Chris Thompson is one of many local musicians who felt the need to express the emotions he felt after the Camp Fire through song. Thompson witnessed the turmoil and tears while working at a disaster center during the aftermath of the fire. He was moved by all the devastated lives and wrote a song called “Stay Strong.”
“The first part of the song is really about the people who experienced the fire, and then the second part of the song is really kind of the ripple effect about the community,” Thompson said.
He explained how he was inspired by the camp at Walmart and the way people like Traci Haynes turned their homes into zones for charities and donations.
“People were just coming together and rolling up their sleeves and working hard, and at the same time dealing with secondhand trauma,” he said.
Thompson really wanted the chorus of the song to be uplifting. He felt like the word “strong” was the anthem of the community and wanted it to be the anthem of his song. One of the most dramatic parts of his original track was during the bridge. He put in voice-overs of first responders talking about emergency situations and the trouble with traffic during the evacuation.
Thompson has been playing music in Chico for several years. He has played solo and with other musicians, such as his project Big Crush with LeAnn Cooley and Ken Mackell. Thompson said his piano playing was greatly influenced by George Winston and he likes to let his playing “breathe.”
