Michael Ray Says A Tender Moment With A Route 91 Victim Changed His Life

When Michael Ray walked into a Las Vegas hospital days after the 2017 tragic Route 91 Harvest mass shooting, his life was changed.

In a new interview with PEOPLE, the country singer recalled playing "Think a Little Less" during his visit with a six-foot-something man. "I remember him immediately grabbing his girlfriend's hand," the singer candidly reminisced. "After I was done, he told me that he never thought he would ever hear that song again. He told me he had heard me play that song on that Friday night, and that he just loved that song. And then, he smiled. I still can't get that moment out of my head." Ray had performed at the October affair two days before a shooter opened fire on the crowd from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel during Jason Aldean's set. The mass shooting took 60 lives and left 411 concertgoers wounded.

Ray said that it was that moment that led him to partner with the nonprofit organization, Musicians on Call. His most recent endeavor with the entity comes courtesy of the Concert for Veterans Presented by Wrangler event, a virtual set dedicated to veterans currently in Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities nationwide. "I'm grateful that we live in a time that we have technology to do those things, but I wanted to be there with them," the singer said of the show. "I want to sit right next to them and hear their stories. There's nothing like human connection."

The Concert for Veterans Presented by Wrangler performance also featured Wynonna, Darius Rucker, Sara Evans and Lainey Wilson.