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Bruce James reworked a song he had written years ago to make it about the fentanyl crisis. The music video he made for "Dedicated to Life (Lost Voices)" features more than 100 photographs of people who have died of fentanyl poisoning. Provided

GREENVILLE — At a rally in Greenville in May, concerned citizens and family members of lost loved ones marched with signs and played music to spread awareness and propose legislative change in regards to the nationwide fentanyl crisis. 

Among the background soundtrack was a song by a Hilton Head Island musician that's become an anthem for the cause. It's called "Dedicated to Life (Lost Voices)" by Bruce James, and the reworked song, originally about a friend who was diagnosed with cancer, took on new meaning when another friend's daughter died of fentanyl poisoning in 2019. 

"I have three children, and I can't even imagine," said James, 69, who plays pop covers from the '60s and '70s on guitar in addition to writing his own music. 

This is the first song with such a serious subject matter he's released, he said, and it's been incredibly meaningful. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, of the 107,375 people in the United States who died of drug overdoses in 2021, 67 percent involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl. More than 150 people a day are dying of this, they've reported.

The Drug Enforcement Agency reports that more than 40 percent of pills tested for fentanyl contained at least 2 milligrams, considered a potentially lethal dose. 

These are some of the statistics James references in the music video accompanying "Dedicated to Life (Lost Voices)," which includes a call out to government officials in addition to more than 100 submitted photographs of people who have died from fentanyl poisoning. 

"As I say in the beginning of the video, if our government knew that a 747 was falling out of the sky every day, which is about the same number of people dying of this, then they would take notice, because obviously that’s a tragic thing to have happen every day," said James. 

James' middle school friend Robin Trotter helped obtain many of the submitted photographs for the video. She met most of the family members and friends of those featured through support groups on Facebook after her own daughter, Melissa, died at age 33. 

Melissa struggled with substance use disorder since she was a teenager, said Trotter, and went to rehabilitation centers a few different times for treatment. She died from a heroin dose laced with three different kinds of fentanyl. 

"She didn't know the fentanyl was in it," said Trotter. "It kills within minutes." 

Fentanyl can be found in a variety of substances, from heroin to cocaine to ecstasy to counterfeit pills emulating prescription painkillers or even Adderall. 

"This is a tragic, sudden death that's affecting a lot of young people," said James. "It's affecting a lot more people than just the person who's passed. It's crippling to a family, and that never goes away. How do you deal with a chunk of your heart being cut out?" 

Trotter has turned to support groups as a way to help, and she's discovered an organization called APALD (Association of People Against Lethal Drugs), which hosts rallies across the country to raise awareness and call for legislative change in regards to fentanyl. It was founded by Diane Urban, who lost her son to a fentanyl overdose. 

Urban has adopted James' song as an anthem at many of the rallies she hosts across the country, including the May 6 event in Greenville. 

"When the song plays at these gatherings, it's so powerful," said Trotter. "We want more people to become aware of it. We can't let people forget what's happening. I personally believe we cannot let this country continue turning its back on kids suffering from either mental illness or whatever cause that brought them to their fentanyl death. We need to keep warning everybody of the dangers of this drug." 

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Josue Avila (from left) and Bruce James worked on the recorded version of "Dedicated to Life (Lost Voices)," which is now being used at rallies across the country in support of raising awareness and passing more laws against fentanyl trafficking. Provided

Those featured in James' video, which also features vocals and music from Christian music singer-songwriter Josue Avila, range from ages 15-48.

"This fentanyl crisis is killing a generation of our younger people," said Trotter.  

James talked directly with many of the grieving family members and friends who put their hope into this video as a way to make a difference and allow the legacy of their loved ones to live on. It took him nine months to compile and produce. 

"It's just gut-wrenching, but I saw how much good it could do," said James. "I got emails from several people blessing me for what I was doing and thanking me from the bottom of their hearts. It’s very touching for me. You try to do something different and it can be taken so many different ways, but this was a good thing."

James sings the chorus of "Dedicated to Life (Lost Voices)" amidst a photo montage of those who have died to fentanyl: "It's all about the living and sharing the dreams we keep. It's about laughing and crying ourselves to sleep. It's about wonder and creating something new. Reinventing ourselves, over and over again. ... I'm dedicated to you, I'm dedicated to me, I'm dedicated to life." 

For more information on Bruce James, visit brucejamesmusic.com, and for more on the mission behind his song, visit weareapald.org. 

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Reach Kalyn Oyer at 843-371-4469. Follow her on Twitter @sound_wavves.

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Kalyn Oyer is a Charleston native and the features editor for The Post and Courier. She's a music festival and concert photographer and avid showgoer who used to write about music for the Charleston City Paper as well as national publications.

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