TODAY — Demille Cole-Heard didn’t grow up with his dad, but he had a loving father figure support him every step of the way: His grandfather.
After Charles Warthan’s children were grown, he began the child-rearing journey anew by raising his grandson, Cole-Heard. Warthan, 63, always worked at least two custodial jobs, served his country and helped Cole-Heard, 25, follow his passions.
“There is no father figure more deserving than my grandfather, Charles Warthan,” Cole-Heard wrote in a letter he read aloud on TODAY Friday. “He has been right beside me for the past 25 years, sharing his love of music, and now supporting me as I pursue singing and acting myself.”
His continued: “I’ve been on a long journey, faced with obstacle after obstacle, but my dreams are starting to come true, and it never would have been possible without my grandfather.”
Warthan appeared with his grandson live on TODAY Friday, thinking he was there to support Cole-Heard as he tried out for “The Voice.” But as a special Father’s Day surprise, Cole-Heard honored him for all he has done and helped his grandfather realize his lifelong dream of singing for all the world to hear.
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