¦ September 20, 2009
LIFE IS A FAST LANE
Nashville Recording Artist Michelle Murray's Dedication to SSPF and Our Cause

The band hits the stage running, and the show isn’t finished until the last autograph is signed.  Sounds exhausting, but it’s just the last act of a very long day for Nashville recording artist Michelle Murray and her band.  Besides touring, practice, countless hours in the recording studio and many personal appearances, Michelle and her manager/husband Tom are parents of 3 very active small children. 

Theirs is a family business, with Tom & Michelle taking the children along on tour with them as often as school schedules allow.  Michelle credits her kids with giving her the strength to stay grounded and on track with life, and besides, they’re fun!  Michelle said, “I feel like any other mom trying to balance home and work.  Sometimes it comes more natural and other times I can feel very overwhelmed.  I think the most important part of anything running smoothly is constant communication and staying involved with each other.” 

Asked about touring, Michelle responded, “I love traveling with everyone – it just feels like family.  We all get along great and my kids especially love the tour bus and all the band members.  We use the travel time to go over song lists, catch up with each other, play practical jokes…. It’s great quality time.”

After recording several CD’s and opening for dozens of Country Music’s biggest stars, Michelle Murray is truly becoming a star in her own right.  Performing LIVE for hundreds of thousands of fans, 2009 has become a breakthrough year for Michelle with no sign of things slowing down.  Michelle will release her fourth CD, “Long Road to Fame” in 2010 and expects to see over 100 dates on the road.

With all this going on, it’s amazing that Michelle can dedicate any time to the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation.  But Michelle sings at Foundation events, takes advantage of every opportunity to spread the word about SSPF, and has even recorded a tune she co-wrote with bandmate Paige Logan, called “Sam’s Song”.

To listen to a clip of Michelle singing "Sam's Song", her moving tribute to Sam Schmidt and the daily struggle against paralysis, click here.

Asked about her inspiration, Michelle answered, “I wrote a song about Sam and one of the lines is, ‘Nobody can tell me that something is beyond me.’  With God, nothing is impossible and it’s so exciting for me to see where He takes me when I stay grounded in faith.  I have always seen that in Sam.  I feel like he’s such an inspirational example of how our spirit can prevail no matter what comes our way.”

Michelle Murray considers volunteerism an essential part of life, along with faith, family and career.  As a spokesperson, she is using her unique God-given talents to extend the reach of the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation.  Charismatic as well as musically gifted, Michelle enjoys meeting people and talking about the Foundation.  No one soon forgets her or her strong commitment to Sam Schmidt and the Foundation.

Inspired by Sam’s oft-repeated advice to “find your passion and follow it”, Michelle is well on her way towards proving that it is indeed possible for a mother of three to be successful in the music business.  The road to fame is long and exhausting, but joyful, exciting and rewarding as well. 

Join us in wishing SSPF spokesperson Michelle Murray all the luck and love she so deserves!  Follow Michelle and the band on MySpace and Facebook.  And when you see her in concert, be sure to let her know you share her dedication to the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation.