On September 15, 1987 in Los Angeles, Melendez sang Never Be the Same for Pope John Paul II. Visibly moved, the Pope descended from his chair and embraced Melendez, saying, “My wish for you is that you continue to give hope to others and continue in what you are doing.”
Never Be the Same was an appropriate song, as those few moments changed Tony Melendez’ life forever. They inspired him and brought his unrestrained abilities as a guitarist to national attention. Today, Tony Melendez is a guitar player, composer, singer, songwriter and an inspirational speaker.