Heartland musicians sharing their tune to life

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (KFVS) - From heartbreak to inspiration--a musical couple out of the Bootheel discovered a tragic similarity between them.

The pair is sharing their tune to life hoping to encourage others not to give up.

Life is a lot like a song, and Freedom Shaeron and Misty Dejornett certainly know how to play a lot of the notes.

Home for Freedom is Poplar Bluff, Missouri and where his love for music comes to life.

“I started playing guitar at about 14 years old, so been doing it for a little while,” Freedom said.

In fact, he’s been playing for about 35 years.

For Misty, her journey started on a road in Puxico--only in third grade, standing with a sign reading she would sing for a quarter.

“I’ve always been interested in music but I never got the opportunity to actually take part fully until I was about 38,” Misty said.

Through the help of Freedom’s cousin, the two would eventually begin dating in 2021.

“He and I met at a little place called Freddie G’s, and about a year after that we started playing together,” Misty said.

Now they play as a duo called, “Freedom and Misty Acoustic Music.”

Performing together across the Heartland, they’d get to know each other more and more.

Sharing memories--some good, some bad, and some heartbreaking.

Misty’s boyfriend took his own life in 2020.

“It took me a good year to get my bearings back, to want to be a part of anything, truly,” she said.

Sharing her grief, Misty discovered a shocking similarity with Freedom.

“That was February 11, and he lost his wife of 25 years on January 11,” she said.

Their losses...only a month apart.

“It was a Saturday, I had worked a midnight shift, so I was sleeping and she went to the grocery store and didn’t come back; had a head-on collision with a drunk driver,” Freedom said.

It would be the most challenging time of their lives, but they found a way to play through the pain.

Crafting a number of songs reflecting on the lives of two gone too soon.

Freedom asked Misty, “Nobody wants to be alone, do they?”

“No, no they don’t,” she replied.

“I think that was an easier talking point for us than it was for other people who had not experienced that,” Misty said.

Making each song mean something.

“I think the overall--my feeling for music, if it makes another person feel--then that’s what I’m trying to do,” Freedom said.

Whether it be a hard day or heartbreak.

“I’d quote Winston Churchhill, if you find yourself going through hell, keep going,” he said.

With that mindset, the two plan to keep strumming along, no matter how life’s soundtrack plays.