Country Artists Reflect on Life-Changing Visits to St. Jude at 36th Annual Country Cares Event
“It’s been life changing to get to visit St. Jude for the first time,” Mae Estes told us.
Matt Stell + St. Jude patient Faith, Mitchell Tenpenny + St. Jude patient Sawyer; Photo by ALSAC + St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Dozens of country artists recently gathered in Memphis, Tennessee, for the 36th annual Country Cares for St. Jude Kids event, where they had the opportunity to see firsthand the incredible work being done at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. During their visit, artists also spent quality time with patients, connecting with children who are battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Visiting St. Jude has become a rite of passage for many country artists since 1989, when Randy Owen of country supergroup ALABAMA founded the Country Cares program. He called on fellow artists, country radio stations across the country, and the country music community as a whole to help support the hospital’s mission.
Since its inception, Country Cares has helped raise more than $1 billion for St. Jude, helping ensure that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food.
This year, artists including HARDY, Anne Wilson, Zach John King, Matt Stell, Mae Estes, Mitchell Tenpenny, and Cole Goodwin made the trip to Memphis to show their support for the hospital and the children and families it serves.
HARDY Returns to St. Jude as a Dad
HARDY first walked through the doors of St. Jude when he was 28. Now, returning at 36 with a daughter of his own, the singer admits the experience hits differently. As his platform continues to grow, he hopes to keep using it to give back and support causes like St. Jude.
“So much has changed in my life since then. But the one thing, of many, but one thing that I am very thankful for is with success comes a platform that you can reach out to people and reach a lot of people,” HARDY told us ahead of his performance. “My wife and I have started our own charity, the Hardy Fund, that we are so happy to be able to donate to whatever we want to. So just to be able to be in a spot where Caleigh and I have, which is my wife, we are so blessed and now we just feel like it’s the least we can do to give back to things like St. Jude. And we’re very, very thankful to be in a spot like that.”
Mitchell Tenpenny Says Fatherhood Changed His Perspective
Mitchell Tenpenny has visited St. Jude in the past, but returning this year as a new dad gave the experience a deeper emotional impact. With his daughter just seven weeks old, the singer said seeing the journeys these families have faced and hearing their stories hit him differently now that he understands parenthood in a new way.
“I mean, obviously the first time inspired me in so many different ways, but coming back, my little girl’s seven weeks today. And even talking about it yesterday, I just started crying. It just makes stuff just more real, even though it was so real and emotional then, but just thinking about that news as a parent and then getting to meet with these parents right here and how proud she is of her son and what he’s gone through. She came over here and just showed me the beads and it’s a journey of every time he got pricked with a needle, every time he had chemotherapy. And hearing it as a parent, it just changes everything. And I don’t know. It breaks my heart that they have to hear that their kid has cancer, but what an amazing place if that’s going to happen. The success stories and just getting to hang out with him, man, it’s like it never even happened.”
Matt Stell Reflects on Returning as a Parent
Matt Stell shared a similar experience, explaining that returning to St. Jude as a dad has given him a new perspective on the hospital’s work.
“When you first get involved with St. Jude, it is really life changing. I mean, you see not only what people go through, but you see what people do to help those that need it the most and trying to cure childhood cancer. When you get involved, you see how far that they take the money, the fundraising, everything is all in service to this thing. And then you come here and you see it actually working and you see it improving kids’ lives. You see how it’s gotten better over a short amount of time. But I will say that this year is the first time I’ve come back as a dad, as a parent. I have a five month old and you always care as much as you’re capable of caring, but now that I have a kid, I could just have a deeper reservoir just to be able to see it in terms of what it would be like to be a parent and facing these kinds of things and watch St. Jude just come in here and absolutely change lives and save lives. And it’s really, really special.”
Zach John King Wants to Use His Platform for Something Bigger
Zach John King visited St. Jude for the first time and said it won’t be his last. After touring the hospital and spending one-on-one time with a patient who inspired him to be “stronger,” King said he is committed and ready to use his platform to support the mission. He also recognized that his role in music can help make an impact beyond his career.
“I can tell as soon as I walked in, they’re all in on every avenue of tackling childhood disease,” he said.
“I definitely think if I can be of any help to this, I would love to do that. And I think that’s a great way to make sure that this career is meant for something bigger than just paying the bills with music. And so I’d love to be back. I want to meet more of the kids. And then I have a lot of cool overlapping connections with the organization itself. It’s just really special.”
Cole Goodwin Says Supporting St. Jude Is a “No Brainer”
Cole Goodwin also experienced St. Jude for the first time. After hearing countless stories from fellow artists and others in the music industry, he finally had the opportunity to see the hospital’s work firsthand. The visit left him with a deeper connection to the mission, and he said supporting St. Jude is “a no brainer” moving forward.
“Until you see it in person and actually lay eyes on it and get to be in it, it definitely puts everything into perspective unless you understand it more and connect to it. And I don’t want to say care about it more because you already care about it, but it gives you something to really grasp…I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Mae Estes Is Inspired by the St. Jude Community
Mae Estes shared a similar sentiment, describing her first visit to St. Jude as a life-changing experience.
“It’s been life changing to get to visit St. Jude for the first time.”
One thing that particularly stood out to Estes was the sense of community she witnessed throughout the hospital, including former patients who have returned to work there and help carry its mission forward.
“They tell you that you’re never going to be the same when you come here, when you leave, you’re just not the same person. And what I’ve been so, so inspired by is how many people were patients here and come back and work here. And that’s in the medical field, but also in fundraising or in speaking. And I think that’s kind of a testament to what kind of culture is here because you can’t force that kind of culture. Those people believe in the mission, believe in the life saving work that was done to save their own lives. And now they’re paying that forward, literally….There was a hallway with photos that had employees here now holding their patient photo. And that was a pretty substantial moment that spoke to me and makes me think that all of us can be doing a little bit more to take care of each other in the world.”
Randy Owen Reflects on Seeing a New Generation of Country Artists Support St. Jude
Randy Owen wouldn’t miss a chance to visit St. Jude and this year was no different. The Country Music Hall of Famer says seeing a new generation of artists embrace the mission and commit to making a difference has been especially meaningful to him.
“The new people are coming on board. It thrills my heart, makes me feel good. I guess I can’t explain that really. It makes me feel good, but it’s to another degree to know that there’s other young men and women that care about the kids at St. Jude and their families. It’s joy, thankfulness, emotional, and to the nth degree.”
Randy Owen Presents Russell Dickerson and Wife Kailey With Angels Among Us Award
The recent Country Cares for St. Jude Kids event saw the return of founder Randy Owen, who performed and presented Russell Dickerson and his wife Kailey with the prestigious Randy Owen Angels Among Us Award, honoring their longtime commitment and support of St. Jude.
How to Support St. Jude
St. Jude is committed to ensuring that no child, anywhere, dies from cancer. The hospital also shares its research and discoveries so doctors and scientists around the world can use that knowledge to help save more children.
If you feel inspired to join these artists and the country music community in the fight against childhood cancer, visit MusicGives.org.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
