A Story of Love and Perseverance
Country singer-songwriter Kelly Lang has published a new autobiography telling the story of her upbringing, her relationship with husband T.G. Sheppard, and her battle against breast cancer.
Lang is a 17-year breast cancer survivor, and she sees her cancer journey as an experience that has strengthened the core relationships in her life.
According to Lang, living with cancer has also taught her how to live more fully. The disease puts into perspective what is really important in life and helps her cherish every moment she has.
Country singer Kelly Lang has been sharing her story as a songwriter since she was 6-years-old. Now, at 54, she has decided to put it down on paper.
With an introduction by fellow breast cancer survivor Olivia Newton-John, Lang's new autobiography is a narrative of love and struggle. Her husband, country legend T.G. Sheppard, known for No. 1 hits such as Party Time and Only One You, talks candidly about his financial troubles. And a chapter is dedicated to telling the story of Lang's battle against breast cancer.
Lang was inspired to write her autobiography when she happened upon a collection of scrap papers she had hidden away deep in the corners of her garage. The papers included notes from her time battling breast cancer, and specifically, what it was like to go through this experience with a partner.
"A lot of partners, they end up breaking up," she told Tulsa World. But partners who stick together come out the other side with a bond that has withstood one of the toughest tests life can throw at it.
Lang is a 17-year breast cancer survivor, and she says that the disease that threatened to take her life has paradoxically taught her how to live. "People look at cancer sometimes like a death sentence," she said. "But I chose to look at it as, hey, I've been dealt these cards. I'm going to look at it as my life sentence. And I'm going to choose to live happier and bolder and more appreciative."
For Lang, breast cancer has been a reality check, a reminder to take full advantage of the moments you have and celebrate life as you live it. "Don't wait for a special occasion," she said. "If you have breath in your lungs, that is special enough of an occasion."
Even the title of Lang's autobiography sends a powerful message about how she has chosen to live through cancer: I'm Not Going Anywhere.
Lang says she and Sheppard opted to be “raw” in opening up in the book.
"We realized that if we hide the truth or try to be something we're not, that's not helpful to people," Lang said. "So we decided to be very transparent within the pages of this book to allow people to see, hey, you can come back not only from cancer but from a bad divorce or a bad financial situation to be stronger and more helpful to other people."