For Gary Burk III, there has never been a doubt in his mind: he was born to be a country musician.

Now, Burk is preparing to begin a national tour in honor of Corey Comperatore, a firefighter killed at the July 13 Butler County rally held by President-elect Donald Trump.

For Burk, the six months since the rally has given him the opportunity to grow a larger following and help his community grieve the loss of a local hero.

Burk said that his love for country music started at age 9, which led him to meeting members of the band Alabama and Grammy-nominated producer David Hammonds.

The advice Burk was given was to be a kid for a while before jumping into the business. This never deterred Burk from pursuing his passion.

“I was still playing, I just wasn’t quite as serious about it as it is now,” Burk said.

At age 17, Burk once again took up country music as a serious career path. His first single, “Crashed,” was released in 2017.

Since then, Burk has signed a record deal with MC1 Nashville and has worked with Universal Music Group.

Being a Butler County resident, Burk felt personally affected when news broke of the July 13 rally shooting at the Butler County Farm Show grounds.

Burk said he originally planned to attend the rally, but had a show booked for the same day. He and his fellow band members, who were already in upstate New York, decided to have an impromptu camping trip.

The mood changed drastically, however, when Burk’s father called him to inform him of the shooting.

“It was a quiet night,” Burk said. “We all sat around the fire that night, and it wasn’t because of politics or anything, it was just because of what happened in our backyard.”

On Monday, July 15, Burk packed up and went to Nashville to write and record “Take It Back Again,” a song written in response to the shooting.

“I put it out as a soft release on Facebook and when I got back it had over a million views,” Burk said. “It’s got like eight million downloads now. It’s been a really cool experience, a cool journey.”

“Take It Back Again” faced criticism, with some interpreting the song as a politically-charged call for violence. According to Burk, it was never meant to be political, but rather to serve as a call for unity.

“I tried to stay out of it. Was it leaning one way or the other? I’m sure, but it’s all in how the listener perceives it,” Burk said.

Burk performed the national anthem and “Take It Back Again” at the second rally of President-elect Trump on Oct. 5.

“I was nervous, but it was neat to get to see the behind the scenes and everything that was going on, and then getting to meet President Trump was just an amazing experience I’ll never forget.”

Not long after the viral success of “Take It Back Again,” Burk accepted an offer to perform at a show in Butler, where he met Steve Comperatore, Corey’s brother. The event donated proceeds to the family.

“We raised some money for the family and we wanted to deliver it personally,” Burk said. “We had the opportunity to meet Helen and Kaylee that day.”

Upon meeting the Comperatore family, Burk was asked to write a song for Corey.

“I never really intended on releasing it,” Burk said. “It was just somebody that needed a song to get through a moment.”

Burk contacted Eric Gunderson, of the country duo Love and Theft, to help Burk conceptualize and produce the song. The song’s chorus is taken from Corey’s eulogy and features a Bible verse read by Steve Comperatore.

Burk remembered finishing the song after staying up all night and immediately sharing it with friends and family.

“When I listened to it for the first time, I cried,” Burk said. “I mean, I wrote it, so for me to listen to that song and cry after I was done, I knew that it was something special.”

Burk said the response to “Until We Meet Again” has been nothing but love from Corey’s friends and family as well as Burk’s fans. After the song’s release, he got the opportunity to share the song with the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company.

“They just loved every bit of it,” Burk said. “They said it truly captured who Corey was as a person.”

For Helen Comperatore, “Until We Meet Again” has helped her in the grieving process.

“I am so honored and very touched that Gary wrote this song for Corey,” Helen said. “I listen to it every single day.”

When Burk approached Helen about the tour idea, she felt a mix of excitement and pain.

“I honestly had to wait to answer because of the lump in my throat,” Helen said. “I would much rather have him here than be honoring him.”

Looking forward, Burk is excited about The Southern Fried Rock Show, an upcoming performance on Feb. 1 at the Penn Theater in downtown Butler.

He is also excited to kick off his national tour Saturday, July 12 in Russellton.

Burk said that his biggest inspiration is his three children. He recalled getting to perform at Dassa McKinney Elementary School with his children in the crowd last year.

“They’re really the driving force behind it all,” Burk said with a smile across his face.