Paul Klyne’s eyes well up as he watches the music video tribute he made to his wife Dina who died of breast cancer.
It wasn’t that long ago he could barely get past singing the first line of Sweet & Lovely without breaking down. While it is still hard for him to speak about Dina without pause to gather himself, he knows what he is doing will help others who are also going through the battle of breast cancer.
“Everyone’s life has been touched by breast cancer. I think that this has a universal appeal. My hope is to get people to share the video,” said Klyne.
During the Labour Day weekend, Klyne gathered with friends to film the music video to his recording Sweet & Lovely. The song was penned in memory of his late wife Dina, who after a four-year battle with the disease died from breast cancer in October 2007. She spent 129 days at the Andy Moog Hospice Society and Klyne said proceeds from song downloads through www.cdbaby.com will benefit the B.C. Cancer Foundation and the Andy Moog Hospice Society. Klyne, who also lost both of his parents to cancer, re-married and his wife Destinee wrote the song Sweet & Lovely. Klyne said she saw the pain he still held and wrote the song from his perspective.
“It immediately resonated with me. She got me and so succinctly conveyed the message. She just got it,” said Klyne of Destinee’s song.
The couple’s friend, and Maeve Lily School of music instructor, Aidan Mayes helped them them develop it.
“Aidan sang it for me one day and I was just in a puddle. Destinee said to me she wanted me to sing that song. I got through the first line and I was crying ... when I got to the lyric ‘your mom still cries everyday’ it took a long time to get through that,” said Klyne.
It was by chance the couple met another musician at the dog park in Penticton that helped them take the recording a step further. The couple were talking with him at the park while the dogs played and Destinee noticed he had a tattoo on his chest of music notes. The man, Stevie Mack of Edmonton, was a harmonica player. Klyne told him how they had just recorded Sweet & Lovely the day prior and thought it needed something extra on it. Mack offered his services.
“We teed it up and he liked it and that is how the harmonica landed on there. What a cool sound too from a tourist we just happened to meet in town, so that was really neat,” said Klyne, who added the track was produced by Amanda Bentley.
Sweet & Lovely is the nickname Paul gave Dina when the pair met working at Theos Restaurant.
“I would bring guests to her table and I would say the sweet and lovely Dina will be taking care of you tonight and it just stuck,” said Klyne.
Those featured in the music video include Dina’s parents, family and friends. Klyne said one person is a friend of his that is a breast cancer survivor.
This is Klyne’s first recording and he plans on releasing an EP in the fall of 2013 featuring “edgy-country music.”
To view the video go to YouTube or visit www.facebook.com/PaulKlyneMusic. The singer is also on Twitter @PaulKlyneMusic and is asking everyone to share the video and use the hashtag #SingingForACure.
“Share it. If you are moved or touched by the song share it with your friends and write a comment why you are moved by it. I just read a post on the Facebook page and it just about brought me to tears,” said Klyne. “Breast cancer is really prevalent in almost everyone’s lives. Everyone is touched by it and if we can all support and share each other’s stories we can heighten each other’s awareness and help raise funds for worthy causes.”