

DANCING IN THE RAIN by Wayne Oberst
This is a 90 second clip of the song. You can download the complete song at the bottom of the page.
Dancing in the Rain is a song I wrote about 2 friends and their families who have inspired me to try and make a difference. They are shining examples of what a true hero is. In spite of the incredible adversity they each faced during their battles with cancer they managed to maintain a positive attitude and a smile on their faces while at the same time providing inspiration to others. They didn’t ask for this role but they met the challenge head on and with never ending resolve.
Lilee Jean Putt (LJ): At just 10 months old this little girl was diagnosed with GBM which is a most aggressive form of brain cancer. This is something no child or parent should ever have to endure. Lilee’s family, friends, and community quickly rallied around her during this time of pain and uncertainty and showed her a love (Love For Lilee) unlike any that I have seen before. Her parents quickly decided that they were not going to let this disease control every aspect of her life and rather than wait until things improved they would make sure that their daughter had the opportunity to live each of her days to the fullest. Dancing in the Rain was born. I rarely saw anything less than a smile on Lilee's face even when I visited her at Children’s Hospital and she was undergoing a particularly long and uncomfortable procedure. To see this little girl’s infectious smile, knowing what she was going through, made it near impossible for someone to want to complain or feel sorry for themselves for whatever they were going through. Sadly, Lilee passed away on September 6th, 2013, just shy of her 3rd birthday. She was and continues to be an inspiration to all who knew her and knew of her. No one felt more inspired by Lilee than my friend Paul King.








Paul King (The Dark Horse Rider): I met Paul King while cycling on my first Ride to Conquer Cancer. We both had survivor flags on our bikes and when I rode up on him he asked me what kind of cancer I had. I told him and then asked him the same question. He told me that he had lung cancer but that he was in remission. I told him “you kind of need healthy lungs to do this and, you sir, are my new hero!” We both laughed then exchanged phone numbers. It turned out that we both lived in Chilliwack but had never met. After not seeing each other for almost a year after this we both decided at nearly the same time that we needed to contact the other and friendship was born. I had met someone who was perhaps even more passionate about finding an end to cancer than I was. We supported each other in our fund raising efforts, discussed ways to improve those efforts, and on occasion just did things that were fun.
Over a 7 ½ year period (nearly the entire life of his daughter at that point) Paul had 4 battles with cancer that he met head on and with a positive attitude. During it all he felt compelled to help others by raising money for and cycling in The Ride to Conquer Cancer. In 2013, after losing the use of his legs for a period of time due to tumors on his spine, Paul fought tirelessly to learn to walk again and then ride so he could lead his team, The Dark Horse Riders, for the first and last few kilometers of that year’s ride to Seattle. Paul passed away on December 10th, 2013 just 3 months after his hero Lilee. It was on my way home from seeing him on that day, for the last time, that the lyrics for “Dancing in The Rain” flooded into my head.
It is my wish that this song that was inspired by these 2 amazing individuals will help to continue the legacies that they created. It took nearly 16 months to complete. With the talents of Erron Sweeny, Dave LeBlanc, Dave Tucknott, Loralee Parks, Lory Oberst and under the watchful eye of producer Mick Dalla-Vee (Millenia Sound) this vision has become a reality.
The song is available now on iTunes and Google Play and all proceeds will be donated to the BC Cancer Foundation.