Raye to bring boost to families of miners at governor's request

Utah is Collin Raye's adopted second home. In fact, the country singer said he has more friends here than where he lives, in Frisco, Texas.

"I spend a lot of time in Utah," Raye said by phone from his home. "My manager lives there, and I perform there every chance I get."

On Saturday, Raye will perform in Utah for a special cause. He's headlining a benefit concert for the Huntington Canyon miners and rescuers who were lost in the Genwal Resource's coal mine when it caved in last month. He was personally asked by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. if he would perform.

"I have been following the story since it began," said Raye, who last performed at the Salt Lake County Fair a couple of weeks ago. "It's such a national story, and yet very Utah. There were people all over the country praying for the miners and their families."

Raye said he has become friends with Gov. Huntsman and wife Mary Kay, and has known them for quite some time. He first teamed up with them for Mary Kay's "The Power in You," a project aimed at cultivating positive attitudes in Utah residences.

"I was so honored he thought of me when they were getting this concert put together," said Raye. "The situation is a sad one, and it's what we call the luck of the draw. Fate made it happen. I feel for the families so much. And I jumped at the chance to do something for them.

"It isn't a question of giving something back to the community, because I would have done this anyway. But it's a chance to help the families. While I haven't experienced a tragedy like this, I have had some sad events happen in my life. And I tell you, there is nothing like having people around you who pray for you and give you the support you need to make it through. It does make a difference. There is comfort in numbers."

With such major hits as "Love Me," "In This Is Life," "That Was a River," "Not That Different," and, more recently, "A Soldier's Prayer" and "Quitters," Raye acknowledges that his music offers reverent and unifying words. But he said the concert isn't meant to be a sad event.

"We are going to celebrate the lives of the miners and rescuers who were lost in the accident," Raye said. "They all were heroes. We're not able to bring them back. So it seems fitting to keep their memories alive with a concert."

Music is a powerful tool that helps the healing process take hold, he said. "When a tragedy happens, there are two things someone can do. They can either sit and continually ask themselves 'why me?' or they can pick themselves up and begin to come to terms with it and dedicate themselves to continue to live their life to its fullest."