A man kicked by a horse was not responding to medical treatment. One day, he heard John singing “Home, Home on the Range” from the famous American cowboy rendition of “Home on the Range.” The refrain struck a chord within the man’s musical recall; he reached out his hand and began singing along.

Another man in a depressed state had been unconscious for months. His daughter heard of strides made through music therapy and invited John to sing songs that had been her father’s favorites. Hearing the music, the man sat up in bed and sang. His depression began to disappear; he enjoyed life for another two years before his demise.
John is best remembered throughout the Coulee Region and nationally as John Bernadot of the former entertainment duo widely known as Bernadot and Briggs. Bernadot and longtime sidekick Les King, both 63 and of Dakota, Minn., are profoundly aware of the how music therapy can change lives.

Not a pair to sit on their awareness, they’re offering more and more appearances at nursing homes, rehab centers and other places (including Alzheimer’s facilities), where there are people with disabilities brought on by old age or from life-changing mishaps. John plays guitar and piano, Les is a drummer; both sing.

John and Les draw from personal trying experiences to appreciate the importance of providing music therapy.

In 1992 and 1996, John’s wife, and then his daughter, died. These losses hit him hard, but he continued his entertaining schedule. In 2000 when removing equipment from his van for a gig in Red Wing, Minn., the overhead door came down on his head causing severe injury that led to tremendous headaches. John ignored seeing a doctor and kept on working until he passed out during a radio show in Winona, Minn.

He was taken to Mayo in Rochester, Minn., where doctors performed brain surgery. They didn’t expect to save him. He fought back, learned to read and then to play music all over again. This process took two years.

“I practiced morning, noon and night with help from my young granddaughter.“

Les, a member of John’s original band, was a ward of the state as a child and resided in many welfare homes. In high school, he was pretty much a loner until someone learned he knew drums and asked him to perform.

He loved rock ‘n’ roll. The chance to play “gave me life, and at age 18 I was freed of going from home to home.” Soon he joined a music group that included John. They’ve been friends ever since, and today John reveres Les as his spokesman. Les is there for John should he have trouble with recall.

“By providing music therapy, we are saving ourselves because we’re becoming old people,” says John.

“We need a real life,” Les adds. They agree it’s a good way to help others even though the pay isn’t a lot.

“The reward is being able to play their music and help them. Many times they’ll tell you what they’d like to hear. An example is Johnny Cash,” said John. “But whatever we play is a tremendous trip for them. If we can take them back in time the music becomes like a photograph in their minds.“

Praises for John and Les are regular fare from recreation therapy directors.

At MeadowWood Assisted Living, part of St. Joseph’s Community Care on La Crosse’s South Side, Beth O’Bryan says: “During Friday happy hours, John gets our residents to tap their toes. When the music starts, those who tend to keep to their rooms come out to participate.

“These are people who have a problem remembering what they had for lunch yesterday, but they remember the old-time tunes and can sing them in their entirety.“

At Bethany-St. Joseph in La Crosse, Kim Scholze offers: “John is very entertaining and is able to get our residents to react and sing along. This is the therapeutic part. Many don’t respond to other programs like they do to music. Residents are asked what they want to hear. They request old tunes, they are played, they feel comfortable and you can tell it enhances their quality of life.“

June Powell, 81, said: “We are all pleased to see John and Les when they arrive at Bethany-St. Joseph. The one thing about John is he always has a joke about a song, or something from where he’s been in his travels.” She’s looking forward to their next visit scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday.

At MeadowWood, Evelyn Coughlin decided to have John come back and entertain for her 90th birthday party recently. “I got to sit by him and sing. We sang every kind of music and my favorite was E-I-E-I-E-I-O. I just love it when John plays.“

Pretty special therapy, I’d say. Any requests out there?

Contact Larry Olson at larry.olson@lacrossetribune.com or address mail to him at La Crosse Tribune, 401 N. Third St., La Crosse, WI 54601.

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