remember.
- Well with me now arethe Singing Contractors,
Aaron Gray and Josh Arnett.
Welcome to both of you,
good to have you here.
- Thank you so much for having us.
- Such a rich, deep sound you both have.
I mean you're not related to each other,
you're friends,
but your blend is amazing.
So in 2015 you post this video online
just for the heck of it.
Were you shocked at what happened?
- Shocked is.
Shocked beyond.
- Not the word.
- You talk together too?
That's amazing.
- We do.
(laughing)
- What was your reaction to that?
- Well it was very surprising
because when we posted itwas later on through the day
of the workday,
and the next day we came backit had like 60,000 views.
- [Terry] Good grief.
- And we're used to two or 300.
So when we came back the following night
it had been 350 and thenit went to a million
within 32 hours.
- [Terry] Wow.
- [Josh] So I guessthat's what viral means.
- I guess.
I think that'll do it.
You both grew up,
we had a chance to talka little bit earlier,
with traveling evangelistic families,
so you were singing as you grew up,
but was it your aspirationfor this to happen?
- We, I know I sang with my family,
my brother and sister.
We would travel aroundin revival meetings.
My dad would preach and we sang together
for about 15 years.
And so that was what I knew growing up
was singing on the side.
- [Terry] And now that'sover I'm a contractor.
- But then when I got married
and moved away from home,
my singing stopped.
And I never planned onever doing it again.
Never dreamed of any of this.
- [Josh] Yeah.
- So wow.
- Well here you are with awhole new career before you.
- Totally unplanned.
- Are you still contracting?
- We are still contracting,
and a matter of facttomorrow we go back to work.
- Go back to work.
(laughing)
You say there's more to allof this than just performing.
I mean a lot of peoplewould love just being able
to get up and show their talent
and be able to produce CDslike you're doing right now,
but really your motivationis deeper than that.
- It is deeper than that.
It's to reach the lost.
And to encourage people that are down
and broken.
We have a message of hope
and that message of hope
is singing about Jesus.
And he is everything.
And he's changed our lives.
And he can change everyone else's too.
- In fact you and a scenario like that
with a woman who waslistening to your music,
she contacted you andsaid I had been suicidal,
had suicidal thoughts until I listened
to what you were singing.
And it changed my mind.
That's pretty powerful.
- Yeah she was ready to,
I guess she had all her pills laid out,
shut the blinds, and Iguess she was getting ready
to open social media one last time
and our video popped up.
And I know that may sound cliche
as a story or whatever.
- [Terry] Sounds like a God idea to me.
- It is.
It totally is.
And it's not us, it's him andwhat he's doing through us.
- Well she said thatsomething spoke to her.
And we know what it is,
his name is Jesus.
- [Josh] That's right.
- And now she has got counseling,
she's back with her husbandand she's back in church.
- [Terry] Praise God.
- And so we just giveGod the glory for that.
- But for people who mightnot be in the 60 million,
we have a clip of the two
of you singing a songform your Christmas album.
Let's take a look.
♪ Joy to the world ♪
♪ The Lord is come ♪
♪ Let Earth receive her king ♪
♪ Let every heart ♪
♪ Prepare him room ♪
♪ And heaven anda nature sing ♪
♪ And heaven and nature sing ♪
♪ And heaven, heaven and nature sing ♪
- I think one of thethings that's so great
about what God has opened up for you
is that everybody can relate to you guys,
you know, I mean you're us.
- Yes we are.
(laughing)
- That's scary huh?
- We're just common folk.
- We work every day
and live week to week.
- Yeah, you guys havebeen able to do CDs now,
you're touring.
This has changed your life.
And yet you continue on withwhat you were doing before.
You both have families.
And so what do theythink about all of this?
- They support us.
Even though we're here, they're there,
we couldn't do it without them.
- I wanna say to folksthat if you're looking
for a gift for the musiclover in your family,
get a copy of Buildinga Christmas to Remember.
The CD is availablewherever music is sold.
Aaron and Josh, we just wannasay thank you for being here,
and for what you do
and the way in which you do it.
- Wow, thank you for that.
- Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas to you too.
- [Aaron] It's an honor for us.
- [Terry] Hope it's a big seller.