10/07/10
In June Nan and I took a trip to the Navajo reservation in Ft. Defiance AZ. for annual Myeloma Network Cancer Conference. We were both able to speak about our individual cancer stories and our journey together through 2008. Fortunately we did have an effect on some people who went home and had some things checked out! We made many new friends there and are looking forward to returning next year, it really is a magical part of the country and the Navajo were very open and friendly. Be sure to check out some of the pictures from this trip, there are some great shots!

In other cancer related news, The Blue Note Fund will be officially announced this month and is open for donations. All the proceeds that go into this fund are going directly back to patients in need of a little financial assistance during colon cancer treatments. After Nan and I battled cancer in the same year, the expense of treating this disease was overwhelming and some of those monthly billsgot buried or forgotten in the midst of the doctor and hospital bills. We were fortunate and had insurance that covered most of the expenses, but others are not. The Blue Note Fund will help alleviate some of the stress of cancer by helping cover utility bills, mortgage payments, etc. Like I've said before, when you're fighting cancer the last thing you want to think about is a bill you can't pay. Thanks for considering this fund when you're making any donations, your help is greatly appreciated!

Still touring with Jamie O'Neal and have been doing a lot of guitar work for her projects at the Grotto. Her husband Rodney is one of Nashville's best engineers and it's alway fun to work there and the songs are always good. I've been working there as well with Dave Fowler on a few of his productions, which are always different than most and are usually guitar heavy which allows me to stretch a little.

Since June I've been working on three records, all of which are about to head into the mix phase. Vicky Smith's will probably be done first. Her project is a contemporary gospel record that I've been producing with my long time friend Dennis Dearing, so you can watch for that one soon.

I'm about half way through a project for Milan Kamnick of Slovenia! Through the wonderful word of technology, we're collaborating via the internet. We recorded the initial tracks when Milan was visiting this summer and those 4 songs have now turned into a full length cd. Milan will be sending me some more songs which we'll record here at DR, I'll send those tracks to him for his vocal which he'll send back to me for the final mix. Recording technology is pretty amazing these days!

Ryan Joseph and I have been working on his debut record since June as well. Ryan has become a good friend since he starting working with Jamie O'Neal a year ago. From there he has hit the ground running and has been doing demo and master sessions as well as touring with Laura Belle Bundy as well as Jamie. In the current country music scene, Ryan is one to watch, I fully expect his star to keep rising.

Thanks for checking in!

4/21/2010
The second Stars Go Blue benefit was held March 24th at the Loveless Barn raising $30,000 for the Colon Cancer Alliance and our newly established Blue Note Fund. It was also dedicated to our friend Peggy Nowlin who battled colon cancer and went through chemo treatments with Nan. They became friends and helped each other through the difficult process. Unfortunately, Peggy lost her fight in December of last year, so this years show was in memory of her and many of her family members came out to remember her including her husband Charles Nowlin.

Mike Snider kicked the show off with his always entertaining mix of music, humor and excellent musicianship. If you haven't seen him, you owe it to yourself to see his show sometime, you will definitely not be disappointed! We then headed into the 'in the round' portion of the show with Barry Walsh, Gretchen Peters, Mike Reid, Wade Hayes and Peter Cooper. The round is always an intimate way to hear songs, but these guys are simply some of the most intimate writers in Nashville. I have been a fan of all of them for so long and seen them perform before, but this time the honor was truly mine more than ever since they came out and shared their music and stories for this cause. There's nothing like this anywhere else! After the round we closed out with the legendary Rodney Crowell and the gifted Bill Miller. Rodney of course has been a staple in the singer/songwriter world for many years and Bill is not only a gifted Native American singer/songwriter, but also a very talented visual artist! Check out the pictures to see his work on the bar stool he painted for the auction! All in all, it was another amazing night of music the way only Nashville can deliver it. Many thanks to Andrea Clay, Jasmine Greenamyer and Andy Spiegel at the CCA for all their help and support, Jensen Sussman, Chris Holden and Amserg, Salix Pharmaceuticals and all our local sponsors. Thanks also to Kelly Breece for taking some fantastic pictures and my longtime friend John Thompson, a great local artist here in Nashville, for painting one of our auction stools!

In other CCA and Stars Go Blue news, the dvd from last years show is now available! If you would like to experience music the Nashville way or if you were there for the show and want to relive the night, just head over to www.ccalliance.org or www.amazon.com to pick up a copy. Proceeds go to the CCA and the Blue Note Fund, which will give help directly to colon cancer patients in need of a little monetary support. This video is packed with great songs and some very funny moments and would be a great inspiration to someone you may know that is battling this disease right now or is a survivor. Remember, Christmas is only.....(hold on, I'm counting on my fingers) 8 months away! What could be a better stocking stuffer.....but I'll remind you again as we get closer!

More to come as the days pass and we move into the touring season, things are starting to get busy as usual! Thanks for stopping by and for your support of our efforts, you are greatly appreciated! Wishing you good thoughts always......CK

3/2/2010
In effort to spread the word about colon cancer prevention, I wanted to share with you the latest message from the Colon Cancer Alliance. Please take a second to watch this and know that I am proof that early detection is the key to beating this disease. As most of you know I was diagnosed with colon cancer after a routine colonoscopy....no symptoms at all. Fortunately, because of early screening, it was caught at stage 1 and I am completely healthy today. Had I not been screened, my outcome could've been different. Thanks for taking a look and please get screened, it could save your life....it saved mine!

Wishing you all good health and good thoughts! - CK

2/15/2010
I can't believe it's been a year since the last post! Most of 2009 was spent touring with Jamie O'Neal and the rest of it recovering and helping Nan recover. I guess a year of treatment warrants a year of recovery! Lots of good things have come from it all though. Nan has become a local board member of the Nashville chapter of LLS and continues to be a big part of their Light the Night campaign and I am now on the board of the CCA and am excited to say that we are in preparation for the 2nd Stars Go Blue show! This year we'll be at the Loveless Barn on March 23rd. Rodney Crowell, Gretchen Peters, Mike Reid and Peter Cooper are all on board and there may be a few others still to come. Also, through the extreme generosity of James Stevens, Steve Angus and a whole crew of Nashville's finest audio/video folks, the dvd from last year will be available in March. 50% of the proceeds from the concert and dvd sales all go to The Blue Note Fund that was created with the help of the CCA. This fund will be able to give financial assistance to those in need of a little help in their fight against colon cancer. As Nan and I fought our cancer battles, I realized how fortunate we were to have health insurance, but even with that, we still amassed enough out of pocket expenses to buy a whole lot of really nice guitars! It was my dream and hope to start this fund and maybe be able to help with some utility bills, a mortgage payment, fuel costs for trips back and forth to oncologists etc. Just a small bit of help to those who need it, in turn giving them a little more hope. The Blue Notes Fund was a dream birthed in the hospital under the influence of morphine just over a year ago and I am very excited that it will be a reality! Credit must go to whom it is due and my deepest appreciation goes out to Andrew Spiegel, Jasmine Greenamyer, Tammy Ashton, Jeannie Moore and Andrea Clay and everyone at the Colon Cancer Alliance (www.ccalliance.org) for all their efforts, none of this would be possible without them.

I've been working quite a bit in the studio at Jamie's, contributing guitar parts to her projects and will be out on the road with her as well starting on the 27th of February in Biloxi MS at the Isle Casino. I'm also headed to the Navajo Nation in Ft. Defiance, Arizona June 4-5 to take part in the Arizona Myeloma Network's third annual Cancer Conference (www.azmyelomanetwork.org). Nan will go with me and we'll perform there as well as share our story in effort to raise awareness. This opportunity is one that reaches into my core as my personal beliefs are so close to those of the Native Americans and I am looking forward to meeting the Navajo people and sharing stories of hope in the battle against all cancers!

More with Matt Davenport Productions this week too. I'm adding guitars to a few more of his shows that will be playing at several theme parks throughout the country this summer. I'll keep you posted on those, but last years Sea World San Antonio show, 'Good Vibrations' is still going, so if you happen to be in Texas this summer, be sure to check it out. I'll also be in the studio producing several artists that I've been fortunate to work with and I'll post those projects as they are finished.

Til next time, good health and good thoughts to everyone - CK

Grammy-nominated artist Charlie Kelley and his wife Nan, television host
for the GAC Network, share their story of cancer, survival and success.

11/26/2008

Happy Holidays to all our friends, new and old! As we head into the
season of positive thoughts and new beginnings, I wanted to share a
recent diagnosis with you in hopes that I can inspire any and all to
think positively about taking advantage of preventative tests in the medical field!

Three weeks ago, I had a routine colonoscopy that resulted in the removal
of a cancerous polyp. Because of the way that the polyp was growing, I will have to undergo a colon re-section operation on December 1st in which the surgeon will cut out a section of the large intestine where the cancer is and re-attach the rest. If all goes well, I'll be up and moving by the first of the year and will not need further treatment.

I was not having any problems that lead me to a colonoscopy in the first place, but had one since my mother had polyps removed in the past. I'm sure you've heard it before, but early detection is truly the key to treating most everything, but certainly cancer. At 40, they tell me I'm young to have this particular type of cancer, which usually shows up in people 20
years my senior, but there have been cases of it striking people younger than me as well. Bottom line is that if you can have a colonoscopy done, please do! You will get over the embarrassment quickly and it may save your life. Had I waited until the recommended age of 50 to have this test, I would have had a much bigger case of cancer to deal with and a more
extensive treatment plan as well. As it is, a week in the hospital is bad enough!

My only objective in sharing this diagnosis with you is that all who read this will consider having a colonoscopy or if you've been putting it off, that you will use me as a clear reason to stop putting it off! Especially those of you out there who are 50 and up. Check the family history and if there's anything there, it could be worth your time to get this done as early as 30
maybe!

I wish everyone a very happy holiday season all around and hope that you will all take advantage of my upcoming experience! Since I won't be able to eat too much post operation, everybody eat a Christmas cookie for me this year!

Thanks for taking a second to read this and for all the personal and musical support past, present and future, it means a great deal to me!

Charlie

In May, Charlie's wife, Nan, was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. Fortunately, it's one of the easier types of cancer to treat and they expect full recovery and complete remission after a few months of treatments. She is doing well and her spirits are good even though it's a tough process. Thanks to so many people who have called, emailed and sent cards, both Nan and Charlie greatly appreciate it. In lieu of her usual performance with LynnMarie and the Boxhounds at the Schauer Center in Wisconsin, they taped a special performance of The Tennessee Waltz at the GAC studios which will be posted! (The laundry room floor thing is a bit of an inside joke from a couple years ago.) Yu'd never know Nan was fighting cancer and that's pretty much the way she's handling the whole situation, with strength and her usual positive and gracious attitude! As always though, you can still see her on GAC's Top Twenty Countdown and on Opry Live.

Hal Ketchum has recorded "Million Dollar Baby", a song written by Hal, Lynn and Charlie. He did a great gypsy jazz version of the song for an album to be released on Curb records sometime in September. Keep your eyes peeled for that one, because the whole project is fantastic and is one you won't want to miss.

The infamous "Mayor of Broadway" aka. Redd Volkaert flew in from Austin Texas to help out on a song called the Strip Polka. Redd added guitar and his distinctive vocal to the track that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. If you're not familiar with Redd, check him out at www.reddvolkaert.net He's a master of the Telecaster and plays western swing and country, but he grew up in Canada, so he knows accordion music well!