Josh Abbott Honors Camp Mystic Victims in ’27 Little Butterflies’

The devastating flooding in the Texas Hill Country over the July 4 weekend last summer left an indelible mark on the state’s music community. For Josh Abbott, a cornerstone of the Texas scene for two decades as the frontman of the Josh Abbott Band and a member of the supergroup the Panhandlers, the tragedy was deeply personal. After months of processing the grief, Abbott has released a heart-wrenching tribute titled “27 Little Butterflies,” honoring the 27 campers and counselors who lost their lives at Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River.

Abbott chose to approach the song with raw simplicity, performing it solo and acoustic to capture the weight of the loss. “I knew I was going to write something for those girls and their families at some point, but I didn’t want to force it,” Abbott shared with Rolling Stone. “On February 13th, it just came to me, line by line effortlessly following each other. I didn’t want to write it from a commercial lens. This song didn’t need to be the cliche hooky 3-chorus style format.”

The connection to the tragedy was intimate for the Abbott family. They were close with the family of 8-year-old Mary Barrett Stevens, who was among those who perished. Abbott’s own daughter, Emery, had been best friends with Mary Barrett, and the family had even considered sending Emery to the camp that summer. When the news broke, Abbott spent the morning of July 4 in a state of frantic uncertainty, hoping for news of his daughter’s friend.

“Every hour with no response felt darker,” Abbott recalled. “When I finally got the news, I cried in a way I hadn’t in a long, long time. This sweet girl had such a joy and glow to her. A little girl we loved, held, swam with, and watched grow up with our own daughter. Her absence will never escape us.”

In honor of Mary Barrett—whose nickname was “May”—and the 27 lives lost, Abbott has pledged to donate all proceeds from the song to the San Antonio-based charity Heaven’s 27. This organization serves as a vital resource for the families affected by the flood. Abbott’s commitment to the cause extends beyond this release; he previously organized a benefit concert titled “Deep in the Heart,” which raised over $1.2 million for the charity.

“I consider that possibly my biggest accomplishment,” Abbott said of the fundraising efforts.