Country music singer Jay Allen sings from the heart, bringing passion to each performance like this recent appearance on The Voice.
“She was officially diagnosed when she was 51 and took her life at age 54, so it happened very quickly for us. About two years and a few months,” Allen told Local 3 News.
Allen lost his mother to early onset Alzheimer’s in 2019.
“To see her one minute not remember me and the next because of this tool of music that we have. It brought her back for a moment.”
Allen said that is when he turned to the power of music to get him through some of the most difficult times for his family.
He wrote the song “Blank Stares” dedicated to his mom, even bringing her on stage during a performance
“It inspired me. It shook me and it inspired me," Allen said. "I made a promise to my mom that I would tell her story and sing this song every time I am on the stage.”
Allen turned his pain into a purpose to help others.
“It’s so easy to think you are alone, to think you are the only one going through this, but you are not.”
According to the CDC:
Nearly six million adults are living with Alzheimer’s Disease.
It is the 6th leading cause of death among US adults.
More than 11 million people provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s
Allen says caregivers have a special place in his heart. So far, he says he has raised 100 million dollars in the fight against Alzheimer’s.
“There’s a special place in heaven for people like that. They go under the radar. I have made it my priority to highlight them and showcase them, to be here for them.”
Listen to Jay Allen's song "Blank Stares" here.
Learn more about Alzheimer’s here.
