Trey found his passion for music at the tender age of five. In his early 20s, he relocated from South Bend, Indiana, to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a professional career as a drummer. He played in local honky-tonks before landing an audition with Faith Hill, which became a huge turning point in his career.

After seven years with Hill, he began to notice changes in his body. In 2003, Trey’s life changed forever when he was diagnosed with a genetic condition known as Huntington’s Disease (HD). The neurological disorder, characterized by the degeneration of the brain’s nerve cells, deteriorates a person’s cognitive and physical attributes, mimicking symptoms of ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. At the time of his diagnosis more than 17 years ago, Trey was given 10 to 15 years to live.

However, HD couldn’t stop him, and he found that drumming helped contribute to his longevity.

“Any type of oxygen you get into your brain is good, and moving helps,” Trey said. “With drumming, I’m using four limbs sometimes at a time; imagine that in your brain, the neurons that are firing, it’s just fantastic.”

Since his diagnosis, he has continued playing in the studio and on tour with country superstars Faith Hill, Jewel, Brooks & Dunn, and Reba McEntire. Last year, he established The Trey Gray Foundation, and is now also the official celebrity spokesperson for the Sitrin NeuroCare Program.

Trey was first introduced to Sitrin staff in 2014, and visited the unit during the summer of 2019. Impressed with the facility’s picturesque setting and unique approach to care, he drums up awareness for Sitrin when traveling the country on tour with Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn. Eager to do media interviews, he candidly discusses his fight against HD, his dynamic story, and Sitrin’s services.

Throughout the nearly two decades since Trey’s diagnosis, his optimism has never wavered. Grateful for every day, he counts his blessings as fervently as he counts his beats.