Sister Hazel: Contagious Music in Both Word and Deed has Captured Fans’ Ears and Hearts for 15 Yea

Before the world tours and the hit albums, before the agents smoking cigars and the fans impatiently tapping their feet waiting in line for tickets, there was Sister Hazel. No guitars screaming with angst and purpose, no Total Request Live, just one woman with a plan. Sister Hazel was a nun who ran a come-one-come-all shelter for people who needed a place to stay. Your race, religion or background didn't matter; if you needed help, she was there. Acting almost like a Typhoid Mary of charity, it was Hazel's complete act of selflessness would inspire Ken Block, a young man whom she had never met.

Years later Block helped create Sister Hazel, the band that would be dedicated not only to finding that perfect tune in Southern-style rock, but also to continuing the original Sister Hazel's life work in the community. Hazel's acts of kindness had made such an impact on Block's life at a young age that he knew the normally egocentric rock n' roll lifestyle couldn't be satisfying. Block knew that if just one person could touch so many people's lives with such limited resources, then a careful and successful rock n' roll band could create a nationwide spirit of compassion. "You've got to check your ego at the door," relates Block. "Charity is the centerpiece for everything we do."

Sister Hazel (vocalist/guitarist Ken Block, guitarist/vocalist Drew Copeland, lead guitarist Ryan Newell, bassist Jett Beres and drummer Mark Trojanowski) didn't just become charitable overnight when the band starting surfing the waves of fame that came with hit songs like "All for You" and "Change You Mind." The mission was never to give when the band had a little extra money and a little extra time. Block realized early on that true charity is when you give when you think you can't afford it. "We played at every coffee shop before getting to the bigs." Starting out in Gainesville, Florida, with pockets full of lint and little else, the band worked their way to the top by constantly touring and refusing to forget their roots. "The live shows have always been what really fueled our army." Remaining ever true to his roots, Block lives his words through the band's lyrics. "As a songwriter, you're never done being a songwriter."

Fans of the band, dubbed "Hazelnuts," have been the backbone of the its success in both music sales and charity efforts. Block makes music to take people on a journey, and they in return have helped give life to the band's premiere charity, Lyrics for Life, a non-profit organization dedicated to pediatric cancer research. When only 20 years old, Block was devastated when his younger brother lost his battle with cancer. But because of Lyrics for Life, a little brother, friend or family member may not have to lose their own fight. The organization sells the writings of songwriters and artists and uses the donations for childhood cancer research, already raising well over $1 million.

Of course charity does not always comprise the big things. Sometimes it's simply not strangling the guitarist with the microphone cord because he just had to eat Taco Bell on the day of recording together in a small studio. "Democracy is not always easy," acknowledges Block. "It's like being married to five dudes." Yet after over 15 years in the music business, seven albums and all of the bumps and bruises that come with it, he says that these five dudes don't look like they are headed for divorce anytime soon.

Sharing thoughts on the eve of their new album's release, the band has experienced birth, death and divorce over the last few years; this disc represents, as Trojanowski notes, "a total snapshot of where we are." Copeland reveals, "Everybody has had personal tragedies. We have had inner turmoil but always had similar goals." And Block believes that "it made us closer. We've all been able to lean on each other and our friendship has gotten deeper and deeper."

As long as Sister Hazel continues to put family, friendship and charity first, they will keep making music. Such longstanding and selfless actions may well reshape the way fans expect their music idols to act. And maybe, just maybe, if we listen and think, some of Sister Hazel's charity might well infect us. We'll all be healthier as a result.

Written by: Wes Culp (for uwemp.com)