‘I was given six months to live. That was 13 years ago.’- Musician Greg Marlow

Greg Marlow right at home in his overalls at his hometown radio station, WLAF. (PHOTO COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON)

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – Reasons for Greg Marlow to visit Nashville have changed dramatically over the years. In the early 2010s, given six months to live, he was in the fight of his life battling cancer at a Nashville hospital. From that prognosis and eventual ability to beat cancer, a song was born, Second Chances. The White Oak native rode that song back to Nashville in the mid-2020s.

That song is now a Top Ten hit and moved up to nine in Saturday’s latest survey, up from 10.

The music video debuts HERE this morning over WLAF. The official debut of the music video is tonight at seven o’clock via YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and several other video outlets.

Marlow saw the culmination of his dream on May 29 when he stepped onto the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville. He competed the night before at the famed Trubador against 20 other musicians for a record deal and other opportunities in the Inspirational Country Music Association (ICMA) Sound of Small-Town America Contest finals. “Even though I didn’t win, just being on that stage, stepping into that circle was a dream come true,” Marlow said.

The music video resulted from Marlow’s Opry run and was shot in late August in and around Dunlap, Tennessee, in the Sequatchie Valley. Beauty shots were filmed the day before the music video was filmed. “We went more than 12 hours that next day, and I think I sang the song about 40 times through and about 20 times in segments,” said Marlow.

Marlow is behind of a Dodge Ramcharger SUV in the music video. “They rented that truck for the day,” said Marlow.

Marlow’s music video was a one day shoot for him, and the church scene was shot in an old Methodist Church building that’s no longer in regular use. “The community keeps up the church, a beautiful little country church,” said Marlow.

During the competition, he performed his song Second Chances, which he wrote after battling Cancer and finding out he only had six months to live.

He credits the Lord and his battle with cancer as the inspiration to write his song “Second Chances” which is what he entered into the contest and what he performed at the Opry in May.

Local musician Greg Marlow performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in May as part of the ICMA Sound of Small-Town America Competition.

“My son Luke helped give me the idea for the music, and I wrote the lyrics a few years ago,” Marlow said.

His performance of that song on May 29th nearly marked his 13th anniversary of when he “should have died.”

“This is 13 years after my diagnosis that I only had six months to live; just being alive to do all this is past being a dream to me,” Marlow said.

Marlow also said he wanted to thank everyone for supporting in him and believing in him throughout this whole process.

Greg Marlow played at the Grand Ole Opry in May at the ICMA competition and awards show.

“It’s been overwhelming to be a part of all of this and to have the love and support from everyone. Just being alive and getting to play a song I wrote up there on the Grand Ole Opry Stage was my dream. There have been so many opportunities that have come out of this, I’m just over the moon. They say when you step into that circle on that stage, something inside you changes. It sure did for me,” Marlow said.

A NOTE FROM THE GRAND ON CENTRAL: “There is so much good going on in our community, and I want to share all this good with you every Monday here on WLAF in hopes that you will start your week in a grand way making each week a Grand Week,” said Olivia Lobertini, owner of The Grand on Central.

Below, take a visit through The Grand on Central.

For bookings, email Olivia Lobertini ohlobertini03@gmail.com. Check on avails HERE. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/03/2024-6AM)

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