'Raising A Hand' For Cortney: David Clements, Kevin Black and Their Mission of Faith, Friendship, Photos and a Cure For Rett Syndrome

THE WOODLANDS, TX – “Raising A Hand” is a heartfelt benefit project that not only took three years to make but also included the labor of love in photographing over 200 local, regional and world-renowned artists. The dream of publishing a book focused on raising awareness for Rett syndrome paid off tremendously in 2015 for photographer, David Clements and country musician, Kevin Black. “Raising A Hand” was a bittersweet project because although more than half a million dollars has already been raised from the book and other efforts, the inspiration for pursuing a cure for Rett syndrome was born out of the death of Cortney, Kevin Black’s daughter. She died from Rett syndrome in 2003 at the age of 16. It was devastating to her family and friends, but what is even more impactful is the future blessings to people Cortney had never even met, those little girls and boys diagnosed with the disease that may benefit from the research and future cure her passing has made and will make possible. David and Kevin have spent years raising awareness and funding for research and are dedicated to finding a cure. David said this in an appeal for people to join them on their journey “The research community is making terrific progress towards finding drugs that make a positive difference in these girls’ lives. Will we make an equal difference?”

The proceeds from this project are donated to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation and with the success of the first book, published in 2015, Kevin and David created a Volume Two of “Raising A Hand” that will be available in August. Their story is a unique journey into the lives of those affected by this rare disease. We sat down with David Clements to ask him questions regarding Rett syndrome and the efforts in creating the book “Raising A Hand”.

What is Rett Syndrome

According to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation:

“Rett syndrome is a rare genetic neurological disorder that occurs almost exclusively in girls and leads to severe impairments, affecting nearly every aspect of the child’s life: their ability to speak, walk, eat, and even breathe easily. The hallmark of Rett syndrome is near constant repetitive hand movements. Rett syndrome is usually recognized in children between 6 to 18 months as they begin to miss developmental milestones or lose abilities they had gained. Rett syndrome is caused by mutations on the X chromosome on a gene called MECP2. There are more than 900 different mutations found on the MECP2 gene. Most of these mutations are found in eight different “hot spots.” Rett syndrome is not a degenerative disorder with individuals living to middle age or beyond. Rett syndrome occurs worldwide in 1 of every 10,000 female births and is even rarer in boys. Rett syndrome can present with a wide range of disabilities ranging from mild to severe. The course and severity of Rett syndrome are determined by the location, type, and severity of the mutation and X-inactivation.”

Here is a video of the song Kevin Black wrote for his daughter and some of the musicians that contributed to the 'Raising A Hand' project.



It all started with the love of a daughter and kind friend

About David Clements

David Clements is an interesting and talented individual. He is the main photographer for the “Raising A Hand” project but is also the official photographer for the Dosey Doe music venue in The Woodlands. If you ever attended an event at Dosey Doe Big Barn, you probably noticed the hundreds of concert photos that line the walls. From Ray Wylie Hubbard and Clint Black to Michael Martin Murphey and Ronnie Milsap, if they performed at Dosey Doe, David Clements captured those moments each time with his amazing photography. He provided photography for the Smart Financial Center as well as Conroe’s Creighton Theatre. He started DWC Photography in 2002 and has been contracted by various organizations, including the Houston Rodeo, a project he has enjoyed for 16 years. He was one of two official rodeo photographers, taking more than 80,000 photos during a typical season. He covered every concert and major event at the rodeo and has captured photos of hundreds of world-class entertainers. What is interesting about David is that his photography career didn’t start until 2002. He had originally worked at Exxon Mobil for 33 years in Human Resources Management. After retiring from Exxon Mobil, David decided to take up photography, a field his dad loved and exposed David to throughout his life. His dad served in the Navy and was an amateur photographer. David decided to continue his father’s love of photography and studied at the New York Institute of Photography and Virginia Commonwealth University. He is considered one of the preeminent photographers in the state of Texas.

We asked Steve Said, owner of Dosey Doe about David. He replied 'Dave Clements has been an immeasurable asset to Dosey Doe in giving his time and talent with all of the artist photography that graces our Barn walls. Add his huge heart in the effort to help find a cure for Rett and he in rarified air; a class of people that make this world a much better place.'

Click here to view photography from David Clements

About Kevin Black

David developed a relationship with Kevin Black many years ago and is currently helping to manage his music career. Kevin is the older brother of country singer Clint Black and has built a successful music career of his own. From a very early age, Kevin Black’s family knew he had music running through his veins. With the help of only one formal guitar lesson and his dad’s tiny clock radio, nine-year-old Kevin mastered Merle’s “Okie From Muskogee.” Since then, Kevin has been musically tuned-in to what people want to hear—leaving behind the demands and constraints of major record labels for the personal satisfaction of making his own kind of music. His name is synonymous with “patriotic,” and his a cappella rendition of “God Bless the USA” has won the hearts of many, ushering in the opportunity for Kevin to play at prestigious political events. His latest record, “Kevin Black: SOLD OUT– Live at Dosey Doe,” proves that he has carved his own niche in the hearts of his fans. Those who follow the singer/songwriter’s career know that he creates a lively, party atmosphere at every show, bringing to the table heartfelt lyrics, impressive fret-board ability and powerful vocals.

Kevin has performed throughout the United States and abroad for over 30 years. His audiences have included presidents, generals, and celebrities in the movie industry as well as the music business - entertaining crowds in numbers from 50 to 50,000. When Kevin’s daughter, Cortney was 18 months old, she was diagnosed with Rett syndrome and less than 15 years later, at the age of 16, Cortney succumbed to the disease and passed away. Kevin’s interest in Raising A Hand is deeply personal, having lost his 16-year-old daughter, Cortney, to Rett syndrome. His signature song, “A Tear for You,” is written as a tribute to Cortney.

In recent years, Kevin has added photography to his catalog of talents. A published photographer, Kevin, like David, blends his love of being behind the camera with his love of music. Kevin’s photography has been published in Houston Music Review and Texas Farm and Home magazine. Kevin followed his first successful album, “Dream On,” with a second – “Kevin Black Sold Out, Live at Dosey Doe.” He has written and recorded a song for Cortney, “A Tear for You,” which can be found on “Sold Out, Live at Dosey Doe,” as well as on an upcoming single.



Click here to view Kevin Black’s Website

Click here to purchase tickets to his July 29 Dosey Doe Big Barn concert


Early Fundraising Efforts

David had developed a friendship and working relationship with Kevin a few years before Cortney had died of Rett syndrome. He approached Kevin to brainstorm ways to raise awareness of the disease and help increase research funding. This was a huge undertaking. This was not only a rare disease, but it was also a disease that was not well known by the general public. That created an environment of lower funding and reduced support for national research efforts. David and Kevin wanted to change that reality and made it their mission to get the public familiar with the disease as well as increase funding for research in an effort to eventually find a cure. It was a project that pushed both Kevin and David into new territory. David is quoted as saying 'When I first came up with the idea of doing a book for charity, I really had no idea what I was getting myself, and others, into. Fortunately, my career was filled with hard work so, in this regard, I was well prepared. Discovering so many aspects of creating a book came as a daunting surprise.”

Initial efforts didn't involve publishing a book. That project came years later. At the beginning, golf tournaments and 5k benefit runs were setup to help raise money. The first golf tournament was called “Teeing Up For Rett” and raised around $5,000. Kevin’s younger brother Clint offered to help as well and performed a benefit concert along with hosting a celebrity golf tournament the following year. Those efforts helped raise and additional $75,000. Donald Trump was also hosting a popular TV show at the time called The Apprentice and Clint Black was invited to be on the show. He agreed to participate, but asked Trump he could tape an episode that allowed him to raise money for Rett syndrome. Trump agreed to the request and the show ended up raising $25,000 and giving Rett syndrome a national audience. This pushed their fundraising efforts to a whole new level.

Some time after had Clint finished taping The Celebrity Apprentice, Kevin and Clint were both singing at a fundraiser at Minute Maid Park to benefit Houston flood victims. During the show, Kevin sang the beautiful Lee Greenwood song “God bless the USA”. While David was photographing the event, he noticed that Kevin would raise his hand while singing. It struck a chord and reminded him of when he was young and how raising a hand usually represented that a person was helping someone. David and Kevin were both accomplished photographers and the project that David proposed would combine their love of both music, photography and finding a cure for Rett.

The “Raising A Hand” project starts taking shape

David's idea was to create a black and white coffee table book of musicians, all of them raising a hand to help fight Rett syndrome. The intention was to reach a national audience. The previous efforts were mostly local and regional. The proceeds from the sale of this book would go towards Rett's research. Few things in life bring people together as closely as music. David had years of experience photographing well known musicians and he reached out to those artists to see if they would participate in their project. He was glad to report that most artists that they reached out to agreed to add their photo. The photos symbolized the artist’s solidarity in raising awareness for Rett's research. David would arrange the photo sessions and approached as many artists as possible. Two artists in particular helped kickstart the photo effort. Clint Black was one of the first artists to sign on, as well as “Shotgun' Willie Nelson. The group came up with the term “WWWD' to approach additional artists. “WWWD' stood for “What Would Willie Do” and the answer was “Willie Would Raise A Hand for Rett”. It took David and Kevin three years to finish the project, but in the end, they were able to get over 200 celebrities added to the book. It really was a major undertaking. Thousands of hours had been spent on this book. David was kept busy for years with photo sessions, taking pictures of major artists from Merle Haggard, George Strait, Kenny Rogers, Charlie Daniels, and Dolly Parton to Paul McCartney, the Jonas Brothers, Darius Rucker, and Gene Simmons. The book was a cross-section of musicians from various genres and backgrounds.

The book was a huge success. After Volume One was published in 2015, efforts immediately were underway to create Volume Two. David was excited to inform us that Volume Two was already in the books and would be available for purchase in August 2021. The new book would be setup the same as the first project. It would also include various professional photographers that were invited to submit their photos. The process of acquiring the artist photos is time consuming and harder than most people would imagine. Anyone can take a random picture at any time, but if a picture is to be used in a major publication, the photo has to be professionally shot and the publication purpose needs to be verified by the artists. A major artist has their brand to protect.

We asked David what his favorite photo was in the book. He smiled and told us the story of how he was in the middle of a photo session for KISS band member Gene Simmons. One of David’s friends and co-contributors to Volume Two is a popular photographer in his own right. HIs name is Ted Washington. He was the main photographer for The Woodlands Development Corporation for several decades as well as the main photographer for The Woodlands Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. It was Ted’s job to photograph the artists that made their way to the Pavilion stage. Ted was on hand that day to accompany David on the Gene Simmons shoot. As David was taking pictures, Ted noticed a unique picture opportunity while David was with Gene Simmons. Ted snapped a shot of David as he was taking pictures of Simmons and both David and Gene made their way into the book. It is a memory and experience that David will never forget.

If you would like more information about Rett syndrome, the Raising A Hand book or how you can help this cause, please click on any of the links below.

Please join with them in Raising A Hand for Rett syndrome.


Click here for more information about Rett syndrome

Click here to make a donation to the “Raising A Hand” project

Click here to pre-order Volume Two “Raising A Hand”




What the artists are saying about the book


“Hands are raised in anger. Hands are raised in supplication. Hands are raised in salutation. But best, hands are raised in accountability. As in, ‘Count me in.’ Joining the throngs who support – whatever it is. In this case, those with Rett Syndrome. Those whose lives were cut short at an early age. Those whose potential could never be realized. Think of them, their families and friends. Lend a hand. A hand offered, raised or otherwise…”

- British singer/songwriter Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull)

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I’m just thrilled to death to know that my picture’s gonna be in the same book with Gene Simmons and Billy Gibbons!!… Hell, man. That’s cool!

- Country Music Artist Mark Chesnutt

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I see hands raised in appreciation and waving back and forth or holding a light– a happy and positive experience for all and a symbol of unity and undying love. Let us raise our hands together for those who have fallen from Rett syndrome and for those who now suffer and raise a positive example of our unified hope for a cure for Rett’s disease high up in the air–others will follow.

- Grand Funk’s Mark Farner