Women Cancer Survivors Take Over The Grand Ole Opry!

Country music superstar Martina McBride

As a singer-songwriter and three-time survivor of stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer, I've dedicated much of my music life to writing and recording songs that inspire and inform cancer patients and their loved ones. I'm proud to have recored these life-affirming rock, pop and country tunes with such music greats as Peter Frampton, Suzy Bogguss, Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers, Charlie Daniels, Ricky Skaggs, Charley Pride, and members of the Beach Boys family, Chicago, The Eagles, Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers and Little River Band.

Music truly can inspire, and even heal. And arguably no one in the music biz' has been more generous and devoted to supporting cancer patients and survivors than the folks in country music. For example, Taylor Swift, the country-pop megastar, recently escorted leukemia survivor Kevin McGuire and his entire family to the 2013 Academy of Country Music Awards. 

Country music icon Tim McGraw

Country star Tim McGraw, too, has done his part by performing at benefits for cancer patients and recording such touching songs as Live Like You Were Dying, which was written after his father, Tug McGraw, lost his battle with brain cancer in 2004.

An event coming up this summer in Nashville further demonstrates this deep connection between country music and cancer patients. On Saturday night, August 24, country music royal Martina Mcbride (pictured above), who's one of the finest singers on the planet, joins forces with the Women Survivors Alliance (WSA) and the National Women’s Survivors Convention on the legendary stage of the Grand Ole Opry to celebrate women cancer survivors from across the country.

There are approximately 14 million cancer survivors in the United States, and more than half are women, according to the WSA, a non-profit organization founded two years ago to provide support to women who have moved beyond their cancer treatment. The Opry will recognize these brave women throughout what promises to be a hot august night both on stage and over the airwaves on 650 AM WSM and opry.com with special performances and survivor messages.

Olympic Gold Medalist and cancer survivor Scott Hamilton will serve as a guest announcer.

“We’re delighted to be a part of these survivors’ visits to Nashville,” says Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher. “We are going to have a lot of fun while also helping them take great steps toward creating awareness and a real movement about survivorship.”

Hundreds of women survivors of all types of cancer from across the country and around the world will converge on Music City for a three-day, one-of-a-kind experience. This is not your typical cancer convention: women will celebrate the mission of taking a step to creating a national movement towards survivorship and understanding the needs of cancer patients after treatments conclude.

“We are so grateful to Martina and our partners at the Grand Ole Opry for making this night so special,” says Karen Shayne, founder of the WSA. “Women cancer survivors will be ready to celebrate as we wrap up our national convention and their collective efforts to create a national movement to help other women dealing with life after cancer.”

Among the national organizations and individuals already involved in the National Women’s Survivors Convention are: Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, LiveSTRONG at the YMCA (USA), YMCA (YUSA), Chico's, Coldwater Creek, 4th Angel Program at Taussig Cancer Center - Cleveland Clinic, Olympic Gold Medalists Shannon Miller and Scott Hamilton, Bravo TV Star Tabatha Coffey, MTV Star Diem Brown, Dr. Susan Love and the Army of Women Campaign, Great American Country’s Nan Kelley and husband Charlie Kelley. 

For early registration for the National Women’s Survivors Convention, visit this site. Tickets for the special Opry event may be ordered by calling 800-733-6779 or at the Opry's website or at the box office.