Sheryl Crow says Damar Hamlin inspired her to learn CPR at AHA's Go Red for Women concert
NEW YORK — "Everything is guided by the heart. At least we hope it is," said Sheryl Crow.
The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection concert at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Wednesday saw a host of women who bonded over raising awareness about cardiovascular disease, the number one killer of women.
"The world would be in a different place if everybody (made) their decisions from their heart's center," the "Soak Up the Sun" singer, 60, said when asked what her heart means to her.
Teri Hatcher, who modeled in the show, choked back tears as she said, "(The heart) is the most important thing. Love is everything. Valentine's Day isn't everything, but love is everything."
Rita Ora warmed up the crowd for the impactful evening singing "I Will Never Let You Down," "Let You Love Me" and her latest hit "You Only Love Me."
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Newly-minted Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee Crow gave an electrifying performance to close out the evening as stars Kyle Richards, Anika Noni Rose, Phoebe Robinson, Ashley Greene, Chrishell Stause, Hatcher and more took the runway in their red dress collection pieces.
In between singing "Leaving Las Vegas," "All I Wanna Do," "The First Cut Is the Deepest" and closing number "Soak Up the Sun," Crow kept the crowd entertained, poking fun at moments of her life that inspired her songs. "Anyone else get married three times and not get married?" she asked before performing "Everyday Is a Winding Road."
Crow also shared how Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game on Jan. 2 and life-saving treatment of CPR and an automated external defibrillator inspired her to learn CPR. She then revealed she challenged Brandi Carlile, Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston to do the same as part of Hamlin's "#3forHeart CPR Challenge" with the AHA.
The singer watched the game with her sons Wyatt, 15, and Levi, 12. "It's the first time I've seen my boys pray without me asking them to and they both asked me to learn CPR," Crow told the crowd.
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Crow's performance Wednesday night came on the heels of her nomination into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which gave her "chill bumps."
The artist has transcended genres throughout her career, but this particular nod hits close to home. "Rock 'n' roll for me was a way for me out of my tiny little town in the middle of nowhere … That was my ticket to dreamland," she said.
Crow also spoke about how the genre is akin to "rap music" as "it's the music that's getting people out of their neighborhoods and telling their stories and galvanizing movements."
"That's really what music should be about and what music has always been about and the Rock Hall illustrates that really beautifully with who they've honored through the years," she added.
In addition to Wednesday's performance, Crow is gearing up to honor Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson Friday at the Recording Academy's MusiCares tribute event. She recalled singing Motown music while in a cover band and learning bass guitar by listening to James Jamerson. "I think that some of the greatest music ever made came out of Berry Gordy's little shop," she said.
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Physically and metaphorically, stars agreed at Wednesday's Go Red for Women concert that the heart is one of the most important parts of the human experience. "The heart is the best organ because not only is it functionally so important … I lead from the heart in all aspects of life and sometimes that's good or bad," "Selling Sunset" star Stause said. "You gotta take care of your heart because that's what gets you through."
Campbell chimed in that she thinks people often "abuse" their hearts "with a lot of the things that we eat or stress." The closest women to her in life have died from heart disease, she shared.
"My own mother has cardiomyopathy and she's worked really hard to get it from 20 percent working to 50 to 60 percent so I'm so proud of my mother for doing the work," the "Martin" alum said. Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body, according to the AHA.
From an emotional standpoint, Campbell is "starting to learn to have discernment with my own heart" and standing firm on people "respecting my boundaries."
Hatcher initially joked that she "immediately went to an ayahuasca experience that I had" when thinking about her heart, but later got emotional as she spoke about the power of love.
The "Desperate Housewives" alum said she doesn't have romance in her life, "but I have the kind of love that when I sit outside in my garden and I look at the trees and the stars and everything, I feel love. I feel universal love."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sheryl Crow talks CPR, Rock Hall nomination at AHA Go Red concert
