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A Mississippi musician who had a slow and unconventional start to his career in the entertainment industry has become famous for something even more unusual.
Tommy Rice lost his wife Deborah to glioblastoma, a rare brain tumor, in 2020. She lived nearly two-and-a-half years longer than originally expected, and much of her battle took place at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson. As Rice tells it, her death led him to a place he had never been before.
“She changed my whole life. Watching someone I love so much, watching her go. It was tough,” Rice said on Good Things with Rebecca Turner. . “It was devastating when she passed away. I was heartbroken to death.”
After losing his wife of 20 years, friends encouraged Rice to attend grief counseling. There he was told to put his pain down on paper, something he had never done before. But the next week, when I read Deborah’s short story about her battle and death to the group, new life in the music was born.
Rice was inspired to turn the text into a song by people who heard it. That became his first single, “Miss Her More Today Than Yesterday.” Now, four years and nearly 400 songs later, Rice is one of the world’s greatest songwriters. He was recently named the 2024 International Singer-Songwriters Association Songwriter of the Year.
Although the journey was unexpected and began with the visceral sadness of losing a loved one, Rice says music has been her healing. In a way, you could say that’s what keeps Deborah alive.
“Life was an adventure for her, and now I have another adventure ahead of me, but to me she’s still alive,” Rice said. “I always feel her presence. Now it has become a passion for me.”
The Magnolia State native had never even written a poem before becoming an almost overnight songwriting sensation. But he’s become well-known in the music industry in Nashville and around the world for his heartfelt, soul-stirring lyrics.
“I’m sure Debbie would be happy. She loved music,” Rice said. “We just started it and one thing led to another. This music is now being heard in 119 countries. Last year it had 10 million views. I’m very humbled by that. I feel that way.”
Rice has carved out his own niche in the world of music and has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. He is also using this success to help others who have walked the same path he and Deborah have walked, using the proceeds from his songs to support people with terminal illnesses and their fights alongside them. Donating to help people.
Rice wants those who listen to his songs to get one clear message across.
“Let’s live each day to the fullest,” Rice concluded. “Be grateful that you have someone you love. It’s not about money, it’s about how much your net worth is, how big a car you drive, how big your house is. But love is forever. Love. is the key to life.”
To learn more about Rice’s music, click here.
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