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It didn’t click until the funeral. As he watched civil-rights leaders, three Atlanta mayors, and President Jimmy Carter fill the pews at Zion Baptist Church in the fall of 1991, Chay Wright suddenly understood the impact his grandfather, Rev. Robert L. Johnson, had on the world.

That wasn’t the only thing that struck Wright that day. Beyond the notable faces and religious scripture, Wright, then a sophomore at Berklee College of Music, remembered the Masons in the room. Rev. Johnson, like many civil-rights leaders of his era, was a Prince Hall Mason, and dozens of his fellow lodge members had filed into the church wearing their aprons to celebrate the life of their departed brother.

It made a lasting impression on Chay Wright. “There was something about the ritual that said, This is a man—these are men—who understand that there’s something greater that moves us. It explained to me who he was.”

That reverence for performance and ceremony stayed with Wright. For more than 30 years, he’s worked as a musician and producer, and he’s been a Mason since 2015, now with Beverly Hills № 528, where he’s a past master. In 2023, Wright was appointed junior grand deacon.

Wright’s career, in music and Masonry alike, can be traced to his grandfather: Both Wright and his twin brother got their start performing in his church. “He would have us play there as often as my mother would allow,” Wright says.

By the early aughts, Wright had landed gigs touring and recording with Motown legends the Temptations and the Jacksons, respectively. In addition to releasing his own music, he’s also been a recording engineer, a sound mixer, and a producer for several up-and-coming artists. This spring, he was hired to play guitar on a world tour of music from the popular anime series Attack on Titan. The concerts live up to the show’s name, with 22 songs played by a full orchestra, choir, and rock musicians—all synced to scenes from the show. The tour includes performances at Carnegie Hall, the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, among other big-name venues.

That gig came courtesy of a Masonic connection: Trevor Lawrence Jr., a member of the Prince Hall’s Thomas Waller № 49 in L.A., who plays drums on the tour, said he immediately thought of Wright when the rhythm-guitar chair came open. “I knew he would be professional and prepared. All of these things matter just as much as ability,” Lawrence says.

Wright, for his part, says he brings a Freemason’s intensity to performing for the passionate group of superfans in the audience. “My job is to spiritually convey the energy, the excitement, the emotion,” he explains. “The degree of focus and seriousness that I apply to Masonry is what I bring to my performances.”

While neither Wright nor Lawrence had seen AOT before being enlisted for the tour, Lawrence says his kids had. “This got more reaction than anything I’ve done recently, except maybe the Super Bowl,” he says with a chuckle.

When the tour wraps, Wright will head back to the studio to finish producing his second album with art-pop artist Virian. While he’s passionate about artist development—he also wrote a book on the subject—he tends to demure when it comes to wise words for aspiring musicians. “Advice can get in the way,” Wright says.

Instead, he points to Masonic philosophy: “In Masonry, you’re not supposed to get involved for ‘mercenary reasons.’ The same applies to music. Your inclination has to be so deep that you do it whether there’s a paycheck at the end of it or not.”