Raye said he is picky when it comes to choosing which songs to record. "You know there are a lot of singers who choose songs because they're fashionable. When 'Love Me' first hit some 17 years ago, I was inundated with songwriters' requests to do similar songs. I could tell which songs were written from the songwriters' hearts, and I could tell which ones were written one afternoon with the songwriters saying, 'What hasn't Collin Raye sung about?'

"I try to choose songs that mean something to the writer, because if it is contrived, the audience can feel it."

Raye cited his newest — "A Soldiers Prayer" and "Quitters" — as examples of well-written songs. "'A Soldier's Prayer' wasn't supposed to be a political song. It's not about supporting or not supporting the war. It's about supporting a person. 'Quitters' is about the disabled and what goes on through their minds and how they continue to overcome their challenges.

"And the miners' and rescuers' families have their challenges to overcome. That's why we want to have a good time at this concert."

If you go

What: "Concert for the Huntington Canyon Miners," Collin Raye, Carmen Rasmussen, Joshua Creek

Where: Canyon View High School

When: Saturday, 8 p.m.

How much: free, but donations will be accepted

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com