On May 7th, 2014 Chip Esten performed a free concert in Washington, D.C., as part of a three day event hosted by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), centered around a critical call-to-action: Leading the Way to a World without Blood Cancers. Spry Living chatted with the Southern heartthrob to learn more about his daughter’s battle with leukemia, working on the set of Nashville and more.
SL: What was it like having a young child with cancer?
CE: A couple of weeks before Addie’s diagnosis, we had been sitting in a hospital waiting room for an unrelated health issue. There had been a group of pediatric chemo patients sitting in the waiting room with their parents. The children had that distinct chemo “look” about them: they had lost their hair; their faces were swollen. As an actor, what struck me most, however, was that it wasn’t all morose and dramatic. The children were playing with the waiting room toys and books; the parents were casually talking to one another. I was blown away by their strength. I remember thinking, “Wow—that’s a club that nobody wants to be in.” And then a couple of weeks later, of course, after Addie was diagnosed, we found ourselves in that same club. And it’s sort of like, you know, off you go. You’ve just got to put your head down and start walking, because that’s the only thing you can do.
SL: How has this experience changed you as a father?
CE: I was surprised by all of the things that fell away so quickly. In other words, the things that I had thought were so important—those petty concerns—were suddenly meaningless in the face of my daughter’s illness. I also learned how to pray. I always thought I knew how to pray, but I never really truly prayed until Addie got sick. I prayed that I’d be able to dance with Addie at her wedding. Another one of the wonderful blessings that comes out of an experience like this is that you look at normal things completely differently. You’re so much more grateful for those everyday little moments. After Addie got better, I remember going outside in the backyard and watching her swinging on the swing set with a friend, and just the sheer joy I felt from watching that act of normalcy. Or, whenever she would get a soccer trophy in a soccer tournament, it seemed like the most beautiful trophy I’d ever seen! It’s not just this way with Addie—it’s the same with all of my kids, too. You appreciate those little moments more.
SL: You relocated your family from L.A. to Nashville. How do you like Music City so far?
CE: We love it! For the first year of the show, I was living in Nashville and my family was back in LA. As much as I love doing the show, it was really, really difficult having my wife and kids halfway across the country. But I instantly fell in love with the city and knew that I would bring my family to live here if ABC did a second season of Nashville. I told them, “You’re going to like it here.” And, lo and behold, they love it. We miss our L.A. friends, but we keep in touch with them.
SL: How would you say that you are similar to your onscreen character, Deacon?
CE: Well, he cares. He loves the people he loves deeply. He’s always battling between the man he wants to be and the man he turns out to be. I think most people can relate to that—to wanting to lift yourself up and be that better person. This season, Deacon finds out that he has a daughter, and this discovery inspires him to become a better man. At one point on the show, Deacon sings a song that’s called, “A Life’s That Good.” The song goes: “Sitting here tonight, by the firelight, reminds me that I already have more than I should. I don’t need fame, no one to know my name. At the end of the day, Lord I pray, I have a life that’s good.” And then it goes on to say: “Two arms around me, heaven to ground me, and a family that always calls me home. Four wheels to get there, enough love to share, and a sweet, sweet song at the end of the day. Lord, I pray I have a life that’s good.” The song’s message really resonated with me; before Addie’s diagnosis, my idea of the “good life” would have included a lot of petty things, but now I think I have a better perspective.
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