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Granger Smith Dedicates Tattoo for His Late Son River

by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Spotted during a set at the LakeShare Music Festival on Sunday, the 23rd of June, Granger Smith has his son’s name tattooed onto his forearm, forever immortalizing his life and his memory.

Granger Smith Honors His Son

At his set at the festival, Smith gave a very emotional tribute to his late son River by singing his recently released song “Heaven Bound Balloons” in River’s honor.

Granger Smith
via Laura Mathis’ Twitter Account

The lyrics are already emotional as it is, but this song as a tribute to the child broke a few more hearts that night. Fans were also quick to notice the new tattoo. It was a simple script that reads “River” along the bottom of his right arm. It made the performance all the more powerful.

A Tragic Loss

The country singer and his wife came out with the tragic news on the 6th of June about the passing of their youngest son River. They have confirmed that the cause of death is a “tragic drowning accident” that happened at home.

Granger Smith, Granger, Smith, Tragedy, Drowning, Son, River
via Granger Smith’s Official Facebook Page

Smith and his wife, Amber, would later come out and share a few more details of the event in a YouTube video, admitting that everything happened in a blink of an eye and it changed their lives forever.

They are also parents to their 8-year-old daughter London, and  5-year-old son, Lincoln.

Since the accident, the country star implored his fans to donate to the Dell Children’s Medical Center in River’s name, saying that the doctors and the staff who attended the child have all been incredible. Smith’s team have also created a shirt in memory of River.

Granger Smith, Granger, Smith, River, Smith, River Smith
via Yee Yee Apparel’s Official Instagram Account

The description of the shirt describes that it has a “Yee Yee Excavator,” since River’s favorite thing to do was to watch excavators scoop up dirt. Also, it was red to honor the toddler’s favorite color. It also continues saying that 100% of the proceeds from the shirt will go directly to the medical center.

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