Кевин Шарп: Жизнь, музыка и борьба с болезнью.

American country music singer, author, and motivational speaker (1970 2014)

Kevin Grant Sharp (December 10, 1970 – April 19, 2014) was an American country music singer, author, and motivational speaker. Sharp came on the country music scene in 1996 with his first single: a cover of Tony Rich'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. 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.

Kevin Grant Sharp was born December 10, 1970, in Redding, California. When he was seven years old, his family moved to Weiser, Idaho, to open a restaurant. Sharp performed in local musicals in high school, and stayed active in music after his family moved to Sacramento, California, in 1985. Starting in 1989, he began to experience dizziness and fatigue. 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, with whom he soon became friends. 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. Kevin Sharp graduated from Bella Vista High School.

After remission, Sharp worked at Great America in Santa Clara, California, while working on a demo tape, which he sent to various talent shows, and later to David Foster. He became a spokesperson for the Make A Wish Foundation, and was awarded the foundation's Wish Granter of the Year award, in 1997. 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. 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. 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 was preceded in death by his father, Glen Sharp, in 2009. Sharp never re married.