Many people are struggling to find hope and clarity amid the ongoing pandemic. With thousands of people dying every day and with media outlets broadcasting mostly negative news, it’s no surprise that many are feeling down.
During these uncertain times, it’s hard to imagine if we’re close to seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but as they say, we must have faith that all this will be over soon.
Thankfully, we have our family, friends, hobbies, and technology distracting us from the current reality. Since we had a lot of time on our hands during our quarantined days, many of us have picked up new skills like cooking, baking, gardening, and even got to exercising regularly. Others turned to the arts to lift their spirits, such as listening to classic feel-good songs or writing poems and short stories.
During “CMT Celebrates Our Heroes: An Artists of the Year Special” Wednesday night, country singer Kane Brown wowed fans with his emotional rendition of the song “Stand by Me,” recorded by the late American singer-songwriter Ben E. King in 1961.
To date, over 400 recorded versions of the classic were performed by various artists such as John Lennon, Tracy Chapman, and Florence and the Machine. It was also featured on the soundtrack of a 1986 film of the same title.
Now, the most recent artist who performed his own rendition of the song was Brown, an American singer-songwriter who first captured the public’s attention through social media. Since then, he has found massive success as he became the first artist to have simultaneous number ones on all five main Billboard country charts in October 2017.
Sitting alone on a barstool and dressed in all black and a pair of white sneakers, the performer let his body move to the gentle rhythm of the song. Brown’s calm yet powerful performance revealed how much of a skillful vocalist he is. The stripped-down arrangement of the classic feel-good song perfectly complemented his cool voice.
He had his eyes closed during the most impactful parts of the song as if he was feeling each and every word. His number was the final song for the two-hour special, which also featured other singers such as Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, and Kelsea Ballerini.
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The special was held as a tribute to the coronavirus pandemic’s heroes – the healthcare workers fearlessly braving the front lines and working with patients. They were the real stars of the June 3 show. However, celebrities also highlighted the teachers, grocers, farmers, and entrepreneurs who helped keep America running and furnished the citizens with what they needed over the last 12 weeks.
Some of the highlights were personal moments from Carrie Underwood, Shelton, Florida Georgia Line, and Brothers Osborne. The CMT special took the place of both the annual CMT Awards and the CMT Artists of the Year special.
Home performances were the norm Wednesday night, but Brown’s seemed to come from a studio of some sort. As with most artists, the father of one was supposed to be touring this year, but the ongoing health crisis canceled musical events for the rest of the year.
Watch the video below to hear Kane Brown’s stirring performance of this classic feel-good song Stand by Me.