General Information about the
COVID-19 Blues Musician Emergency Relief Fund
COVID-19 Blues Musician Emergency Relief Fund
General Information
about the
COVID-19 Blues Musician
Emergency Relief Fund
about the
COVID-19 Blues Musician
Emergency Relief Fund
The Blues Foundation demonstrated the strength of its commitment to its mission and to the blues community and matched words with action to quickly create The Blues Foundation’s COVID-19 Blues Musician Emergency Relief Fund to help full-time blues musicians impacted by the pandemic. The COVID-19 Blues Musician Emergency Relief Fund provides much needed financial assistance to full-time blues musicians and their families who found themselves with little or no work due to the pandemic.
The COVID-19 Blues Musician Emergency Relief Fund provides immediate relief for essential needs such as rent/mortgage, utilities, phone, and car payments. Through generous donations from supporters of The Blues Foundation, the relief fund hopes to enable blues musicians to focus on their health rather than the pressure of providing a roof over their head.
The fund was seeded with monies from our own coffers but others quickly responded with generous donations. Since establishing the COVID-19 Relief Fund in March 2020, The Blues Foundation has assisted over 250 blues musicians by distributing approximately $284,500 in direct grants which included $166,500 in mortgage/rent payments, $50,000 in utilities and another $50,000 in telephone payments, and nearly $18,000 in car payments.
The relief fund is a small way to give back to the artists that give us so much.
If you would like to donate to the COVID-19 Blues Musician Emergency Relief Fund, please click on the donate button and select COVID-19. All donations go to assist blues musicians impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 Relief Fund Recipient Testimonials
Out of all the organizations helping musicians, The Blues Foundation in Memphis gave our band the most hope! They were prompt in response, speaking person to person with common sense and concern for the well-being of real blues musicians. They helped our band members where others could not, because they were understanding of the blues artist lifestyle, with the application forms simple and the response rapid. Our guys, and gal, felt hope from this. It was not so much the amount, although when you are talking about paying off an electric or gas bill or some rent, it is amazingly close to the heart of a blues band. But it was the thought that someone cared and would do something to help a group of people, because they play blues, and have dedicated their lives to playing blues. That means partnership, and when a group is connected to the larger world of the blues industry, that means hope. So, we thank The Blues Foundation for the reality of hope!
Dave WeldMusicians pull the people of the world out of their everyday lives and take them on a trip to better places with music. In times of trouble, and in times of joy we are always there with our notes to help people, but there are times when we might need some help ourselves. Right now, we are going through the greatest test of the human race since 1918. Our profession playing blues music has no shows, or CD sales, no album productions or festivals, and right now we, as a whole, we need a helping hand to get us to the other side. The Blues Foundation COVID 19 Relief Fund was and is there to support the musicians that create the beautiful and long-lasting music that they are named for. They went above and beyond and proved, certainly to me, the phrase we all use: “Yours In The Blues” I want to thank them and never forget, “We Are All In This Together”.
Bobby MessanoOn behalf of Melvin and myself, we’d like to thank The Blues Foundation so so much for your assistance! I could cry right now. This is such a blessing and we’re so grateful. This will help relieve some of the stress that we and so many others in the Blues community are facing right now. When we get on the other side of this thing. We will definitely pay it forward. Thank you also for the membership. God Bless and be safe.
Sheila SmithMusic has a way of magnifying what’s important in this life, and dissipating things that are not. Right now, togetherness is important and I’m thankful for The Blues Foundation. The support they have given me and musicians alike during a time like today is unmeasurable. Thank you!
Tikyra JacksonI can’t begin to explain the massive amount of help that the relief funds from The Blues Foundation has done to help a lil’ ole musician like me and my family to help keep a roof over our heads. I am very grateful. Thank y’all so much.
Eric GalesAdditional Resources
Equal Sound, an organization that strives to break down traditional genre boundaries through events and advocacy, is inviting musicians who have lost income due to the pandemic to apply for funds. Applicants must provide proof they had a confirmed concert cancelled over the coronavirus to receive the money.
The Music Covid Relief resource is brought to you by the partners in the U.S. Music Community to help music professionals access information and applications to receive benefits made available by the CARES Act (Phase III of the Coronavirus Stimulus bill signed into law March 27, 2020).
You will find information on filing for unemployment, small business loans, grants, and more.
