'Emotional' tour of St. Jude: Musicians visit hospital ahead of charity concert in Memphis

Several St. Jude Jam musical performers toured St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Wednesday morning, hours before the charity concert to help raise money for the organization.

Gary LeVox of country music group Rascal Flatts, country music singer-songwriter Jillian Cardarelli and Tommy DeCarlo of rock band Boston all participated in Wednesday’s tour. They all described how emotional the tour was for them at times.

“Today, you have a few musicians here, but (the) people of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are the real rock stars,” DeCarlo said. “I was looking at some of the live pictures on the wall, and I just wanted to give those kids a hug.”

The St. Jude Jam charity concert, an invitation-only event, will be held at FedExForum on Wednesday night and serves as a kickoff for the FedEx St. Jude Championship, a PGA Tour event, which begins Thursday at TPC Southwind in Memphis.

Wednesday’s event will also feature the St. Jude Purple Eagle patient, the Tennessee Mass Choir and SIXWIRE.

LeVox said it's been a "wonderful" experience and he was looking forward to the concert Wednesday evening.

“To be part of something so big and that blesses so many is an honor and a privilege to be here and make music (and) be able to do the tour,” LeVox said.

Cardarelli said she was honored to be at St. Jude for such a great cause while also blending music. She said she cried reading some of the stories on the patients while on tour.

“I would just encourage everybody to take the tour, because until you see it in-person it's different. Being here and hearing about the stories and knowing what goes into it gives a whole new perspective,” she said.

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The St. Jude Jam is from 5:30-9 p.m. and will also include exclusive auctions for attendees. All proceeds from the event will benefit St. Jude.

One of the items sought out each year since 2015 is a replica 1965 Shelby Cobra Roadster built by FedEx pilots. St. Jude anticipates the car auction will reach the $1 million mark this year for the organization.

Omer Yusuf covers the Ford project in Haywood County, FedEx, tourism and banking for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached via email Omer.Yusuf@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @OmerAYusuf.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: St. Jude: Gary LeVox, Tommy DeCarlo tour hospital ahead of concert