Jon Pardi, Brothers Osborne and Marcus King teamed up to bring an amazing performance of “Live Forever” to the ninth televised Stand Up To Cancer fundraising special.
Pardi introduced the performance with a heartfelt message, sharing, “I love music that pushes boundaries and that’s what Stand Up To Cancer is doing too. While I’m shaking things up on stage, Stand Up To Cancer is shaking things up scientifically and funding research that focuses on finding cures. I believe that music also has the power to heal and the country variety, well, it’s in a league of its own. Songwriters are able to channel the deep highs and lows, joys and challenges of real life like no other genre. Especially, the songs of the iconic Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote for Nashville legends like Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash.”
“Welcome to my friends Brothers Osborne and Marcus King to sing one of my favorite Billy Joe Shaver songs,” he said as he made his way to the stage to perform a cover of Shaver’s “Live Forever.”
The group of country stars then entered the stage, strumming their guitars, before they belted out the lyrics to the iconic song.
Pardi opened the song with the first verse, while TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne stepped in to lead the second. The three artists then came together, blending their voices in a beautiful harmony on the tune’s chorus.
“I’m gonna live forever/ I’m gonna cross that river/ I’m gonna catch tomorrow now,” Pardi, King and the Osborne’s sang in perfect harmony.
Earlier in the show, Brothers Osborne took to the stage to share an empowering message of hope with viewers, detailing their father’s brave battle with cancer. The pair of siblings revealed that their dad is officially cancer free following a courageous battle with the disease.
Marcus King also joined forces with Jelly Roll during the star-studded fundraising telecast to close out the show with an impressive performance of “Hard Fought Hallelujah.”
Hosted by GRAMMY Award-winning country superstar Sheryl Crow, the Stand Up To Cancer fundraising special also featured performances from Crow, Noah Cyrus, Gavin DeGraw, Marcus King, Brothers Osborne, Jon Pardi, Jelly Roll, Dan + Shay and CeCe Winans, joined by Nashville Community Gospel Choir.
The Stand Up To Cancer telecast, airing for the first time ever from The Pinnacle in Nashville, also included appearances from special guests such as Kevin Bacon, Jamie Foxx, Tim McGraw, Zoe Saldaña, Reese Witherspoon, Keith Urban, SU2C co-founder Katie Couric and more.
“Tonight was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we come together with one shared goal, to end cancer,” Couric shared during the show. “We heard stories of hope, saw the progress that research is making right now, and felt the compassion and generosity of people from all walks of life. There’s still so much work ahead, but every donation, every action, brings us closer to a future where more people survive and thrive after a cancer diagnosis.”
Throughout the telecast, viewers also heard from top SU2C-funded researchers about recent breakthroughs and the importance of ongoing support in the fight against cancer. From early detection to innovative treatments, survivor stories showcased the real-world impact of SU2C’s work and the hope it brought to patients and families.
Donate today to help fund cancer research aimed at finding cures. Your contribution supports Stand Up To Cancer and its collaborative research programs. You can donate by calling 1-800-90-STAND or online by visiting StandUpToCancer.org.
For more information, visit StandUpToCancer.org, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
