Apr 11, 2023
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Though he does so much in memory of his oldest son, he’s also
very proud of
his two younger sons, Landon (8) and Luke (7). Family is vital to
him, and he and
his wife Doris enjoy their life in Nashville.With two sons yet to
raise, you can also
find Dr. Wells giving back by coaching his sons and other kids at
various sports.
“Our family spends a lot of time on the ball fields,” he says.
He also wants us to know the unsung heroes of the Gift of Music
Committee:
“The Gift of Music Committee consists of: Tony Conway, Ed Hardy,
Deb Ham,
Rondal Richardson, Ronna Rubin and Jonah Rabinowitz (director of
the W.O.
Smith School of Music). The foundation and benefit concert has
moved far
beyond me, and I am so pleased to see it have a life of its own. I
know Dustin
would be pleased to see the good that is coming from his life, and
I am simply
grateful for the love that surrounds me and my family.”
When Dr. Dennis Wells lost his oldest son, a music major at
Belmont
University, he was heartbroken.He knew he had to do something to
honorDustin’s
memory and celebrate both his young life and love of music.
“The lyrics ‘I get by with a little help from my friends’ come
to mind when I
think back to the beginning of the Dustin J. Wells Foundation,”
Wells tells us.
“Losing my oldest son was utterly devastating, and for the longest
time, I struggled
to just exist. However, some of my close friends were diligently
searching for ways
to help me cope with my loss, and generous people responded with
acts of
kindness, including over $50,000 in donations toward a fund set up
in Dustin’s
memory. I knew I had a responsibility to honor Dustin and to use
those funds in a
positive way. Through a national dental organization, the Crown
Council, directed
by Greg and Steve Anderson, the idea came to have a benefit concert
and donate
the proceeds to the W.O. Smith School of Music. The Crown Council’s
annual
meeting fell in Nashville within a year of Dustin’s death. Calling
on some of
our dear friends and patients to perform, the Crown Council filled
theWildhorse
saloon for an emotional night of music and celebration and the Gift
of Music
event was born.”
The result has been extraordinary, a partnership between the
Foundation and
the W.O. Smith School of Music. The school provides opportunity for
the city’s
children to study music, regardless of their socioeconomic
backgrounds. Dr.Wells
says his son loved kids and truly enjoyed his time as a counsellor
at his church
camp, and would have loved the connection with W.O. Smith.
Wells still maintains an active role in the organization, providing
vision for the
Foundation and for the now-annual Gift of Music Concert, which has
featured a
host of major stars over the past few years. Now, he’s looking at
ways they can take
the model of the Gift of Music and share it with other communities
through the
Crown Council—a nationwide organization of distinguished
dentists.
“We’re always exploring ways to make the Gift ofMusic a more
magical night,
as well as how we can generate more revenue for the school,”
saysWells. “In 2013
we’ll have the show at the Ryman Auditorium for the first time and
will once again
have the Crown Council attending.We’re also exploring using it as a
template for
other cities and spreading this template through the Crown Council.
In fact,
some of the students from the school will be performing in January
2012 for the
Crown Council in Vegas with hopes that it will inspire other
dentists to bring this
concept to their respective cities.”