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Instead of talking about her music, Country Music Singer Songwriter Deana Carter kicked off our interview in Nashville about one of her passions in life: caring for the elderly.

“People do research for aids and breast cancer which is wonderful!  But, the elderly sometimes just get shunned. We’re all headed there. We are all aging and people get busy with their lives and they don’t realize where they’re going. I’m just a big focus person. I’m a goal seeker. I want to be able to have some kind of a resort---some place where people can live in a classy environment. Not a home or anything like that. But, almost like a development for retired people. Just beyond that where they can live and be happy…where the families aren’t deserting them> I want them to feel like they’re still alive. This is my passion. It is something I am going to try to work diligently and do something in that way.”

When she couldn’t get a recording contact at the age of 17, Deana entered the University of Tennessee, majoring in Rehabilitation Therapy and helping stroke patients. This is when her passion to help others took center stage!

“There was a patient I had at the time. He went into a bank while his wife waited in the car. He went to the teller to write a check. He couldn’t remember his name or where he was. The man had had a stroke. It happened like out of nowhere. His name was Sam. They got him in time and into the hospital within six hours. Sam was totally recovered in six weeks which is still a long time. That struck home with me because you never know what can happen to you. It made me aware of the symptoms of a stroke. If I had a sore neck, or if my arms would go numb---you think ‘oh my God’ what’s happening. It can happen that fast. I think I just learned a great appreciation for life!”

And, Deana also appreciates a country legend who invited her to perform in Farm Aid that  eventually led to a recording contract with Capitol Records that year.

“Willie Nelson heard one of my demo tapes. He remembered me as a youngster when he was working with my father (famed guitarist and producer) in the studio. Willie was just excited about my songs. He asked me to go to a dinner with him along with people from the record label. Over dinner he said ‘why don’t you just come to the bus and hangout. We can swap the guitar back and forth.’  I thought ‘what dummy would say no.’ It was awesome. I can’t explain how wonderful that way. It was like seeing the Burning Bush! After we got done, he thanked me for hanging out and then he asked me to join him on stage at Farm Aid!” In fact Deanna was the only female sole artist to appear at Farm Aid V11 in 1994.

Since her appearance with Willie Nelson at Farm Aid, Deana Carter’s musical career exploded thanks to the release of her debut album, Did I Shave My Legs For This? The album that included the hit single Strawberry Wine sold over five million copies!

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