By Christine Fugate, Special to the Independent
When Laguna Beach resident Robyn Sherain came home from work last December, her boyfriend, Jay Spence, had surprised her by beautifully decorating her house with Christmas lights and a homemade wreath. He had hot cocoa ready and Kenny Loggins playing on the stereo. They spent a joyous holiday with their blended families. Four months later, Jay was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. They hoped for the best and got married on May 15. At their wedding, they played Jay’s favorite Kenny Loggins song, “Celebrate Me Home”. Three months ago, Jay passed away, a complete devastation to Robyn and his family.
In 1991, Jay’s father was battling cancer. He and his sister, Tory Spence, of San Clemente, listened to “Leap of Faith,” Loggins’ seventh album constantly. “The music brought great peace to us through a painful time.” When their father passed away, Jay had a ring made with “Leap of Faith 1991” engraved on the inside. He later gave the ring to his new wife, Robyn.
This past Sunday, Robyn, Tory and Whitney Spence, Jay’s daughter, went to see Loggins perform at the Irvine Bowl in Laguna Beach. They waited out the rain, which stopped as the headliner took the stage. He played Christmas songs along with crowd favorites, “Footloose” and “Celebrate Me Home” as an encore. Tyler Russell, program director of radio station KX 93.5 FM, which presented the concert, made a dream come true for the Spence women: a meet and greet with Loggins after the show. “This was such a heartfelt request that I wanted to make happen,” said Russell.
In the Tivoli Terrace restaurant on the grounds, Loggins signed items and took pictures with his fans. “I shared with Kenny how his songs resonated with Jay and uplifted him,” Robyn said. Loggins also signed Tory’s journal, “To Jay, the leap of faith continues,” said Tory. “He was so generous and kind.” After the signing, the Spences took a family picture with Loggins. “It was a very meaningful evening for all of us,” Robyn said, “We appreciate Kenny Loggins coming to Laguna Beach and the priceless gift of meeting him and sharing our story.”
The Winter Concert Classic was sponsored by the Montage resort, with proceeds benefiting the Boys & Girls Club, SchoolPower and KX 93.5 FM.
The author is a local resident and writing instructor.
That is an amazing story.
Great article!