Country for Kids Concert, part 3, What I love about Rodney Atkins

After a week of exile in South Florida, I am finally finishing writing about the Country for Kids Concert.

Last but certainly not least, Rodney Atkins closed the evening at QDRs Country for Kids concert, supporting the N.C. Children's Hospital. It's been well over a week since the concert, so hopefully my memory will serve me well.

First, the serious. I learned this at the concert. Rodney Atkins was a very sick baby who was put up for adoption. He was adopted and then returned, if you can believe that, a number of times because he was so sick.  Happily a family did adopt him, nurture him to good health, raise him with love, and he was able to become the successful artist he is today. Next to me sat a highschool friend of mine, coincidentally, a farmer's daughter.  She has adopted two children who were born with birth defects. Last year, between the two children, there were thirteen surgeries.  She has just moved to N.C. and specifically to an area where the N.C. Children's Hospital is an easy drive.  In addition, the friend sitting on the other side of me knew one of the mothers in a video they showed about families who have very sick children in the hospital. Quite frankly, until this concert, I had never given the N.C. Children's Hospital much thought, because, Thank God, my daughter has been very healthy.  Sitting next to my friends and hearing Atkins' story made me realize just how important it is to support pediatric hospitals.

Next, the completely superficial. Rodney Atkins was wearing as bedazzled a t-shirt as any person should ever wear, even a country singer. From where we were sitting, we couldn't actually see the image on his back but it was probably an eagle. My friend was rather enamored by the shirt. "Turn around. What's on your back? That's hilarious. It's so shiny." We were very far back and she didn't actually say it loud enough for him to hear. That would be rude.  But I think we were all in agreement that he was sporting some dazzling bedazzling.

Rodney Atkins performance was a whole lot of fun. He played hit after hit and got everyone up on their feet singing. He had the audience sing the chorus of Farmers Daughter and taped it. I think we flubbed the lyrics in the middle, but Lovin' Lyrics music promotions who is kind enough to be one of my few twitter followers, videotaped it. (Click link above and you also get a glimpse of his bedazzled shirt. See the glint over the shoulder.) 

He went out into the crowd and audience members sang "If you're going through hell" which was rather poignant considering the battles many of the kids at the hospital need to fight.  I'm assuming that some of the audience members were parents of children, or even the children themselves, that have been in the hospital. For a lively rather rocking song, it was quite the tear jerker.

But the performance aside, this is what I love about Rodney Atkins. He sings super-twangy country songs with a sense of humor.  He always keeps it positive. In "About the South" (couldn't find an official video) he doesn't imply some sort of moral highground like, for instance, Josh Thompson's "Way out here". My husband has never picked a turnip and am not a farmer's daughter, but I love his songs because they are funny, sweet, warm and occassionally inspiring. He never comes across as mean. Even "Cleaning this gun" can probably get a smile out of about the most anti-gun father of a daughter. It's charming and the feelings expressed are universal. 

Rodney Atkins has something slightly goofy and very loveable about him. After considering the four performers, I'm sending my friend who comments on my blog a Rodney Atkins CD.  Thank you for reading and participating, Rachel.