St. Jude Children’s Research HospitalIt was an emotional weekend for Randy Owen, as he marked the 30th anniversary of Country Cares for Kids, the program he started with St. Jude founder Danny Thomas. Over three decades, country fans have given more than $800 million dollars to the free Memphis hospital that treats childhood cancer and sickle cell disease.
Randy’s currently on Alabama‘s 50th Anniversary Tour, as his band mate, Jeff Cook, fights Parkinson’s disease.
“[I’m experiencing] a lot of emotions, particularly right now, [with] what Jeff’s going through with Parkinson’s,” Randy reveals. “I feel very cheated. I’m sure he does as well. But on the other hand, I’m very grateful that people still want to hear the music, and that people are still supporting Country Cares.”
“It’s a time in…life when you don’t really think about a whole lot,” he explains, “except [to] just try to enjoy the moment, because I don’t know how long I’ll be here on this earth. But I certainly know this much: while I’ve been here, I’ve tried to make a difference.”
At the Saturday night Country Cares banquet, Randy presented Jake Owen with the Angels Among Us Award for what he’s done to make a difference for St. Jude.
Afterwards, Michael Ray and Clint Black joined the two for a jam session that included classics like “Tennessee River,” “Better Man,” “Mountain Music,” and “Spend My Time,” as well as more current hits like “Down to the Honkytonk” and “Kiss You in the Morning.”
Perhaps the most moving moment of the night came when Randy suggested everyone else sing their songs, since his were from the eighties. Michael responded by launching into the Alabama classic, “Lady Down on Love,” with Jake and Clint harmonizing and alternating leads. The performance brought Randy to tears.
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