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Thousands of mourners across the U.S. have gathered, both in solitude and in large groups, often in prayer, to grieve the tragic passing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
College students, church communities, and local residents nationwide have united in candlelight vigils and prayer services. NFL teams such as the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys observed moments of silence during week two of the regular season. Country music stars, including Jason Aldean and Morgan Wallen, paused their concerts to honor the founder of Turning Point USA.
The cascade of support for Kirk, his mission, and legacy, fueled partly by the shared empathy for his widow, Erika, and their two children, includes a song gaining traction on TikTok and other social media platforms.
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“Something about it just hit me really, really hard,” Michael Heffner, an aspiring musician, told Fox News Digital of Kirk’s assassination.
Heffner, an Ohio resident but Michigan native, wrote and recorded “Carry the Flame: A Tribute to Charlie Kirk.”
Despite having similar beliefs, Heffner was not a dedicated follower of Kirk and finds himself lackluster about politics.
Unsettled and inundated with heartache, Heffner told Fox News Digital that he felt a call and a “fire” in him to write the song.
“I wanted to write something within the time I was emotionally invested in it, which was a couple of hours,” Heffner told Fox News Digital.
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Heffner, a one-man band, penned lyrics, composed with his guitar, digitally recreated instruments, and consulted his dad, who he said often goes by the “poetic patriot,” and quickly crafted the track.
“It kind of just unraveled on its own,” Heffner said. “When I felt like I was really, really invested, I was looking through tons and tons of videos of Charlie Kirk.”
Heffner affirmed two central themes of Kirk’s messages struck a chord with him.
“I used to be a worship leader for a really large church in Ohio, and I felt like I was super authentic then, but there are some people that I’ve met that talk about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and I’ve never understood,” he said of the faithful essence.
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“The fact that Charlie, somebody who is younger than me, can talk about God like they would go golfing together, I’m like, ‘I want that.”
Kirk’s strong emphasis on family, which was a clear and justified priority for him, inspired Heffner to revise the lyrics, replacing patriotic themes with those focused on family.
“I was so mad for his wife because some women, some men, choose to leave their spouse, and this was by no means her choice,” he said of Erika. “He was stolen from her and I just think that the sanctity of the home is so beautiful.”
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Country music star John Rich shared the song on X, writing, “Just heard this epic song, inspired by the life and mission of Charlie Kirk. Give this a listen.”
In “Carry the Flame,” Kirk’s voice can be heard both in the middle of the song and at the end.
Heffner said he clipped audio of Kirk’s voice and took some creative liberties to give the song themes of fortitude and self-nurturance and that he is receiving mostly support from social media users.
One comment in particular stuck out to him, “America needs this,” to which Heffner was stunned.
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“I’m like, ‘The whole country?’,” he asked. “I’m just a guy. I live under a rock.”
He was disappointed to learn he lost some social media friends over the song, particularly one friend on Meta who often opposes him, despite Heffner having previously shared messages of encouragement.
The office of Michigan Sen. Jim Runestad invited Heffner to sing “Carry the Flame” at the capitol in Lansing on Monday.
“I have this weird feeling that I need to do this,” Heffner said.
“Carry the Flame: A Charlie Kirk Tribute” can be heard on Apple Music and Spotify, among other streaming platforms.
