Bobby Bones and Friends Bring Music and Smiles To St. Jude Patients

It was a gloomy day outside of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. on Tuesday (Oct. 29), but…

By

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

October 30, 2019

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2:34 pm

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Bobby Bones at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Photo Courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

It was a gloomy day outside of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. on Tuesday (Oct. 29), but inside the hospital’s pavilion where multi-media personality Bobby Bones and his friends were on hand to visit with patients and their families, it was anything but gloomy.

The American Idol mentor was joined by his The Bobby Bones Show cohorts Eddie Garcia and Amy Brown as well as powerhouse vocalist Caylee Hammack for a Halloween-themed hospital visit, complete with costumes and a special acoustic performance from The Raging Idiots and Hammack.

Kicking off their acoustic set with “When I Grow Up,” a song that was featured on the Raging Idiots’ children’s album, Bones and Garcia brought much-needed smiles to the faces of St. Jude patients and their families.

Trading in her usual set consisting of songs like “Family Tree” and “Preciatcha,” Hammack opted to embrace her Ariel Halloween costume and treat the kids to a few songs from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Later, her performance of the viral hit “Baby Shark” prompted a full-on dance party among the patients, with many of them making their way to the front to join in on the fun as Bones and Garcia sang along.

Caylee Hammack, Bobby Bones, Amy Brown, Eddie Garcia; Photo by Joseph Wasilewski

After closing their fun-filled set with a cover of “Old Town Road,” a clear fan-favorite, Bones and friends made their way to the side of the pavilion to spend some one-on-one time with patients, taking time to meet with each child and their family individually. They even had a chance to meet a few of the patients’ special friends that help bring comfort to them during their treatments at St. Jude, including one young boy’s stuffed animal named Joey.

“I love the work that St. Jude does and no matter how many times I go visit, I’m always struck by how special it is there for countless reasons,” Bones, who has raised over $11 million for St. Jude to date, tells Country Now. “I appreciate them for letting us come spend our day with them, playing our songs in silly costumes because it’s honestly the best part of what we get to do.”

Before heading back to Nashville, the group enjoyed a quick tour of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and had a chance to learn more about the ways the hospital is continuing its research to end childhood cancer.

Bones has been an avid supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for six years. He supports the hospital in many ways, including his star-studded “Million Dollar Show,” which in 2019, featured artists like Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum and Cole Swindell. The show brought in a whopping $200,000 this year alone.

In December, The Bobby Bones Show is set to host its annual Radiothon in support of St. Jude. Additional details on that will be released in the coming weeks.

Overall, the country music community has been a longtime supporter of St. Jude, raising more than $850 million through Country Cares for St. Jude Kids®. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food—because all they should worry about is helping their child live.

Those interested in making a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital can visit thisshirtsaveslives.org to become a monthly donor.

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Lauren Jo Black

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.