A Different Shade of Blue

Most of the time, songwriters know the reason behind the idea for a song, but in the case of A Different Shade of Blue, that reason did not come to light until later. Belles of Blue sisters Nancy Decker and Dollie Slayton started the beautiful ballad on their way back from a music trip to Georgia in the summer of 2018 and finished it up with their sister, Daisy Smith when they got back home. Little did the girls know that only two months later, the song would take on a whole new meaning when it was performed at the funeral for Nancy’s husband of 21 years.
“To say I was heart-broken is an understatement,” Nancy said. “My world came crashing down that day. He went to work and never came back. It was all the more devastating because of the way that he left.” Nancy’s husband had made the decision to take his own life.
“Something broke in me that day; I stopped singing, I couldn’t pick up my guitar. I was filled with a fear I had never experienced before. I had to be locked in my house before dark, and later had to be treated for PTSD. It took a long time for me to accept that my husband had been suffering from mental illness and what had happened was not my fault.”
Nancy had been taught to put her trust in God and that everything happens for a reason. She soon understood why this happened to her when she began getting messages from other widows who had lost their husbands in the same manner. She was able to offer advice, prayer, and encouragement. She and Dollie decided that they would use their music platform as a way to raise awareness. Before each performance of A Different Shade of Blue, they offer encouragement to those who may be struggling and give out the Suicide and Veteran’s hotline numbers. Nancy’s husband was a Veteran. “There are a lot of tears in our audience and a lot of folks thank us for performing this song and giving out the numbers. Suicide touches more families than we realize.”
Today, Nancy is happily remarried to her husband Wayne, and lives on a beautiful farm in Grayson County, Kentucky, but she gives credit to her sister Dollie for playing a huge part in her recovery; “When it first happened, I screamed for days and cried for weeks. If it hadn’t been for my sister, I would not be here today. She wouldn’t let go, she wouldn’t leave. She kept me busy, endured those days when I could barely hold my guitar pick and forgot words to my own songs. She refused to let me go under, and for that I love her dearly.
If you or a family member are struggling with thoughts of suicide; Dial 988. Veterans press 1