There’s only ONE Nashville. And in the heart of Music City at the famed Bridgestone Arena, there’s only ONE show of its kind that will be taking the sports and music world by storm. This is where fans of all ages will gather next Sunday, November 18 for the 3rd annual “Scott Hamilton And Friends” to benefit the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, for cancer research and support.
“There is no other event like this in the world where you combine a live music show from top to bottom with skating,” Olympic Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton told The Country Note. And for that, Hamilton brings in the best of the best from the winter sport. Special guest host Kristi Yamaguchi will be joined by ice stars like Olympic Gold pair Meryl Davis and Charlie White, Olympic Silver Medalist Patrick Chan, 2x Olympic champion Katia Gordeeva, Olympic Bronze winner Jeremy Abbott, and US National Gold Medalist Ryan Bradley. And let’s not forget the other half of this magical evening-the music of course!
“It might get LOUD this year!” Hamilton exclaimed! And why wouldn’t it? With acts like Florida Georgia Line, Brothers Osborne, Tommy Shaw of Styx, Bart Millard of Mercy Me, and the legendary Steve Cropper (Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay), the audience can expect a hybrid of rock, country, Americana, and everything in between!
Cropper, who first joined the cast last year alongside artists like Chris Young and Darius Rucker, will once again wow the crowd with his famous guitar licks and timeless songs. “He changed music forever, “Hamilton’s awe reached right thru our apple devices. “Everyone is so honored to share the stage with him and he’s such a great guy—so approachable and humble.”
Cropper isn’t the only big name dropping by. Sheryl Crow, a nine-time Grammy Award winner and cancer survivor, returns as headliner and host of this magical concept that she has been a part of since it’s much smaller sized Cleveland days.
World renowned cancer treatment center Cleveland Clinic treated Hamilton for a brain tumor in the early 2000s and because they “saved my life,” the beloved athlete and author wanted to give back. The first few shows brought in acts like Jim Brickman, Liza Minelli, and even Aretha Franklin, but they were one offs, and the artists only performed a few songs.
“And then one year we had Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, and Sheryl—multiple artists for the first time. Sheryl became a member of our family. So, I sat her down one day and said, ‘I want to do this show in Nashville and I want this to be OUR show.’ I don’t know a more philanthropic, creative, heart of gold genius like Sheryl. She is so willing to help.”
And even more help came in 2014 with the official launching of the CARES Foundation (insert link), an organization dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research and treatment options. In addition, the CARES Foundation provides emotional support for patients and their families thru two extra links, chemocare.com and 4thangel.org.
“Being fresh out of chemo and surgery, I understood that patients were not being given information and support they needed to totally deal with the situation. I knew I wanted to fund research, but I also saw gaps in the community as I myself didn’t know what chemo was and how I would deal with it.”
Chemocares.com features everything you need to know about chemotherapy, how it’s administered, down to each listed drug and how they work, not to mention the side effects and how to manage them.
“Now people don’t have to go thru chemotherapy feeling blind. That website gets 3 million hits a month. It’s doing work and allowing people to understand that information is power and comfort.” Hamilton adds.
Not only can patients learn the science behind chemo, they can find support and comfort in someone who has walked in their shoes thru the 4th Angel organization. Hamilton realized during his own treatment that doctors could only provide so much information and that it was done in a clinical way., thus leaving out the personal connection. 4th angel pairs newly diagnosed patients with survivors of the same disease and treatment cycles, or at the very least, similar paths. Guarded and managed by the Cleveland clinic, more information on 4th angel can be found here. (4thangel.org).
And even though Hamilton has battled more health problems than seems plausible, he only did chemo once when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1997. After the first brain tumor was treated with radiation at the Cleveland Clinic in 2004, the second one in 2010 required surgery. And the third one? Yes, you read right. A third one was discovered in 2016 after it initially and inconclusively showed up in a scan as a bleed.
“In that final tumor diagnosis, all I heard in my mind was ‘GET STRONG.’ I didn’t know where it was coming from. I didn’t even know what it referred to. Was it physical, mental, emotional, spiritual? And I decided it was all of the above.” With that mindset, Hamilton resorted to working out, cleaning up his diet, eradicating sugar and other toxins that feed cancer, and above all else prayer.
“If you don’t ask, you can’t receive right?” Right. The next two scans the following year miraculously showed shrinkage of the tumor, although it was recently discovered to be back to its original size.
But always a man of dedicated faith, Hamilton says they are keeping an eye on it and for him, it’s all about getting on his knees with a mountain of prayer, purpose, and expectation.
“One thing I have learned about the world is that they can lift you up and they can tear you down. But the Lord will remain faithful. Always. . . .always. So where do I want to place my bet? On the sometimes or the always?”
The “always” seems to have worked for Hamilton ever since he came into this world. Sick even as a child, he spent most of his early years in the hospital, constantly going through tests and the wrong diagnosis.
“When you live in hospitals, you don’t really have big dreams and aspirations of being a world changer. I was the shortest kid in my class. I was always sick and not strong. And when I found skating at the age of nine, it was kind of miraculous. My parents and I thought, ‘this is the only thing that works.’ I knew I was going to be a skater no matter what. So, I realized early on just by being in those Saturday morning classes that I could skate as well as the well kids and it was pretty powerful. And then soon after, I realized that I could skate as well as the best athletes in my grade.”
And eventually, Hamilton became one of the best skaters in the world, scoring four consecutive US Championships and World Championships within the same years (1981-1984). 1984 was also the year he won Olympic Gold. And as amazing as his intricate footwork proved to be, nothing could overshadow that signature backflip that has since become a staple with so many skaters that followed in Hamilton’s footsteps. . . literally. Later in life, he added commentator and author to his list of career highlights, with books released in 2009 and 2018, about overcoming challenges and disappointments and the value of competition.
His secret?
“Self-esteem is the most powerful agent there is. If you feel good about yourself, everybody feels good about you.”
And that is what Hamilton teaches to his three boys.
“Skating got me back to my health and gave me identity and direction and purpose. I just figured out that nothing replaces work and time and integrity. You get out of it exactly what you put into it. You figure out where you need to show up and pretty soon, you start chipping away your weaknesses and you get strong. We do the best we possibly can. You hope for the best. We know we’re gonna make mistakes. Forgiveness is key. We gotta find a way to keep getting stronger and better every day.”
Scott’s kids aren’t the only youngsters watching their dad live what he speaks. Another crucial piece exists as part of the CARES Foundation puzzle. Sk8 to Eliminate Cancer is a nationwide movement comprised of youth at the local level, who use a peer to peer fundraising platform to raise money for cancer, thru their family, friends, businesses, and other networks. And a handful of them get to perform their own group piece every year during the “Scott Hamilton and Friends” presentation. Hamilton believes that by showing these young philanthropists the value of hard work, they understand that they can be a part of changing their world for the better, even at their age.
“Cancer is the number one cause of death, “Hamilton boldly states as we wrap up our phone call. “We know this hurts your body and that there’s a chance of secondary cancers after treatments. I remember who I was before I had chemo and full-blown radiation in my brain. I know I have lost a step. . . or three. But at the same time, I’m here and who I am now is who I’m supposed to be. And what I am doing I pray is what I am supposed to be doing, which is building a community and giving people a vessel to make a difference. No one can do this on their own.”
No doubt, Scott Hamilton. Tickets are still available for the November 18th show that starts at 5 pm. Prices range from reserved seating at $35 (plus applicable service charges) to preferred seating of $50 and $75. You can purchase tickets at the Bridgestone Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, and ticketmaster.com. Tickets and sponsorship packages that include an After Show Celebration at the Omni Hotel – featuring dinner, live music and a silent auction – can be purchased at https://scottcares.org/events/evening-scott-hamilton-friends.
Oh, and one more thing!!! Scott Hamilton and CARES Foundation is personally sending two of our lucky followers to the show!!! We will have a pair of tickets to give away starting Friday November 8 and running thru Friday November 16, 2018. For more information on how to enter, check out our socials (Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook), @thecountrynote.com.