Oh, the Heartache

Next week, the TV series Nashville ends after six seasons. To me, there's never been anything like it: great acting, exceptional music from Nashville songwriters and filmed on location. Only a few of the actors had prior singing experience. Gorgeous Connie Britton had to learn how to sing for her role as Rayna James, the reigning country diva threatened by a younger singer (Hayden Panetierre). The music was so good, I would rush out to buy the CDs after each season. Later, many of the cast went on tour together, playing to theaters across the country packed with adoring "Nashies." My former boss Lori and I attended one concert in Philadelphia and after I moved to Dallas, my daughter Hannah and I saw them again.

This is where I confess to being an aging groupie. I fell in love with Charles Esten the first moment I saw him. As the conflicted, anguished alcoholic Deacon Claybourne, he had multiple romances until finally marrying the love of his life, Rayna James. Incredibly handsome, he was very talented as a singer and musician. As a birthday surprise a few years ago, Hannah took me to Nashville. We went on the ABC Nashville bus tour to see the exteriors from the show (I know, really corny). Then we went to the Grand Old Opry, where Charles Esten was the closing act. We also saw him at Billy Bob's, a huge Texas honky-tonk. Hannah bought me a T-shirt and an autographed photo to hang in my office. Andy thinks I'm completely nuts. I don't care.

Then the roof fell in. ABC cancelled the series after four seasons. An anguished chorus of Nashies protested and it was continued by CMT for two more seasons until they, too, dumped it in favor of cheaper reality TV. Ugh. When one of the streaming services picks it up, I'll probably binge-watch it all again.

There's another reason to love Charles Esten. Grateful that the youngest of his three children with wife Patty survived leukemia as a toddler, he's raised millions for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. As a former development officer for a children's hospital, this touched my heart, as there is so little research money available for pediatric cancer. I hope he keeps singing, playing, acting and writing music for a long, long time. He's a class act. 

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