Nearly 7 years to the date after Dempsey’s passing I got an amazing invitation from an old high school friend.  Her husband, a seasoned racecar driver with the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association), was touched by her charity and wanted to help create awareness.  They decided to help her get her wings by placing her as a sponsor on their racecar. 

Now Dempsey will be flying across the race track at hundreds of miles an hour all over the United States as part of the KMB Motorsports Team.  I couldn’t be more proud of that national impact my little girl is making and more grateful to KMB Motorsports, Tracey and Kevin Bovay, for their kind donation and unique way that they’ve helped Dempsey and her message truly fly. 

To find out more about Dempsey’s Fund and how she is helping provide financially struggling families with a headstone for their lost babies, go to:  www.babyheadstones.org

Check out these amazing photos from the March 31st concert in Arizona!  Big thanks to nationally renowned photographer and lifelong friend, Jared Platt, as these are some pretty impressive photos.

To read Jared’s Blog and hear his analysis of the concert, go to:  http://www.jaredplatt.com/?p=426

My favorite kind of show is where I can take my life and use it to inspire and entertain someone else as well as make a small difference in a community.  Hopefully Gilbert, AZ is a little more inspired and entertained from my performances this week.

This Wednesday I had the pleasure to entertain and inspire several hundred Arizona youth and their families in both a day show and an evening show – the proceeds of which went to the Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation (www.babyheadstones.org) and Coronado Elementery School in Gilbert, AZ.  The red carpet was rolled out for me at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts as I played on the very piano that Ronnie Milsap played on just a few days prior.  I definitely felt to Ronnie Milsap energy flowing through me as I had a couple near mistake-free shows.

Day Show.  Following the mid-day show for the youth, I went out to sign autographs.  I was nearly eaten alive by young students who viewed me as some kind of Justin Timberlake with sideburns. Many of the kids informed me that they loved my rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” while other’s begged me to sign their foreheads.  Hoping the parents would forgive me (I didn’t sign any foreheads), I went ahead and signed hands, shirts, shoes, books, papers, tickets, arms, and shorts at the show.  It felt good to be appreciated and the show organizers commented that during the show ”this was the best they’d ever seen those kids behave.”  Glad I could have been a catalyst for that.

Night Show.  The night show for local families was slightly more serious, with me getting into some of the extremely sad stories of the families we’d helped at the foundation.  I did break up the tears, however, with my super-medley rendition of Tiny Dancer, Cheers, Facts of Life, Charles in Charge, Greatest American Hero, and Laverne and Shirley.  After the night show I mingled in the foyer with many old friends and new fans, signed autographs, and took photos.  Many thanks to all of those that came out, supported, and donated to the foundation – as well as those who bought t-shirts, CDs, and posters – the support was hugely appreciated.

Thank Yous.  Big thanks to Jared Platt for his intro and photography (I’ll be posting those next week), Jennifer DeTemple and Shayla Taylor along with Coronado Elementary for being their awesome selfs as the show organizers, Aaron “Chives” Chavez for coming out from Los Angeles to play amazing percussion with me, Senior Cody McCormick for his “Roadiness” and his excellent handling of Merch Sales, and the staff at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts for being so accomodating and easy to work with.  It was a great day that I won’t soon forget!!

Photos of the show:

Today would be Dempsey’s 7th Birthday if she were still here with me physically.  Those who know me, know that she is very much still here with me spiritually; From the memorial tattoos that dot my arms and shoulders to the foundation that continues to help grieving families in her name.

This week I took some time and honored Dempsey at a concert for her foundation.  We raised over $600 for headstones for low-income families who have also lost babies.  It was a great day of performances and activities (I’ll post photos tomorrow).  A lot of people at the event expressed a desire to help the additional families on our waiting list who are patiently waiting for headstones for their babies.  Here are some ways you can help:

Donations.  With very little overhead, we are able to send virtually every penny of your donations directly to local headstone manufacturers to make each family’s heartfelt wish happen.  If you wish to donate, please go to:  http://www.dempseyburdick.com/donations.html

Awareness.  We simply need more people to know and understand the good work that we’re doing at the foundation.  You can help people discover and become “fans” of the foundation through your Facebook page.  To explore our Facebook presence go to:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dempsey-Burdick-Memorial-Foundation/98710166216

Simple Things.  The Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation is now partnering with GoodSearch.com to raise money for the cause.  If you start using GoodSearch.com as your search engine of choice, they will donate a penny to the foundation every time you search for something on-line.  Try it!  For details, go to:  http://www.goodsearch.com/

To read the heartbreaking stories of the families we’ve helped, or to find out more about Dempsey, the Charity, and the Headstone Fund, please go to:  http://www.babyheadstones.org/

I recently had an old friend contact me who was wondering about how I’ve managed to stay so upbeat after being divorced twice and losing my baby Dempsey 7-years-ago to a heart defect.  After expressing to her some of my feelings, I realized that there might be others who could benefit from my life philosophy on happiness.

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You can be happy right now, today, wherever you are in your life, inspite of problems with your marriage, your job, or your personal life. Now, that doesnt mean you won’t have challenges and tough decisions, but the point is that happiness doesn’t come from finding the “right type of guy” or a “better job.”  It comes from looking at all of the great things you have in your life right now. Your family, your friends, your experiences and good memories, your life, and possibly your health, and most importantly, all of the little things – the moments you enjoy with the sun warming your face and the grass under your feet. It comes from embracing where you are, right now, in this moment. It comes from finding the beauty in the small, simple details of your daily life.

So before you end your current relationship or quit your day job, do it knowing that none of this has anything to do with your happiness. This has to do with your future family, finding a partner you can trust, pursuing a dream, or making ends meet - but happiness is ready for you to embrace it right now. It’s sitting there in front of you and will be waiting for you, with or without your marriage, your job, your next achievement, or anything else you might be waiting on. 

Please be happy!! 

XOXO  Kevin

Today would have been my daughter’s 6th birthday.  It’s always a meloncholy time for me, this time of year, and I generally struggle to get out of bed.  Luckily I have good friends and family who force me to get up and do something with myself.  Today I awoke at 2 PM to my friends telling me it was time to get up.

Tonight I’ll probably treat myself to a nice jog somewhere and then head off to a secluded dinner, party of one, where I can just relax and think a bit.  After which I’ll surround myself with great friends, people that I love, and spend the night laughing and valuing the moments that I have with each of them.  I guess you never really know how many moments that you’ll spend with the people you care about, so each one is potentially precious.

If you wanted to celebrate Dempsey’s birthday with me, perhaps you could give a moment of silence today for someone that you’ve lost in your life.  Or, if you have the means, perhaps you could go to her website and donate something to her charity as a small gift to her, and more importantly, as a small gift to struggling families who have also lost a child.  To donate or to find more information about the Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation, please go to:  www.dempseyburdick.com

Happy Birthday Dempsey.

I am thrilled to announce the creation of a new pendant by innovative jewelry designer and manufacturer Kele & Co.  Kele & Company worked closely with my sister on the design and creation of the pendant.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this pendant will be donated to the Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation.

The pendant can be found and ordered from page 36 of the new 2009 Kele and Company Catalog, found here.

A few months after losing my daughter some 5 1/2 years ago, I took a walk in the cemetery where she was buried.  I was surprised by how many of the children’s graves did not have headstones.  It was that walk that inspired the foundation I began in her name.  Since then, the Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation has helped needy and grieving families provide permanent grave markers for their lost children all over the U.S.  I am very proud of the work that we’ve accomplished in helping other grieving parents have some closure with the loss of their own children as well.

We currently have been approached by several families who have requested assistance in getting headstones for their own children’s grave-sites.  These families have been unable to afford a memorial marker for their lost child.  As you may know, the headstone is one of the most expensive parts of burying a loved one, but is also one of the most important for providing closure for a grieving family.

This week, for every dollar donated to the Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation, I will personally match the donation penny for penny with my own family’s money.  The Dempsey Burdick is a 501C3 non-profit charity and all donations completely tax deductible.  For details on making donations, please go to:
http://www.dempseyburdick.com/donations.html

I speak for all grieving parents when I say that I appreciate any help that you can give.  In exchange for your generosity, I’d like to give you a free mp3 of the song I wrote for her from my 2005 album:  Too Good For This World (Dempsey’s Mix) 

Thank you. 

Sincerely,
Kevin Burdick

This month marks the 5 year anniversary of the passing of my daughter Dempsey.  Thanks to renowned photographer and lifelong friend Jared Platt (www.plattphotography.com), I will always be able to carry these incredible memories of her with me as he captured her 31-days of life in some of the most amazing and moving photos I’ve ever seen.  In honor of her memory and also as tribute to her this month, I’m posting many of these photos here on my blog to be seen by my friends and fans, many for the first time.

Note:  If you are moved by these photos, please take a minute to review the charity that we founded in her name.  We help to provide permanent grave markers for other struggling and financially needy families that have also lost a child.  If you are interested in supporting her cause, either financially or by sharing it with friends, please go to:  www.dempseyburdick.com

Piano prodigy to play women’s expo
JENNIFER WEAVER
jeweaver@thespectrum.com.

Kevin Burdick has been likened to being the love child of Billy Joel, Elton John and Ben Folds but according to his mom, Susan Burdick, he’s a one-of-a-kind, piano-playing prodigy.“He was about 6-months-old and as I’d rock him to sleep before putting him to bed he would hum this song that got longer and longer as he got older,” she said. “It was the same song every night when he was going to bed and sounded like the Russian song, The Volga Boatman, da, da, dah – dah.”

Susan said she knew no one would believe that her infant son was musically inclined at such a young age so she attempted to record him repeatedly.

“I tried to sneak in his bedroom at night and the second he heard me, he’d peak through his crib bumper and go silent,” she said. “I never did get him recorded but the song evolved and became intricate with all sorts of things. To me it was something from heaven.”

Burdick is sharing his innate gift he has mastered as a rock pianist this weekend at the What Women Want Expo as the premier attraction to the outdoor booth of SouthernUtahMoms.com, sponsored by Watch My House owned by Sherry McGhee and Annette Basso.

“The truth of the matter is that I was raised by my mom with four sisters,” said the 34-year-old independent musician. “My dad was never home because he was an attorney so I was heavily influenced by women, and women’s issues are close to my heart, and few things that women have to go through are reflected in my music.”

Songs like “She does her crying alone” and “Firefly” are tributes to single mothers who Burdick says are “real heroes.” A compelling soul-wrencher is Burdick’s song, “Too Good For This World,” which honors his infant daughter, Dempsey Sue Burdick. The newborn died May 3, 2003, at Phoenix Children’s Hospital from complications associated with open-heart surgery to correct a birth defect. She was just 31-days old.

“Any charity that deals with neo-natal issues has a place in my heart and peaks my interest because of my experience losing my only child,” he said.

Burdick will not only share his rhythmic and contagious melodies but will donate 10 percent of the proceeds of his CD sales at the Expo to the Foundation of Dixie Regional Medical Center to help the hospital’s youngest patients.

“We are honored and grateful to be the recipients of Kevin’s generosity. His desire to remember his infant daughter with a gift to ease the path of other parents with fragile newborns will mean a great deal to Dixie Regional,” said Kerry Kastler-Hepworth, Foundation of DRMC director. “While most mothers experience a joyful birth experience, 10 to 15 percent of all newborns require some specialized care.

“It is comforting to know there are partners in our community and beyond, like Kevin, helping us strengthen our newborn intensive care and maternal fetal medicine programs,” Hepworth added.

From infancy, Burdick has been a musical joy, Susan Burdick said.

“He comes up with songs that are clever, fun and inspiring,” she said. “I’m really glad I got him piano lessons when he was in the second grade and proud that he is sharing his talent that I’ve always known he possessed since the time he was born.”

Burdick will perform four concerts each day at the Expo. Expo attendees are invited to bring their blankets for the performances, register for free as users of SouthernUtahMom.com and purchase Burdick’s music.