See Lari White’s Pivotal Scene in the Movie ‘Castaway’ [VIDEO]

When I heard the news earlier this week about the death of Lari White at age 52, it brought back so many memories for me. She was an incredibly talented person, and was so very kind to me whenever I ran into her at parties or country music events. I even got invited to a showcase for her at Disneyland in Anaheim, California one year, and it was a trip I will never forget. On the way back, I accidentally boarded the wrong plane (when you could actually do that) and ended up spending the night in Chicago. One of my most infamous adventures, and I have Lari White to thank for that! I also remember that when she introduced herself to someone, she would say 'It's Lari, like starry'. What a sweetheart.

She also had a connection to Acadiana. Her contributions to the soundtrack of the movie 'The Apostle' earned her a Grammy Award in 1998. 'The Apostle' was filmed here in Lafayette, and if you look closely, you will see a credit at the end of the film for 97.3 the Dawg. Yes, many of the props used in the scenes at the radio station were actually borrowed from us to use in the movie.

Some people never knew that in addition to her music career, she also was an actress. She appeared in 'Country Strong' with Tim McGraw and Gwyneth Paltrow in 2010, and of course, the 2000 movie 'Castaway' with Tom Hanks. Her role in 'Castaway' was short, but very important. As I was remembering her this week, I thought back to the angel wings that were such an important part of her portrayal in that movie. She has her real wings now, and I will always think of Lari White with a smile.