Dierks Bentley is mourning the death of a cherished fan.
Bentley made new friends last month when playing a private concert for a fan named Baylee Barradas. She had a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis 1, according to KPNX in Phoenix, and was at a heightened risk for cancerous tumours.
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The country crooner shared on Wednesday news of Barradas’s passing. Bentley reflected on working his way up from small shows to stadium headliners.
“Those big shows were all just preparation for my most important show, for an audience of one,” Bentley shared. “The phrase honoured and humbled gets used a lot but it is the only one appropriate for how it felt to be included by this family…”
Rest In Peace Baylee Barradas
Up until a month ago, I thought that the free gigs led to the gigs where I got paid in beer, and then tips on lower broadway, to the clubs and theaters…working my way up towards bigger crowds and the biggest shows at MSG and @BrdgstoneArena (cont.) pic.twitter.com/LRlbysRWdK
— Dierks Bentley (@DierksBentley) June 21, 2021
Barradas, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, was diagnosed with cancer in December with tumours that spread from her leg to her lungs. In May, she talked about how Bentley’s performance calmed her symptoms.
“The whole time through him playing I had no jolts in my leg, which is when my leg shakes. I had no pain, I was just very relaxed,” Barradas shared.
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Bentley shared photos and videos from his time with Barradas and her family.
“Baylee’s father said to me, ‘It’s never too late to make a lifelong friend.’ Nothing could be more true for me and my friend Baylee,” Bentley concluded in his new post. “God bless.”
