Darren Warren

Looking at country singer/songwriter, Darren Warren today, it’s hard to envision him as a scared kid battling non-Hodgkin Lymphoma at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for almost three years of his teenage life.

Survival is a gift he doesn’t take for granted, and the trials this small town Kentucky boy endured add a deeper measure of empathy to his art as well as an unbridled appreciation for family, friends and a rowdy night on the town.

It’s that zest for living that informs his raucous anthems “Kentucky Friday Night” and “Cowboy Up and Party Down,” yet Warren is equally comfortable delivering such poignant ballads as “Go Get My Angel,” the story of an eight-year-old girl losing her fight against cancer. His musical hero, Alabama lead singer Randy Owen, contributed vocals to the moving track.

It’s his ability to write and record songs that capture the full spectrum of the human experience that make Warren’s NuCorp Records album one of the most impressive debuts in the country format in many years.

Darren’s debut album is filled with slice-of-life tunes that audiences can relate to instantly. “Southern Belle” is an engaging portrait of Southern womanhood. “The Way God Made Me” is an autobiographical number Warren began writing one day while standing over his grill.

To hear him perform live, Warren is scheduled to perform at the St. Jude Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tenn., on April 28. He will be performing at the finish line stage at LP Field and during the post-race concert on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena.