Kevin Grant Sharp (December 10, 1970 – April 19, 2014)
was an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
singer, author, and motivational speaker. Sharp came on the country music scene in 1996 with his first single: a cover of
Tony Rich
Antonio Jeffries (born November 19, 1971), better known as Tony Rich and The Tony Rich Project, is an American Grammy-award-winning Contemporary singer-songwriter best known for his hit single "Nobody Knows".
Early career
Rich was born in Det ...
's "
Nobody Knows", which topped the ''
Billboard'' country chart for four weeks. The same year, Sharp released his first album, ''Measure of a Man''. Having survived a form of bone cancer in his teenage years, Sharp became actively involved in the
Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the United States that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of and 18 years old.
Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headqu ...
. He wrote an inspirational book about his life and his fight with cancer, and occasionally toured the United States as a motivational speaker. Sharp died from complications of stomach surgery in April 2014.
Biography
Early years
Kevin Grant Sharp was born December 10, 1970 in
Redding, California.
[Kevin Sharp biography](_blank)
''allmusic.com''. Accessed April 27, 2014. When he was seven years old, his family moved to
Weiser, Idaho
Weiser ( ) is a city in the rural western part of the U.S. state of Idaho and the county seat of Washington County. With its mild climate, the city supports farm, orchard, and livestock endeavors in the vicinity. The city sits at the confluence o ...
, to open a restaurant. Sharp performed in local musicals in high school, and stayed active in music after his family moved to
Sacramento, California
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
,
in 1985. Starting in 1989, he began to experience dizziness and fatigue.
[ He was diagnosed with ]Ewing's sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma is a type of cancer that forms in bone or soft tissue. Symptoms may include swelling and pain at the site of the tumor, fever, and a bone fracture. The most common areas where it begins are the legs, pelvis, and chest wall. In about ...
, a rare form of bone cancer
A bone tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in bone, traditionally classified as noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Cancerous bone tumors usually originate from a cancer in another part of the body such as from lung, breast, thy ...
.[CMT.com: Kevin Sharp: Leave It To Mr. Fix It Kevin Sharp](_blank)
/ref> Kevin Sharp was given little chance of recovery. Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses, Sharp met the record producer David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
, with whom he soon became friends. After two years of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs ( chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemothe ...
and radiation treatment
Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Radia ...
, when still in his early 20s, the cancer went into remission by the early 1990s, although he permanently lost all of his hair as a result of the radiation treatment. In high school Kevin played football and basketball. He was unable to play football and basketball during his senior year because of his cancer. The doctors eventually discovered that the cancer had spread to his lungs. Kevin Sharp was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
. Kevin Sharp graduated from Bella Vista High School.
Musical career
After remission, Sharp worked at Great America in Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara (; Spanish for " Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the cit ...
, while working on a demo tape, which he sent to various talent shows, and later to David Foster. Foster introduced him to A&R representatives and, by 1996, Sharp was signed to Asylum Records
Asylum Records is an American record label, founded in 1971 by David Geffen and partner Elliot Roberts. It was taken over by Warner Communications (now the Warner Music Group) in 1972, and later merged with Elektra Records to become Elektra/Asylu ...
. His first album, ''Measure of a Man'', was released in September 1996. The album's first single, a cover version of the R&B artist Tony Rich
Antonio Jeffries (born November 19, 1971), better known as Tony Rich and The Tony Rich Project, is an American Grammy-award-winning Contemporary singer-songwriter best known for his hit single "Nobody Knows".
Early career
Rich was born in Det ...
's "Nobody Knows", spent four weeks at number one on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.[Make-A-Wish Foundation: Supporters: Wish-Granting Stars](_blank)
/ref> He became a spokesperson for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and was awarded the foundation's Wish Granter of the Year award, in 1997. He was named New Touring Artist of the Year by the Country Music Association and nominated for Top New Male Vocalist award by the Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller (songwriter), Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris ...
.
In 1998, Sharp collapsed backstage at the TNN Music City News Country Awards, and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, due to problems with steel rods in his hip. As a result, he had to cancel several tour dates.[Kevin Sharp: Sharper Than Ever](_blank)
/ref> ''Measure of a Man'' produced two more top 10 country singles, " She's Sure Taking It Well" and " If You Love Somebody". The album's fourth single, "There's Only You", peaked at No. 43. His second album, ''Love Is'', released in 1998 on Asylum, failed to produce any successful singles, and Sharp was dropped from Asylum's roster.[Notice of death of Kevin Sharp](_blank)
cmt.com; accessed April 27, 2014.
Sharp continued to perform as a musician, as well as a motivational speaker, and was also a spokesperson for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Sharp wrote a book, ''Tragedy's Gift'', and published it in 2004. His third album, ''Make a Wish'', was released on the independent Cupit Records label in 2005, although none of its four singles charted.
Death
Sharp died on April 19, 2014, at the age of 43, of complications from stomach surgeries and digestive issues. He was survived by his mother Elaine Sharp, his ex-wife Traci Williams Sharp, and his siblings Lisa, Mary, Ron, Greg, Richard, Larry, and Genni.Kevin Sharp
/ref> Kevin was preceded in death by his father, Glen Sharp, in 2009. Sharp never re-married.
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
Music videos
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, Kevin
1970 births
2014 deaths
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers
American country singer-songwriters
American male singer-songwriters
American motivational speakers
Asylum Records artists
Country musicians from California
Country musicians from Idaho
People from Redding, California
People from Weiser, Idaho
Singer-songwriters from California
20th-century American male singers
21st-century American male singers
American Latter Day Saints
Singer-songwriters from Idaho