During the 1970s, Driscoll performed on national television on the Ed Sullivan, Merv Griffin, Steve Allen, Della Reese, and Arthur Godfrey shows.
[21][22][23] Driscoll also wrote for and collaborated with artists such as Steven Stills, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, and 38 Special, and performed with ensembles including the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
[24][25] Driscoll eventually became increasingly dissatisfied with his rock and roll lifestyle, and on Christmas morning in 1977, he and his fiancée became born again Christians.
Beginning with Ten Years After (1981), he began recording in the inspirational genre, producing soulful albums whose sound had an appeal to both black and white audiences.
He also began The Voice of Praise, a television ministry broadcast on the Inspiration Network, and released the album A Different Man, which included the hit ballad "Christ Remains".
The album features covers of mainstream hits like "Bridge Over Troubled Water", "You Are So Beautiful", and Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody", as well as gospel and praise songs including "His Eye Is on the Sparrow".
His early 2000s releases included renovated patriotic albums One Nation Under God (2003) / Spirit of America (2005), "Under Big Top" (2005) and Drops of Praise (2006).
[39] In 2008, Driscoll released the album Songs in the Key of Worship, which includes his vocal and trumpet performance of the classic hymn "I Surrender All", accompanied by guitar.
[46][47][48] In the 1980s, Driscoll performed for, made presentations and speeches for, and composed the theme song for President Reagan's Just Say No campaign against drugs.
[49][54][55] On Presidents Day in 2000, Driscoll sang and played "God Bless America" at the Medal of Honor ceremony, at the request of Secretary of Defense William Cohen.
[57] And at the emotional post-9/11 Emmy Awards ceremony in November 2001, he received a standing ovation after he played and sang "America the Beautiful".
Driscoll's raspy, blues-like voice has been compared to Ray Charles, Joe Cocker[27][61] and Michael Bolton.
[63] As one independent 2006 analysis puts it, "Driscoll has a bluesy-gospel ('soul') style and sings in a course, guttural voice that sounds very much like Ray Charles.
Driscoll's performances and recordings include many mainstream and bluesy works such as "The Long and Winding Road", "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me", "You Are So Beautiful", "You Don't Know Me", "Georgia on My Mind", "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?
He and Lynne have two children, Jamie and Danielle, and Driscoll has a son, Shawn, from his previous marriage to Patti McDavitt.
[70] In January 1978, Driscoll was one of 32 people indicted by a Texas federal grand jury on charges of being part of a cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Driscoll was arrested after nineteen federal agents surrounded his home during a sting operation stemming from a government wiretap.
[75] Following the indictment, Driscoll wrote a letter to the court stating that he had "found God" about three weeks before his arrest, on Christmas Day 1977.
[71][72][73][74] Driscoll said in a 1986 newspaper interview that he was "doing a lot of drugs", and he was reported to have had a $5,000-dollar a day cocaine habit, prior to his religious conversion and subsequent arrest.
Following his release, Driscoll wrote and co-produced an autobiographical film about his experiences, starring Danny Glover and Brian Dennehy.