Procurement News Notice |
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| PNN | 3776 |
| Work Detail | Like tens of thousands of flood victims in south Louisiana, members of the Baton Rouge music community were busy this week ripping out floors and walls. Like those affected by the flood, musicians who experienced the most extensive damage wondered how they were going to rebuild homes and lives. In a common scenario, many musicians don’t have flood insurance. Their neighborhoods weren’t supposed to flood. Organizations that help musicians in need include the Hillsborough, North Carolina-based Music Maker Relief Foundation, and MusiCares, a program of The Recording Academy. “We are providing assistance, as we did after (Hurricanes) Katrina, Sandy and the Nashville floods,” said Debbie Carroll, MusiCares’ senior executive director. “Individuals can contact us. We hope to get direct funding to them, initially for needs such as temporary housing, food, gasoline.” Musicians in south Louisiana affected by flooding may call MusiCares at (877) 626-2748. Many have called this week, Carroll said. The Music Maker Relief Foundation, which serves American roots music artists, is working with Clarke Gernon, president of the Baton Rouge Blues Foundation, to identify musicians in need of flood relief. Grammy-nominated blues musician Henry Gray, 91, is among those who lost homes, possessions and vehicles. Gray is staying at a house owned by Deandre Tate, the musical great-grandson he raised with his late wife, Rivers. “Right now, I’m doing pretty good,” the singer-pianist said this week. “But I lost everything I had. There’s nothing in the house that wasn’t destroyed. It’s nothing no good.” Floodwater ruined Gray’s electric piano, clothes and his 1994 Ford Crown Victoria. After he evacuated by boat, someone stole the safe he kept documents and valuables in, including his Grammy-nominee medallion. “He’s good,” Gray’s great-grandson said of the musician who worked with Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Little Milton Campbell, Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy Reed and more in the 1950s and ’60s. “I just keep reminding him that he has support,” Tate said. “He has me. People all around the world are supporting him through the GoFundMe account, and various musical organizations are reaching out to him.” Phoenix blues musician Bob Corritore launched a GoFundMe campaign for Gray last week. Donations may be made at gofundme.com/2k3359w. As of Thursday afternoon, more than $26,000 of the $50,000 goal had been raised. Floodwater also entered singer-guitarist Kenny Neal’s home in an unincorporated area between Baker and Zachary. Neal, another Baton Rouge bluesman known throughout the world, and his wife, Josi, were rescued by boat from their front porch. Their livestock, including a miniature horse named Little Charlie, spent two days in high water. Neal’s vehicles were, as he put it, drowned. Flooding rose to the roof of a house that adjoins Neal’s property, the house that his youngest daughter, Sarah, and her two children had planned to move into this week. “If you come back here, brother, you wouldn’t believe it,” Neal said. “Everybody on the street’s got furniture piled eight feet high. My whole street looks like a big garbage dump.” Other members of the musical Neal family are affected as well. Neal’s sister, Darlene Neal-Williams, had floodwaters reach her roof. His brother, Frederick, lost all of his keyboard instruments and the 1969 Cadillac convertible he brought from the late blues artist Little Milton Campbell. A GoFundMe campaign has been established for the Neal family at gofundme.com/2krfy9hv. “We’re going to need some help,” Neal said. “I can’t help everybody, but the fans are being good to me.” At his house in Victoria Farms in north Baton Rouge this week, blues singer-guitarist Larry Garner used a wrecking bar to pull up his warped wooden floors. Garner’s brother, Mervin, cut the bottom two feet of the home’s walls out. Garner wanted to get as much work done as possible before his Wednesday flight to France, where he’s performing at a festival. Garner estimates nearly 10 inches of water filled his house, remaining there for more than 24 hours. “The house is all in disarray,” he said. “But it ain’t no different from nobody else. It’s a slow, slow process.” Down the street from Garner’s home, his brother, Michael, worked on their mother’s house. Her home and the nearby house of another Garner brother, Ron, received more floodwater than the musician’s home. “The family members who we could go stay with are the same people who got flooded,” Garner said. “So we’re messed up. But people been real nice about dropping stuff off for me and my family ... cookies, watermelon, chips, muffuletta sandwiches. “My preacher cousin came by and prayed with us. Every little bit helps. And when you get depressed, right at that point where you say, ‘Man, it’s too much,’ somebody will come by. That perks you up, makes you want to keep going.” |
| Country | United States , Northern America |
| Industry | Construction |
| Entry Date | 03 Sep 2016 |
| Source | http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/article_5618fd08-662e-11e6-bcb8-3b0ae06147e1.html |
