September 19, 2013 / Nashville, TN – Country music’s Rosehill has initiated the “Save A Life Tonight” suicide prevention campaign to coincide with September’s Suicide Prevention Month in hopes to shed light on and remove the stigma associated with depression and suicide.
Blake Myers and Mitch McBain (Rosehill) lost their best friend and original drummer to suicide and recorded the song “The Bible and The Gun,” for their current album Crooked Thoughts, which tackles the tragic issue head-on. The song reminds them of their sense of powerlessness when it came to helping their friend in his time of crisis.
Recently, the duo received a personal email from a fan who was contemplating suicide: “I’ve been on that bed. This song saved my life a few weeks back. Right when everything seemed hopeless, I heard this song. I heard it on the radio never before this and never since. Now it is in my playlist and I listen to it everyday! I’m sure you’ve heard this from people that want something from you, but I had to tell you and all I want is to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! Can’t wait to see you again in College Station!”They realized quickly that this song could be their way of helping many others.
It is Rosehill’s desire to use the song “The Bible and The Gun” and the music video as a means to reach out to those in crisis and guide them to organizations and people that can help them. Rosehill will donate all profits from the sale of the single to organizations dedicated to suicide prevention. To learn more on how to participate in the “Save A Life Tonight” campaign, please visit www.savealifetonight.com.
The most recent statistics, generated by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state that in 2010 (the most recent year for which data are available), “38,364 suicides were reported, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death for Americans. In that year, someone in the country died by suicide every 13.7 minutes.”
As Blake Myers put it, “We are absolutely committed to this effort. We know what it feels like to have lost someone to suicide and we want to do everything we can to prevent future losses.” Mitch McBain adds, “If this song and initiative saves one more life, it will have been worth the effort.”
If you or someone you know needs help, you can call:
1-800-273-8255 – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) – National Hopeline Network
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