Country rock artist Jay Allen brought his nationwide Living Gracefully Tour to Sumter Senior Living in The Villages on Wednesday evening, turning a care community courtyard into a concert venue filled with music, memories and meaningful moments.

The performance marked the start of the second leg of his Living Gracefully Tour.

The tour grew out of the personal loss of Jay’s mother, Sherry Lynn.

“She was diagnosed with what’s called early onset when she was 51 and took her life in 2 years and 9 months,” Jay says. “It happened really fast for us.”

During her rapid decline, Jay’s father drove her from their small town in Iowa to Nashville, where Jay was living at the time.

“That’s where we got to experience how sick she was,” he says. “It was really devastating. And that’s when the inspiration came from for the song I wrote for her called ‘Blank Stares.’”

At the time, Jay was touring and opening for major country acts. He began closing his shows with the song, sharing his mother’s story.

Everything changed during a Jake Owen concert when Jay brought his mother on stage before performing the song.

“Everyone just went dead silent,” he says. “The audience was so captivated, sang the song, not a dry eye.”

Someone in the crowd recorded the moment and posted it online.

“It organically went mega viral,” Jay says. “We’ve had like a billion views on our video and have toured the world.”

His platform expanded quickly. Jay partnered with the National Alzheimer’s Association and says his efforts have helped raise “about 162 million dollars to fight Alzheimer’s.”

The idea for the Living Gracefully Tour took shape after Jay performed at a care community and shared a deeply personal story about the caregiver who stayed overnight with his mother during her final hours.

“She decided to stay through the night on her own time and her own dime to hold my mom’s hands so she passed away peacefully in the night,” Jay says. “That was where the first thought came to us that maybe we should do a whole tour like this.”

At Sumter Senior Living, the goal was the same. To honor the caregivers and bring a moment of fun to the residents. Jay spent the day on Tuesday getting to know the residents, painting with them and bringing smiles to their faces.

One resident who rarely leaves her room or socializes received a special visit from Jay’s fiancé, Renee, and ultimately joined the festivities. She spent much of the evening talking with Jay, leaving staff members amazed that she had finally opened up.

During the concert, Jay moved through the crowd, running up and down the space, engaging residents and drawing them into the fun.

“For a moment, they feel like they’re 16, 17 again,” Jay says of residents. “A lot of them say, ‘I feel like this was prom.’”

Lead guitarist Hunter Bishop showcased his skill throughout the evening, delivering sharp, energetic riffs that kept the momentum strong. Jay describes him simply as “a madman on the guitar,” crediting Hunter’s talent for allowing him the freedom to move off stage and connect with residents.

During the second half of the show, he performed several rock favorites before closing the evening by inviting caregivers on stage and dedicating his viral song, “Blank Stares,” to them.

After each show, Jay says the most meaningful moments often happen offstage.

“The coolest part is what is after the show,” he says. “We’ll be the last people to leave. After they’ve heard my story, the wall breaks down. There’s a safe space and everyone will come over and cry on my shoulder and tell me their stories.”

While residents enjoyed the music, Jay says the tour is equally about recognizing caregivers.

“They’re so unseen,” he says. “I get to be the guy that’s on stages and on social media. These people don’t ever get recognized. So that’s what this tour is about — to recognize them and honor them and encourage them to keep going.”

Despite national attention and a growing career, Jay says his purpose remains rooted in his mother’s influence.

“She was the world’s best mom,” he says. “She was asked a question when I was a kid, ‘Why do you feel you were put on planet Earth?’ And without blinking, she said, ‘To be your mother.’”

He remembers watching scary movies with her, singing country music in the car and simply being present.

“She was always present,” he says.

Now, through music, Jay continues to create what he calls meaningful moments inside communities like Sumter Senior Living.

Photos by Cindy Peterson