Podcast Summary: GPS: God. People. Stories.

Episode Title: Billy Graham’s Guitarist, Franklin Graham’s Friend
Date: January 14, 2026
Host: Jim Kirkland (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)
Guest: Dennis Agajanian

Episode Overview

This episode explores the remarkable life and ministry of Dennis Agajanian—award-winning guitarist, lifelong friend of Franklin Graham, and evangelist who’s used his musical gifts to share the Christian faith around the world. The episode shares Dennis’s journey from a rugged small-town upbringing, through powerful moments of bold, street-level faith (sometimes in harrowing settings), to his friendships with the Graham family, and his continuing commitment to leading people to Jesus Christ.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Dennis's Early Encounters with Faith and Music

• Upbringing in Newhall, California:
  Dennis grew up north of Los Angeles in a small town, where his family owned a rubbish company. Their faith and resilience were shaped by their environment and the challenges they faced.

  “My dad, he had a rubbish company and we got in a lot of fights in junior high…made us tough, you know.”
  — Dennis Agajanian [04:17]

• First Exposure to Billy Graham:
  As a toddler, Dennis attended Billy Graham’s historic 1949 Los Angeles outreach with his mother and grandmother. He recalls flashes of the experience—the breeze, the music, and the steps to the stage.

  “I just remember the music and I remember people coming forward.”
  — Dennis Agajanian [04:52]

• A Family Immersed in Faith and the Outdoors:
  Dennis and his siblings were “outside kids,” keeping birds of prey and riding bikes with owls and hawks on the handlebars.

  • Church was central—a quirky church in a converted bar became their spiritual home.
  • Dennis’s musical gifts emerged in church, playing trumpet at age nine, guitar at fifteen, and bringing bluegrass style to classic hymns.

  “You could play any hymn you want, any way you want, just don’t change the words.”
  — Dennis Agajanian [06:22]

Early Commitment to Christ and Bold Evangelism

• Making a Decision for Christ:
  At eleven, Dennis responded to a preacher’s invitation and committed his life to Jesus.

  "Did anybody want to accept Christ, Raise your hand. I raised my hand. It's the only one that did. Made me stand up. Sure you know what you're doing. ... Of course I know what I'm doing, because, you know, the balance was heaven and hell."
  — Dennis Agajanian [06:54]

• Love of the Bible:
  Despite struggling with reading in school, Dennis discovered he could comprehend Scripture, testifying to the transformative role of the Holy Spirit.

  "I could read the Bible and comprehend it. It’s kind of like the Holy Spirit was… the teaching device."
  — Dennis Agajanian [08:04]

• Honing Gifts in College and on the Street:
  Dennis sharpened his street preaching skills at Cal Poly Pomona, answering tough questions with Scripture.

  "I was able to answer every picking question because I was studying the scripture."
  — Dennis Agajanian [08:43]

Confronting Chaos with Christ: The Berkeley Story

• Evangelizing in the Summer of Love:
  In Berkeley, 1967, amidst the drug-fueled chaos, Dennis used his guitar to gain an audience in a café, segueing from music to a bold gospel message.

• Encounter with Hell’s Angels and Billy Graham:
  In a dramatic parking lot moment, Dennis witnessed to a Hell’s Angel, unaware that Billy Graham stood behind him.

  "I turn around and Billy Graham is standing right next to me. ... I said, sir, would you like to continue? And he said, you’re doing just fine."
  — Dennis Agajanian [00:23], [10:52]
  "My eyes kept right on the biker."
  — Dennis Agajanian [11:00]

• A Tragic Wake-Up Call:
  Dennis recalls holding a woman’s body after a drug-induced suicide; instead of despair, he turned it into a call for repentance and hope to the bystanders.

  “Are you blind to see what drugs does? ... Does anybody here care that there’s a God that can save you, save you from this?”
  — Dennis Agajanian [12:00]

Partnership with the Graham Family

• Becoming a Billy Graham Crusade Performer:
  Dennis’s gifts caught the attention of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. At his first Crusade in Lubbock, TX, Billy remembered their meeting outside the coffee shop.

  "I see you haven’t changed."
  — Billy Graham to Dennis Agajanian [13:52]

• Meeting Franklin Graham:
  Initial camaraderie with Franklin formed over friendly debates about Jeeps and escalated into a lifelong friendship.

  “He said, I heard you're a fast guitar player. I said, well, that's a rumor Johnny Cash started…”
  — Dennis Agajanian [14:28]

  • Memorable Quote:

    "We're already arguing, you know. And then I thought, well, I don't know if this friendship's gonna last."
    — Dennis Agajanian [15:09]

• Ruth Bell Graham’s Encouragement and Boldness:
  Dennis shares a memorable story preaching to patrons in an Asheville adult bookstore, at Ruth’s urging, which led to a run-in with police and a classic Ruth Graham moment securing a preaching permit from the mayor.

  “She walks right by everybody. Goes right to the mayor. He needs a permit.”
  — Dennis Agajanian [16:52]

Evangelism at Home and Abroad: Stories of Boldness and Compassion

• Life on the Front Lines:
  Dennis and Franklin faced danger while evangelizing abroad, such as dodging mortars in Cambodia.

  "What am I doing? Trying to throw him out of my ditch because he stunk."
  — Dennis Agajanian, about Franklin Graham [17:35]

• Ministering to the Broken:
  Dennis movingly describes Franklin’s compassion as they ministered to a severely burned child.

  “Franklin is holding this child. He’s whispering in her ear, ‘this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.’ And tears are running out of the holes for the eyes...”
  — Dennis Agajanian [18:38]

Personal Life: Love, Marriage, and Ministry

• Franklin Plays Matchmaker:
  In a lighthearted reflection, Dennis recounts being too shy to propose to Victoria. Franklin intervenes—but Victoria first turns him down before finally agreeing.

  “Do you want me to ask her for you? I said, yes.”
  — Dennis Agajanian [19:59]

• Victoria’s Ministry:
  Victoria Agajanian shares Dennis’s passion for caring for people, often praying for strangers or neighbors and leading them to Christ.

  “She’s waiting there with her basket. Comes over and talking to the lady leads her to Christ.”
  — Dennis Agajanian [21:34]

The Role of Music in Evangelism

• Guitar Skills as a Bridge:
  Dennis credits his musical prowess as a doorway to sharing the gospel.

  “The only reason why I play the guitar the way I do, if I can get their attention, lead them to Christ.”
  — Dennis Agajanian [03:49], [22:11]

• Ministry Impact:
  Dennis regularly leads dozens to Christ at each church visit, with an annual average of about 1,700 conversions.

  “Last Sunday, I led 53 people to the Lord. Before that, it was 58, 75. … Only God knows how many people got saved, but we average about 1700 a year.”
  — Dennis Agajanian [22:11]

• Musical Diversity:
  He reaches listeners across musical styles as a means to open hearts to the gospel.

  “You’re playing the old hymns... You’re doing country, bluegrass, different styles. You want every note right… and you want to blow them away."
  — Dennis Agajanian [23:12]

Dennis' Invitation to Faith

• Clear Gospel Presentation:
  Dennis offers a heartfelt summary of the gospel, followed by a prayer for listeners to receive Christ.

  “There is a God. He does love you. He did send his son, Jesus Christ to this earth on a rescue mission to die for your sins… If you said that prayer, he's right now just come into your soul and he lives inside your soul and he'll never ever leave you or forsake you.”
  — Dennis Agajanian [24:06]

Reflections on Billy Graham's Legacy

• Remembering Billy Graham:
  Dennis remembers learning of Billy Graham’s passing in 2018, and his affectionate final moments with the evangelist, playing his favorite songs at his bedside.

  “He would grab my hand and put it on his heart… and say, I love you.”
  — Dennis Agajanian [28:50]

  • Billy Graham’s words on the world’s search for meaning and the eternal hope found in Christ are revisited for emphasis.

  “Man is on a self-destruction binge. But God is still in the business of turning men and women's lives around and bringing them to himself.”
  — Billy Graham [02:04], [27:17]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Billy Graham’s Encouragement:

  “You’re doing just fine.”
  — Billy Graham to Dennis, witnessing to a biker [00:23]

• On Street Ministry in Dangerous Times:

  “Are you blind to see what drugs does? She thought she can fly. She lost her life. Does anybody here care that there’s a God that can save you?”
  — Dennis Agajanian [12:00]

• On Franklin’s Compassion:

  “You talk about love, you talk about somebody that would hold somebody to his face, kiss her, a little burn baby's face. That's the kind of man he is.”
  — Dennis Agajanian [18:38]

• On the Power of Music:

  “If I could play the guitar and get their attention, I could lead them to Christ.”
  — Dennis Agajanian [22:11]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction and Berkeley Encounter: [00:01]–[01:06]
• Music as Ministry: [03:07]–[03:49]
• Childhood & Family: [04:08]–[05:57]
• Dennis’s Salvation Story: [06:47]–[07:52]
• Street Preaching & Testifying: [08:23]–[09:35]
• Berkeley, Hell’s Angels, and Billy Graham: [09:35]–[11:34]
• Tragedy & Turning Point in Evangelism: [12:00]
• Billy Graham Crusade & Meeting Franklin: [13:22]–[14:28]
• Franklin and Ruth Bell Graham Stories: [15:20]–[17:10]
• Mission Trips Abroad with Franklin: [17:35]–[18:21]
• Franklin's Role in Dennis’s Marriage: [19:39]–[21:05]
• Victoria’s Ministry Style: [21:34]
• Music and Evangelistic Results: [22:07]–[23:53]
• Invitation to Christ & Prayer: [24:06]
• Reflections on Billy and Ruth Graham: [28:50]–[29:41]
• Episode Closing Song: [30:15]–[30:52]

Tone and Style

The episode is informal, heartfelt, and occasionally humorous, filled with vivid stories of risk, resilience, and redemption. Dennis’s humility, sincerity, and readiness to go to the tough places for Christ shine through every anecdote.

For Further Action/Listening

• To begin a relationship with Jesus Christ or seek prayer, visit FindPeaceWithGod.net or call the Billy Graham 24/7 prayer line (855-255-7729).
• More stories of transformation can be found in future and past GPS podcast episodes.