Magical, ethereal, stunning to the core, "Grateful" by Grammy nominated and Emmy-winning songwriter Jim Salestrom will touch your soul with his modest authenticity and gentle but deep joy.

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Magical, ethereal, stunning; "Grateful" by Grammy nominated and Emmy-winning songwriter Jim Salestrom will touch your soul with his modest authenticity and gentle but deep joy.

Jim has performed for four U.S. Presidents, at The Vietnam Veterans Memorial and at the Supreme Court for his friend, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. He has appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson three times and the Academy Awards show, as well as two HBO specials. Jim has also appeared on Ellen, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas and Jay Leno shows.

"FROM THE TIME I WAS A TODDLER, I KNEW THAT I WANTED TO BE A MUSICIAN, AND I FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE MUSIC MY LIFE'S WORK."

He sang with John Denver, and he has played in Dolly Parton's band off and on since 1979, including in her 2011 Better Day World Tour.

But this man is much more, he is a Jedi Master of Life. He just posted the video of "Grateful" on his Facebook page yesterday (Nov. 18) with the following message:

Well friends, it has been an absolute joy, what a ride. I'm so happy I got to stay for a while.

I'm sad to say that my health has taken a turn for the worse. Few may know, I have been battling cancer for over a decade now. I have fought as hard as I could.

I am now home with my family in Denver focusing on our remaining time together, sharing memories and capturing the moments while we can.

I'm so incredibly honored to have known all of you. You have enriched my life far more than I can ever express. I am thankful to everyone who has supported my music and my career over the years. It has been an unbelievable life of travel, music, performance, singing, playing, writing, friendship, and love over decades of happiness. I've been so lucky to perform with incredible artists and for incredible people. Guitar has brought me all over the world to share my trade with so many audiences filled with friends and family.

Thank you for adding so much love and laughter to my life. Thank you for sharing your experiences and always helping to enrich mine. Your families and my family have made it an unforgettable life. I am eternally grateful for all of you and it's not "goodbye", it's just "see you later". I'll be sure to hold a nice spot on the other side!

As Warren Miller said, "Don't take life too seriously, because you can't come out of it alive."

I am forever Grateful,

JimBob

Update: Mr. Salestrom passed into his next adventure on Nov. 22.

Authors Website: http://www.OceanViewArts.com

Authors Bio:

Meryl Ann Butler is an artist, author, educator and OpedNews Managing Editor who has been actively engaged in utilizing the arts as stepping-stones toward joy-filled wellbeing since she was a hippie. She began writing for OpEdNews in Feb, 2004. She became a Senior Editor in August 2012 and Managing Editor in January, 2013. In June, 2015, the combined views on her articles, diaries and quick link contributions topped one million. She was particularly happy that her article about Bree Newsome removing the Confederate flag was the one that put her past the million mark.

Her art in a wide variety of media can be seen on her YouTube video, "Visionary Artist Meryl Ann Butler on Creativity and Joy" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcGs2r_66QE

A NYC native, her response to 9-11 was to pen an invitation to healing through creativity, entitled, "90-Minute Quilts: 15+ Projects You Can Stitch in an Afternoon" (Krause 2006), which is a bestseller in the craft field. The sequel, MORE 90-Minute Quilts: 20+ Quick and Easy Projects With Triangles and Squares was released in April, 2011. Her popular video, How to Stitch a Quilt in 90 Minutes with Meryl Ann Butler can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrShGOQaJQ8

She has been active in a number of international, arts-related projects as a citizen diplomat, and was arts advisor to Baltimore's CIUSSR (Center for Improving US-Soviet Relations), 1987-89. She made two trips to the former USSR in 1987 and 1988 to speak to artists, craftpeople and fashion designers on the topic of utilizing the arts as a tool for global wellbeing. She created the historical "First US-Soviet Children's Peace Quilt Exchange Project" in 1987-88, which was the first time a reciprocal quilt was given to the US from the former USSR.

Her artwork is in collections across the globe.

Meryl Ann is a founding member of The Labyrinth Society and has been building labyrinths since 1992. She publishes an annual article about the topic on OpEdNews on World Labyrinth Day, the first Saturday in May.

OpEdNews Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in "Beyond Surviving: How to Thrive in Challenging Times" at https://www.opednews.com/articles/Beyond-Surviving--How-to-by-Joan-Brunwasser-Anxiety_Appreciation_Coronavirus_Creativity-200318-988.html

Find out more about Meryl Ann's artistic life in "OEN Managing Ed, Meryl Ann Butler, Featured on the Other Side of the Byline" at https://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/OEN-Managing-Ed-Meryl-Ann-in-Life_Arts-Artistic_Artists_Quilt-170917-615.html

On Feb 11, 2017, Senior Editor Joan Brunwasser interviewed Meryl Ann in Pink Power: Sister March, Norfolk, VA at http://www.opednews.com/articles/Pink-Power-Sister-March--by-Joan-Brunwasser-Pussy-Hats-170212-681.html

"Creativity and Healing: The Work of Meryl Ann Butler" by Burl Hall is at
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Creativity-and-Healing--T-by-Burl-Hall-130414-18.html

Burl and Merry Hall interviewed Meryl Ann on their BlogTalk radio show, "Envision This," at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/envision-this/2013/04/11/meryl-ann-butler-art-as-a-medicine-for-the-soul

Archived articles www.opednews.com/author/author1820.html
Older archived articles, from before May 2005 are here.