Opera star Shan Cothi's equine trek in husband's memory
Aug 11 2008 by Carl Butler, Daily Post
OPERA singer and actress Shân Cothi is to take part in a marathon 300-mile horse ride to raise awareness of the cancer which killed her husband.
Despite a brave fight Justin Smith, a TV editor and bassist with Welsh glam metal band Tigertailz, passed away last September just weeks after marrying Shân at his bedside.
Now Shân has founded a charity in her husband's name in a bid to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer - diagnosis is difficult and only 5% of sufferers survive five years.
She also hopes the charity - Amser Justin Time - will provide support to patients and their families.
Shan will officially launch the charity on August 25, Bank Holiday Monday, a day after her performance at Bryn Terfel's Faenol Festival, when she and friends will set off on a charity horse ride from Talacre beach, near Prestatyn to South Wales.
She said: "Justin would think I was absolutely mad, but he would be very moved. He was a very emotional, sensitive guy. He would say, ‘Anything that makes you happy Shân'.
"I want to raise lots of money for research but that is secondary to raising awareness of the disease which is very difficult to spot. Some well-known people have contracted the disease, Pavarotti and Patrick Swayze only recently," she said.
A website has been set up and Shân has recorded a single, I Believe, with her close friend Bryn Terfel - which they hope to sing at the Faenol.
It will be available for download from the charity's website, was written by Justin and recorded by Tigertailz. Justin, who was known as Pepsi Tate in the band, plays bass guitar on the track.
Shân, who plays the leading role in S4C's Con Passionate, met Justin 10 years ago in the offices of TV production company Avanti when she was recording the Shân Cothi Show for S4C and he was editing.
They soon became a couple and settled down together in Cardiff.
In 2006, Justin began experiencing abdominal pains and later began losing weight but it took months of tests before a diagnosis was made. "The doctor said, ‘I have got something really serious to tell you' and our hearts just stopped," says Shân.
Although he was very weak, in July 2007 the couple travelled to New York in a last-ditch attempt to find alternative treatment. Justin proposed to Shân during their trip.
Not long after, Justin was admitted to a Penarth hospice where the pair were married in front of close family and friends.
"Justin was very ill that day but he got better for a few days afterwards. He was very proud, telling everyone he had made an honest woman of me," she said.
Following Justin's death, aged 42, Shân, a blacksmith's daughter, immersed herself in horse-riding and bought a horse, Caio, who is kept in stables in Ogmore near Bridgened.
"He has been a godsend really, it's very therapeutic to go riding," she said.
Shân and Caio, and a number of other riders, will make the trek. There will be fundraising concerts en route, including one at Tregaron on September 5,
Any riders keen to join them for a day are welcome to do so, Shân said. She also appealed to readers who have detailed knowledge of sections of the route to get in touch.
"Its an ambitious schedule and the last thing we want to do is go down a bridleway and find a locked gate," she said.
Shân will take part in the Faenol Festival for the second time but she says since losing Justin, performing is no longer so important to her.
"I miss him like crazy.‘'
Singing for Justin
Jul 21 2008 by Karen Price, South Wales Echo
Singer Shan Cothi is launching a charity in memory of her husband Justin Smith, the bassist in Cardiff band Tigertailz, who died of pancreatic cancer. She tells KAREN PRICE about how she plans to raise money for it
On the sideboard in Shan Cothi's dining room is a beautiful black and white photograph of her and her husband Justin Smith smiling broadly for the cameras.
But their smiles hid the devastating fact that after months of tests, Justin had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Despite a brave fight, the programme editor and bassist with Welsh glam metal band Tigertailz passed away in September 2007, just months after the photograph was taken and just weeks after marrying his long-term partner Shan at his hospital bedside.
Now Shan, an opera singer and actress, has founded a charity in her husband's name in a bid to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer - diagnosis is difficult and only 5% of sufferers survive five years.
She also hopes the charity - Amser Justin Time - will provide support to patients and their families.
Shan will officially launch the charity on August Bank Holiday Monday, a day after her performance at Bryn Terfel's Faenol Festival, when she and a small group of friends will set off on a charity horse ride from North to South Wales.
"Justin would think I was absolutely mad," smiles Shan, when I meet her at her home in Pontcanna, Cardiff.
"But he would be very moved. He was a very emotional, sensitive guy. He would say, ‘Anything that makes you happy Shan'."
A website has been set up by the charity and Shan has recorded a single, I Believe, with her close friend, international bass baritone Terfel - which they hope to sing at the Faenol Festival.
I Believe, which will be available for download from the charity's website, was written by Justin and recorded by Tigertailz. Justin plays bass guitar on the track.
Shan, who plays the leading role in S4C's Con Passionate, met Justin 10 years ago in the offices of TV production company Avanti when she was recording the Shan Cothi Show for S4C and he was editing.
They soon became a couple and settled down to life together in Cardiff.
In 2006, Justin began experiencing abdominal pains and later began losing weight but it took months of tests before a diagnosis was made.
"The doctor said, ‘I have got something really serious to tell you' and our hearts just stopped," says Shan.
Although he was very weak, in July 2007 the couple travelled to New York in a last ditch attempt to find alternative treatment. Justin proposed to Shan during their trip.
Not long after they returned to Wales, Justin was admitted to Holme Tower hospice in Penarth, where the pair were married in front of close family and friends.
"Justin was very ill that day but he got better for a few days afterwards. He was very proud, telling everyone he had made an honest woman of me," she smiles.
Following Justin's death at the age of 42, Shan, a blacksmith's daughter, immersed herself in horse-riding and bought a horse, Caio, who is kept in stables in Ogmore.
"He has been a godsend really," she says of the horse. "It's very therapeutic to go riding."
Now Shan and Caio, and a number of other riders, will make the trek of almost 300 miles from North to South Wales.
There will be fundraising concerts en-route, including one at The Point in Cardiff on September 18, but Shan says that since losing Justin, performing is no longer so important to her.
"I miss him like crazy. When something like this happens it changes your perspective on things," she says.
"But Justin would hate it if I didn't sing any more."
Singer Shân Cothi is launching a charity in memory of her husband, Justin Smith, who died of cancer. She tells Karen Price about her plans to raise money with a mammoth horse trek.
On the sideboard in Shân Cothi's dining room is a beautiful black and white photograph of the singer and her husband Justin Smith smiling broadly for the cameras.
But their smiles hid the devastating fact that after months of tests, Justin had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Despite a brave fight, the television director and bassist with Welsh glam metal band Tigertailz died in September 2007, just months after the photograph was taken and just weeks after marrying his long-term partner Shân at his hospital bedside.
Now Shân, an opera singer and actress, has founded a charity in her husband's name in a bid to raise the profile of pancreatic cancer - diagnosis is difficult and only 5% of sufferers survive five years.
She also hopes the charity - Amser Justin Time - will provide support to patients and their families.
Shân will officially launch the charity on August Bank Holiday Monday, a day after her performance at Bryn Terfel's Faenol Festival, when she and a small group of friends will set off on a fundraising horse ride from North to South Wales.
While at first Shân felt it would be too painful to set up a charity, one of Justin's close friends, Emyr Glasnant Young, was keen to pay tribute to him and Shân later felt it was the right time to do just that.
"Justin would think I was absolutely mad," smiles Shân when I meet her at her Cardiff home.
"But he would be very moved. He was a very emotional, sensitive guy. He would say, ‘Anything that makes you happy Shân'."
A website has been set up by the charity and Shân has recorded a single, I Believe, with her close friend, international bass baritone Terfel - which they hope to sing at the Faenol Festival.
I Believe, which will be available for download from the charity's website, was written by Justin and recorded by Tigertailz. Justin, whose rock band name was Pepsi Tate, can be heard playing bass guitar on the new track.
Shân, who plays the leading role in S4C's Con Passionate, met Justin about 10 years ago in the offices of TV production company Avanti when she was recording the Shân Cothi Show for S4C and he was editing.
They soon became a couple and settled down to life together in Cardiff.
In 2006, Justin began experiencing abdominal pains and later began losing weight.
But it took months of tests before a diagnosis was made.
"The doctor said, ‘I have got something really serious to tell you' and our hearts just stopped," says Shân, who is originally from the village of Ffarmers, near Lampeter.
"Looking back now there were signs, especially as Justin had pancreatitis when he was in his 20s. He didn't react well to chemotherapy but kept going and even did a gig in Milan with Tigertailz."
Although he was very weak, in July 2007 the couple travelled to New York in a last-ditch attempt to find alternative treatment. Justin proposed to his girlfriend during their trip.
"We had planned to get married but we were on a horse-and-cart ride and were passing Madison Square when he got out and got down on bended knee. There was a fantastic storm - Justin loved storms."
Not long after they returned to Wales, Justin was admitted to Holme Tower hospice in Penarth, where the pair were married in front of close family and friends.
"Justin was very ill that day but he got better for a few days afterwards. He was very proud, telling everyone he had made an honest woman of me," she smiles.
Following Justin's death at the age of 42, Shân, a blacksmith's daughter, immersed herself in horse-riding and bought a horse, Caio, which is kept in stables in Ogmore.
"He has been a godsend really," she says of the horse. "It's very therapeutic to go riding. After the funeral I would go to the beach on the horse and talk to Justin."
Now Shân and Caio, along with a number of other riders, will make the trek of almost 300 miles from North to South Wales. Emyr will be joining on foot.
There will also be a number of fundraising concerts en-route, including Pavilion Bont in Pontrhydfendigaid on September 4, featuring Rebecca Evans and Rhys Meirion. There will also be a gig at The Point in Cardiff on September 18.
Shân is touched by all of the cards and letters she has received since the death of Justin, who was originally from Dinas Powys.
"They're so comforting," she says.
While Shân - who appeared in The Phantom of the Opera in the West End - is every inch the professional, she admits that since Justin's diagnosis, her work is not so important to her.
"I miss him like crazy and when something like this happens it changes your perspective on things," she says.
"But Justin would hate it if I didn't sing any more."
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