Mary passed away in March, but her son is making sure her light and legacy stay alive, and he's doing it through music
BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – More than a year ago, First News shared the story of a Boardman woman named Mary Pappas who fought cancer eight times for more than 30 years.
Mary passed away in March, but her son is making sure her light and legacy stay alive, and he’s doing it through music.
Stephen Pappas is healing through music. His own music.
“The title track ‘Lullaby’ is dedicated to her and the lyrics are about the night she passed away,” Stephen said. “Her eyes closed and it was like she fell asleep, and instantly, I knew she was with God.”
Stephen wrote the album Centre Piece after his mom Mary passed away after battle cancer for more than three decades.
“It tells about my internal conflict, my struggle, my relationship with God and seeing my mom suffer and questioning why,” he said.
Stephen dedicated the title track to his mom and says she got to hear the finished product before she died, and she was incredibly proud.
“It was only after my mom passed away that I was able to arrive at this place now, where not only do I get to continue her work, but I get to build my own legacy now,” Stephen said.
A legacy that’s now spreading worldwide.
European band “Tesseract” and their lead singer, Daniel Tompkins, has shared Stephen’s music with their millions of fans.
“This is a small town. I’m in Youngstown, Ohio, and for someone from thousands of miles away in a different country to take notice not just to what I’m doing but my mom’s life, it’s amazing how it all came to be,” Stephen said.
Even more rewarding for him though is being able to share his mom’s story and his own.
“If I can help people through music, what more could you ever want?” Stephen said.
He put his pain into purpose, song by song, telling a story to his listeners.
“It’s like I’m watching my mom suffer and go through this and I’m thinking to myself, when she does get to heaven, I hope that her time on earth just seems like a bad dream and can put it away,” Stephen said.
And through his heartfelt lyrics, Stephen just wants to show people that there’s always hope, like this line written to his mother:
“Close your eyes and go to sleep. I’ve held you here in my arms. It was nothing but a dream now. Look for me on the stars.”
For more on Stephen’s music and the other songs on his album or where to purchase them,
visit the album’s website.
