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New Song, Now a Music Video, Salutes Healthcare Workers During COVID-19

July 23, 2020

Tommy Russo and Paul Lombardo know a good TV commercial when they see one.

The pair have been friends and partners for five decades in L&R productions, a local company that produces radio and TV commercials. You’ve probably heard their jingles for local businesses and sports teams, including S.K. Lavery Appliance Co., McCue Mortgage and the Hartford Yard Goats.

Russo was at home in Andover at the height of the COVID-19 surge in Connecticut, when he saw Hartford HealthCare’s “We Stand Together” commercial on TV.

Paul Lombardo“The faces of the nurses and doctors truly inspired me to start the process of writing this song, said Russo, a veteran musician.
With his partners, Lombardo and Bill Holloman, Russo wrote “Angels by our Side.”

While the team usually records their music in a studio, this one was created with each artist performing and recording his part at home. Lombardo, above, provided lead vocals and played guitar and cello. Holloman played bass, soprano saxophone and percussion and mixed the final product. They all chimed in on the chorus.

Later, Steve Savino, a friend and radio producer, turned it into a music video.

With COVID-19 holding steady in Connecticut at the moment, the friends hope the song will be shared across the country to thank healthcare workers who have already experienced the worst of the pandemic, and those in the midst of it.

“Thanks to solid leadership in our state, our numbers have been tamped down,’’ Russo said. “There are other states where that’s not the case. It’s about donating a motivating, inspiring message, to get it to California, Arizona, Florida and the other places where the healthcare workers are under a lot of distress.’’

The friends hope their song will provide at least a moment of relief.

Not feeling well? Call your healthcare provider for guidance and try to avoid going directly to an emergency department or urgent care center, as this could increase the chances of the disease spreading.

Click here to schedule a virtual visit with a Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care provider.

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