John Berry started off 2019 with some scary health news, after doctors discovered he had throat cancer. John went through extensive treatment, including several rounds of chemotherapy, and is now –– thankfully –– cancer-free, and focusing on regaining his health.

“I’m doing pretty good,” John told Everything Nash. “I’m starting to put some weight back on. I lost a lot of weight from the chemotherapy. My eating is still kind of weird. I don’t eat a lot, which I think is a wonderful thing. My wife does not think it’s wonderful. It just takes a long time to get over the chemotherapy. It’s just the worst thing ever.”

John is grateful to be cancer-free, but is eager to get to the five-year mark so doctors can officially give him a clean bill of health. The 60-year-old just re-released “The Graduation Song,” and hints there might be more music in the future, although he doesn’t know exactly how it will be shared with his loyal fans.

“We’ll see what’s going to happen,”John said. “There’s always a song waiting to be sung.”

“The Graduation Song” originally appeared on one of John’s records 40 years ago, shortly after he wrote it for his own college graduation.

“It’s crazy,” John acknowledged. “I never imagined in a million years –– I recorded that on a record, In the Nightime, in 1981. I’ve played it live, and I’ve been invited to speak at some high school graduations and do the song and different things like that. It’s been one of those favorites of those fans that like to dive deep into the catalog and love songs. It’s like a little hidden gem.”

John had the chance to perform “The Graduation Song” for a special group of high school seniors who had to miss their own graduation.

“The school system rescheduled their graduation to later in June,” John recounted. “They had 21 students throughout the county that were going to be unavailable to come to that ceremony because they had enlisted in the military, in different branches. So they were going to be going to boot camp and different things. They had a special event for those students, and they asked if I would come and sing that song.”

Download or stream “The Graduation Song” here.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of B! Noticed PR / Just Kaicles