Published: November 22, 2008 09:32 pm      

Singer comes to Danville to help friend

DANVILLE — It’s not unusual for friends to meet through a mutual friend, but the success of such friendships varies. Seldom do they reach the level of commitment that will take place Saturday in Danville.

That’s when nationally renowned jazz and pop singer/songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway appears at The Heron in a benefit performance for former Danville resident Tracey Parker.

The women met two years ago in Tucson, where Parker still lives. Not only did they have a mutual friend, but they both had been involved with the group Up with People.

Callaway, a philanthropist as well as a performer, is an honorary member of the international show choir. The group commits to helping others, as well as entertaining them. Parker sang with the group when she was still in high school and then worked for them as an adult. The friend who introduced the two women also was a member.

Callaway, the daughter of a prominent Chicago journalist and singer/vocal coach, has raised money for the fight against leukemia including at a recent Carnegie Hall benefit. She was able to fit the Danville appearance into her schedule because she’ll appear in Indianapolis the following week.

“When I met Tracey, I knew I’d met a fellow diva,” Callaway said. “She’s a feisty, sassy woman.

“I cannot imagine a more heroic struggle than the one she’s going through. Her condition was grave for a while.

“It’s good to hear she’s better now, but that’s through her sheer will,” she said. “She’s like a lioness — ferocious and passionate, even after she’s dealt with so much.”

Parker’s world changed dramatically in 1999 when she was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, a form of cancer.

The 1981 Danville High School graduate was involved in choir, band, drama and orchestra during her Danville days. At the time of her diagnosis, she had returned to school and was studying music and anthropology.

In July, Parker underwent a bone marrow transplant in Tucson. The surgery resulted in many new health problems, including kidney failure.

“The doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me,” Parker said. “It was like on (the TV show) ‘House.’

“I was in the ICU for a while — I don’t even remember that. They did two spinal taps because they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me.”

Parker is a resident of the Life Care Center in Tucson. Until Tuesday, she spent every day of the week in rehabilitation at the center and undergoing cancer treatment at the Arizona Cancer Center.

On Tuesday night, Parker learned that she’d need to go for the cancer treatments only three days a week instead of seven.

“My prognosis is good,” she said soon after hearing the news.

The benefit concert featuring Callaway could potentially free Parker from the burdens she’s accumulated during this most recent medical emergency.

“I couldn’t go to school or stay in my apartment, but I still had to pay the bills,” she said. “This will help so much.”

“Music is a powerful way to connect, a way of building bridges,” Calloway said.

“People don’t want to get on an airplane and go all the way to New York for a concert,” Callaway said. “I’m bringing New York to them.”

FYI

Ann Hampton Callaway will appear at The Heron, 34 N. Vermilion St., at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets for the evening are $65 and include a complete dinner with an entree of either prime rib or salmon, followed by the performance. To purchase tickets, call Carol Parker at 213-2931.