In 1996, Busey hid in a sea of men attending a Promise Keepers rally in Los Angeles. In a ball cap and casual clothes he easily blended into the crowd of men listening to a message by Atlanta preacher Wellington Boone. Sensing the Holy Spirit for the first time, Busey was the first one to the front when the altar call was made.
The change was visible. When Busey returned home, his wife, who once nicknamed him "Gary Abusey," noticed his changed countenance.
The actor was raised in a Christian home. After graduating from high school in 1962, Busey recalled the time he told his father that he wanted to go to Hollywood to make music. His father answered simply, "You can do everything through Christ."
In Hollywood his music brought little recognition, but the tall, roguish Oklahoma boy soon got some big breaks. He was cast in a number of television shows popular in the early 1970s, including High Chaparral and Kung Fu. "And I was the last man killed on Gunsmoke," he brags.
He landed his first movie role in 1971 with Hell's Angels. Fifteen movies later Busey landed his biggest break ever, the leading role in The Buddy Holly Story in 1978. Busey sang, played the guitar and portrayed the legendary rock 'n roller. Hollywood took notice, and Busey received an Oscar nomination.
His fame also brought some unwanted attention. In 1979 a man who introduced himself as the devil delivered a gift to Busey's door. The present was a large rock of cocaine with GB carved in it.
Busey's downward spiritual spiral began, but amazingly he remained a hot Hollywood property. Fifteen movie roles were his in the 1980s, with a starting role as college football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant in The Bear.
In 1988 a motorcycle accident almost took his life. During an operation for a head injury, Busey claims he had a near death experience and heard God tell him to seek spiritual help. But his cocaine addiction had strong-armed him.
Speaking in Tulsa in August at Guts Church, pastored by Bill Scheer, and at a Promise Keepers rally held at Oral Roberts University, Busey presented a candid testimony of his life.
Twelve hundred bikers street kids and fans crowded into Guts' warehouse church. Busey told the congregation that "a star is simply a self-contained mass of gas " I am not a star; I am a Christian."
Busey's enthusiasm seemed amazing in light of the fact he was recovering from cancer surgery. A malignant tumor had been discovered in his sinus cavity. Soon after the tumor was removed, Busey said he heard God speak to him.
"I was praying at the time when I heard the Lord say, "Replace the word fear with faith," he told the Tulsa audience.
Apparently Busey isn't ashamed of sharing his faith with friends in the entertainment industry. "I am proud to tell Hollywood I am a Christian," he says. "For the first time I am now free to be myself."
He encouraged the Guts audience to remove the distractions from their lives and receive Jesus. Following his 20-minute message, Busey prayed for the audience, and Scheer gave an altar call. Nearly 100 people responded.
At the Promise Keepers event Busey described his problems with drugs and alcohol. He discussed how hard it is for men to admit their mistakes, then sang a song with the Promise Keepers Band. The audience of nearly 9,000 men stood to their feet and cheered.
Busey's most recent work included an appearance in a TV miniseries about Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, aired on TNT. His latest movie, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, stars actor Johnny Depp. It will be released next year.
Hollywood has obviously typecast Busey as an addict. But the actor says he's no longer the man he was. And he insists that he has plans to reach Hollywood for Jesus.
