Herndon’s “Journey On” tapped as signature song and video for Kevin Turner Foundation and ALS awareness campaign; now available at CMT.com and at iTunes Dec. 13
(Nashville, TN – Dec. 7, 2010) Platinum-selling Country artist Ty Herndon has partnered with former NFL player Kevin Turner to raise awareness about ALS and its emerging connection to athletes exposed to repeated head trauma.
Turner, an NFL fullback for eight years with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, was diagnosed in May 2010 with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. After meeting Herndon at an ALS benefit concert and hearing the Country singer’s uplifting “Journey On” single, the two men discussed using the track as a signature song for The Kevin Turner Foundation. Although originally written as the title cut for his 2010 Journey On release, Herndon immediately recognized the connection between the song’s message and Turner’s condition.
“As an artist, you always dream of working on a project that makes a positive difference in the world,” says Herndon. “However, I had no idea that working with Kevin Turner and his amazing family would make such a difference in myself and everyone involved in this very special project. Wow! It is my hope and prayer that this song and video will raise awareness about ALS to help The Kevin Turner Foundation reach its goal. And that goal is a cure.”
Renowned directors Flick Wiltshire and Steven Goldmann (Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Trace Adkins) shot the music video for “Journey On” with Herndon and Turner at a Nashville football stadium in September. It includes a personal message from Kevin about his fight against ALS and footage of his days as an NFL player. Currently posted here at CMT.com, the video will be available for sale on iTunes beginning Monday, Dec. 13. All proceeds from the sale of the “Journey On” video benefit Turner’s nonprofit organization, The Kevin Turner Foundation.
“Making the video was a new and exciting experience for me,” says Turner. “The fact that my kids were a part of it as well made it infinitely more significant. ‘Journey On’ is the calling card for The Kevin Turner Foundation, and we hope that its message goes far and wide to raise money and awareness in our fight to find a cure for ALS.”
Ongoing medical research has linked recurring head trauma and concussions, often suffered in football and other high-impact sports, to increased diagnoses in athletes of ALS and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). In partnership with the Sports Legacy Institute, Turner has agreed to participate in critical research that studies the effects of repetitive brain injuries. For more information, visit www.SportsLegacy.org.
To learn more about Kevin Turner and view the “Journey On” video, visit www.KevinTurnerFoundation.org or www.TyHerndon.net.
About the Kevin Turner Foundation:
The Kevin Turner Foundation was established in October 2010 to raise public awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and to bring attention to the emerging evidence linking brain trauma in athletes and the ALS disease. The non-profit organization endeavors to raise funds for the study, treatment and cure of this debilitating disease. To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.KevinTurnerFoundation.org.
About Ty Herndon:
FUNL Music recording artist Ty Herndon, whose Country radio resume includes three No. 1 singles (“What Mattered Most,” “Living in a Moment,” “It Must Be Love”), multiple Top Tens and more than 4 million albums sold, took a figurative leap of faith with his 2010 release, Journey On. The album marks Herndon’s first foray into songwriting, resulting in an album that Ty calls the most personal and spiritual project of his career. Having co-written all 11 tracks on the album, Journey On incorporates Herndon’s trademark Country sound with an inspirational and modern Christian element. For more information, visit www.TyHerndon.net.
Former NFL player Kevin Turner
Ty Herndon’s 2010 release, Journey On
