written by Rick Amburgey 

Stephen Cochran first appeared on the radio when he was three years old. Back then, he was singing Alabama’s “Dixieland Delight.” These days, however, Cochran is making frequent radio appearances singing his own songs.

A song that’s getting airplay now is “Hope.” Not only is it his current single, but it’s also the theme song for Veterans Affairs, which is something Cochran is very proud of.

He was recently named the VA national spokesperson, an honor that Cochran does not take lightly. He said it’s one thing to be the only country artist that has served in our country’s last two conflicts. “It’s a whole other thing for someone to say ‘we want to make you the mouthpiece and spokesperson for every veteran that’s served from World War II to this conflict,’” Cochran added. How much did it mean to him? The former Marine admitted that he cried when he received the phone call.

Cochran is not just a country artist that was randomly selected to be a spokesperson. His relationship with the VA goes back to his time serving the country he dearly loves. While serving in Afghanistan, he was injured. After awaking from a coma, he learned that his back was broken in six places and the prognosis was that he would likely never walk again. He said someone at the VA hospital suggested they try a procedure called kytoplasty. It wasn’t an easy road for Cochran, but he eventually was able to walk again. That’s why being named national spokesperson means so much to him – he’s been on the receiving end of the VA’s services and he knows how much they really care for the veterans. He explained that they cared about him and went the extra mile for him long before he was a country artist.

The VA wanted him to write the theme song. “It was pretty difficult,” said Cochran. He wanted to make sure it was a rally song, a song that would say “We are the veterans of the USA.” He said he didn’t write “Hope” as a country song because he wanted it to appeal to fans of various genres, not just country fans. “It’s probably the most multi-genre song I’ve ever written.”

Cochran was honored on April 22, while participating in a VA event in Washington D.C., with two awards presented to him by the VA. Also, his “Hope” CD/DVD was distributed throughout the country, with each VA facility in the country receiving 100 free copies to share with their patients, along with order forms so they could get more.

Cochran is very honest and upfront about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a condition that affects a number of veterans. “It’s something I deal with,” he said. Some veterans try to hide it, but Cochran isn’t ashamed. He said veterans have to deal with a lot of things the body wasn’t supposed to have to deal with. These things include combat situations, being shot at, and holding a friend's hand as they take their last breath.

Cochran’s PTSD has caused him to be very depressed at times and he has had a lot of friends who have committed suicide. Cochran said he’s written a song about PTSD called “Pieces,” which he is hoping will be his next single. He said the song is written in such a way anyone that has had to start over can relate to it.

Cochran is proud that he wrote or co-wrote every track on the current project. (On his first CD, he wrote or co-wrote six of the songs.) He said in some ways he considers his newest project to be his first album, because it was his first real shot to say what he needed to say.

For more info on Stephen. go to www.stephencochranmusic.com, www.myspace.com/stephencochran, www.twitter.com/stephen_cochran, and www.facebook.com/stephen.cochran1. Or click on the top photo to go to his site.