New songs by late Marion teen premiere at music festival

MARION — Nolan Gibbons — already an accomplished musician and performer as a teen — used to say, “Mom, dad, look what I made.”

Before Nolan died at 15, his parents Sheila and Warren Gibbons had watched him grow as an artist. 

But four years after he passed, it was now the two of them drawing upon what they learned from Nolan as they worked to produce and share their son’s music. He had written about 90 songs, according to Sheila and Warren.

Three of those songs premiered at the fourth annual NolanFest music festival Saturday, July 13.

Sheila and Warren collaborated with other artists to complete the three new songs, which had been written and produced by Nolan.

Now, they can say, “Nolan, look what we made,” Warren said.

“It’s been such a healing, incredible experience,” he said.

Nolan was a member of local youth singing troupe the Showstoppers and national acapella group “Acapop! KIDS,” among other ventures. He had appeared on national television and traveled the country.

He passed away in August 2020 due to sudden unexplained death in childhood, or SUDC.

NolanFest at Silvershell Beach is held in his memory. He would have turned 19 on July 12. 

The annual community music festival has evolved over the course of its four iterations.

Because of COVID-19, a memorial couldn’t be held immediately after Nolan’s death, according to Warren. 

As what would have been Nolan’s 16th birthday approached the following summer, those in Nolan’s community were looking to grieve — and itching to get on stage — according to Sheila. 

The first NolanFest in 2021 was a “memorial,” she said.

“We realized this is fun,” Sheila said. “We should do it again.”

Warren said the music festival is a “gift to the town” that’s become a place for performing artists to meet each other.

For four hours at NolanFest, artists took the stage at Silvershell Beach to perform, including groups Nolan had been a part of, like Break a Leg Theater Works, an area non-profit theater organization. 

The event raises money for the Nolan Gibbons Memorial Fund, which provides grants and scholarships to performing artists.

Nolan was a “cheerleader of anyone who was trying,” according to Sheila.

“It helps with Nolan’s legacy because he was such a big cheerleader of other artists,” she said.

A video recording of Nolan singing the national anthem opened the evening. The new songs written and produced by Nolan premiered later in the night.

“We’re still his parents, and we’re so proud of him as an artist and as a person,” Sheila said.

Before a fire dancer ended NolanFest as Silvershell Beach turned to dusk, festival-goers heard “Heavenly Human,” one of the new compositions.

This past year, Sheila and Warren felt ready to reach out and ask for help completing some of Nolan’s songs, Sheila said.

Vinny Costa, a friend of Nolan’s from an acapella program, recorded the vocals for the piece. A video for the song played on the festival’s stage.

“We’ll never quit,” Costa sang. “We’ll make the most of it.”

The lyrics appeared on the screen.

“Don’t be shy,” he sang. “Don’t let it end.”