Billy Dean is coming to Gainesville to make Katie Slay’s final wish come true.
Slay, 41, has been battling spina bifida, a birth defect where the spine develops improperly, and is currently in hospice care, said Ernie Evans, the vice president of Shake Rag Cultural Center Inc. On September 8, Dean, the Grammy-nominated country music star, will perform at the Thomas Center, located at 302 NE Sixth Ave., as a part of the center’s Jewel Box Concert Series for Slay and 230 others.
Katie Slay’s mother, Mary Slay, said her daughter has been a fan of Dean ever since her older brother went to school with him in Quincy, Florida. When the Slay family requested that Dean perform in Gainesville, he was quick to oblige. Since then, Dean has gone above and beyond for Slay and called her to ask for her top three song requests for the concert, which left her beaming.
“He’s really gone out of his way to do something special for her,” Mary Slay said.
The doors for the concert open at 6 p.m., and the show will begin at 7 p.m. Shake Rag Cultural Center Inc. is paying Dean but declined to disclose how much. General admission tickets are $20, and VIP, front row seats are $30. Tickets are being sold online but are expected to sell out quickly, Evans said.
“Concerts are very different (at the Thomas Center) than they are in big stages and big arenas,” he said. “It’s very very up close and personal.”
Dean said he’s stopped chasing fame and fortune and instead has found more value in helping people like Slay. The Country Music Association award winner said he hopes the concert will bring a sense of healing to the Slay family and all those who attend.
“We’re going to have some laughs,” Dean said. “We’re going to have some music medicine.”
The concert is meant to help people escape from the real world for a little while, Dean said. For him, the performance means more than a trophy at the Grammys or a sizable bank account; it’s an opportunity to help a fan who feels more like family.
“With Katie Slay, it is, it’s kind of like family needing you to step up to the plate,” he said. “So I’m glad to do it.”
@jessica_giles_
