Stay in the Room

Jeff McLean grew up believing in a God who could do anything-love anyone, forgive anything. Anyone, that is, except him. Because Jeff is gay.

Stay in the Room tells the true story of a boy raised in Heber City, Utah, in the shadow of Mormonism and the rising AIDS crisis of the 1980s. The son of Michael McLean-Mormonism's answer to Billy Joel-Jeff sang his father's songs on stages nationwide. But behind the curtain, he struggled to reconcile his faith with his identity.

After serving a Mormon mission, entering a brief marriage to his husband, and battling an addiction to crystal meth, Jeff finally found solid ground-and the courage to come home. But before healing could begin, he had to confront the two people he feared had lost him for good: his parents.

Told through three voices, Stay in the Room is a moving, multi-perspective memoir. Jeff shares how he discovered a life where he could be fully himself and still feel the love of God. Michael recounts how the Spirit led him to stay present through his son's pain, refusing to let go. And therapist Dr. Brad Reedy offers powerful insight for families navigating the tension between faith, identity, and unconditional love.

This is a story about showing up, holding space, and choosing love-especially when it's hard.

Author: Jeff McLean,Michael McLean
Publisher: Indigo River Publishing
Published: 04/07/2026
Pages: 392
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.81d
ISBN: 9781969935053

About the Author
McLean, Jeff: - Jeff McLean is a vocal coach, performer, and coauthor of Stay in the Room. A professional singer since his teens, he has performed worldwide, from off-Broadway tours to Las Vegas's Spamalot. Since 2012, he has coached artists and actors globally, guiding them to find confidence and honesty in their voices. Drawing on his personal journey of faith, identity, and recovery, Jeff's work emphasizes self-love, healing, and connection. He is also the founder of the McLean Foundation, a nonprofit creating safe spaces for growth. Jeff lives between Heber City, Utah, and West Hollywood, California, with his husband, Joe.McLean, Michael: - Michael McLean, a household name for millions of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the beloved godfather of Mormon music and entertainment. Over half a billion people have seen his films and commercials. His fifty albums and half dozen books have sold over a million copies. Michael is a musical legend, spending every minute he can with his wife, Lynne.Reedy, Brad M.: - Before founding Finding You Therapy Programs, Dr. Brad Reedy served for over twenty-five years as a co-owner and clinical director of Evoke Therapy Programs. While at Evoke, he created Finding You Intensives, an attachment-based, experiential therapeutic intensive program that helps participants to connect their past to their current questions and issues. Finding You Intensives offer participants an accelerator and complement to their therapy work. He is the author of The Journey of the Heroic Parent and The Audacity to Be You.