It turns out that 30 years after its debut, the 1990 smash-hit “Hold On” still has the ability to pull singer Chynna Phillips out some pretty dark places. Phillips — along with her Wilson Phillips bandmates Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson — appeared on Kelly Clarkson’s talk show this week and the trio, plus Clarkson, belted out the tune (which saw a major revitalization when it was featured in the 2011 comedy Bridesmaids). The moment was quite heartwarming, especially since Phillips, her husband, actor Billy Baldwin, and their family have had a really difficult year.
Baldwin revealed last year in an Instagram post that their teenage son, Vance, had been battling cancer. The teen is now 17, and cancer-free, according to Baldwin.
Read MoreDuring the appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Phillips mentioned that “Hold On” holds a special place in her heart — and has the ability to be something of an inspiration to her when she’s going through tough times, even now. She told Clarkson that holding on “for one more day” is how she gets through her dark times. “I was really in a dark, dark space when that lyric was written,” Phillips said. “I was at a crossroads, and I really felt like if I didn’t get my life together and stop, doing a little drugs … and I had a really bad boyfriend at the time … I just was in a lot of pain. And I just said, ‘If I don’t change my course, I’m going to be in a lot of trouble.'”
The Wilsons and Clarkson all agreed that music has the ability to heal. Feb. 27 marked the 30th anniversary of the release of “Hold On,” which shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart shortly after its release, so the Wilson Phillips ladies have a lot to be thankful for.
Vance Baldwin’s Cancer Journey
Vance and his dad, Billy Baldwin, both went public with his diagnosis in October of last year, with Billy taking to Instagram to share how proud he is of his son, and how grateful the family is after Vance had been declared cancer-free.
“A year ago today my son Vance was diagnosed with cancer… he was 16 years old,” Billy wrote at the time. “He kept it very quiet… we all did. He went through 28 rounds of chemo yet stayed VERY positive, focused and kept his life as normal as possible… every single day. Kid’s a tough son of a bitch.”
Baldwin went on to thank his son’s friends, teachers, coaches and community for stepping up during a trying time for the family. He also gave a shoutout to Vance’s doctor, Dr. Lawrence Piro, in the post. Neither Baldwin disclosed what type of cancer Vance had been diagnosed with, but Dr. Piro is an LA-based oncologist who specializes in the field of hematologic malignancies.
Vance’s determination in the face of adversity has gotten attention from some of his parents’ famous friends — including Sylvester Stallone.
Baldwin recently took to Instagram to share a message that Stallone sent over about his son, after Baldwin let the Sly know that Vance had answered “Rocky” when prompted to name his favorite film in a college application.
“That moves me … [It was] a simple movie about will, determination and heart,” Stallone wrote, “like the hellish journey your son triumphed over life, fighting like a REAL LIFE ROCKY, getting knocked down over and over, but refusing to ever stay down!”
“Always keep punching, Kid,” Stallone signed off.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.