Blues Rock Stars Defy COVID-19 With Live Stream-A-Thon Event

The Best In Blues Join Together With Over 50 Unique Performances Including Joe Bonamassa, Peter Frampton, Buddy Guy, John Oates, George Thorogood, And Many More To Raise Money For Musicians In Need.

News provided by

Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation

May 28, 2020, 10:00 ET

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla., May 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Joe Bonamassa and his nonprofit, Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation will premiere an online Stream-A-Thon event on Sunday, May 31st at 3:00 pm EDT to benefit their Fueling Musicians Program which supports musicians in need. This spectacular display of musicianship will be hosted by Joe Bonamassa himself and will feature more than 4 hours of music performances from over 50 musicians including some of Joe's legendary friends and talented rising stars.

To date, the Fueling Musicians Program has raised over $175,000 for qualifying touring musicians who are suffering financial hardship and whose careers have been put on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on the music industry. The program provides immediate cash payments for essential living expenses of $1,000, as well as a pre-paid gas card of $500 and a $50 Guitar Center Gift Card to help musicians stay afloat and get back on the road again when it is safe. Joe hopes this Stream-A-Thon event will help increase donations to achieve his goal of $250,000 so he can help as many musicians as possible.

A Message From Joe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgR1Ts7CGc0&feature=youtu.be

The Fueling Musicians Stream-A-Thon hosted by Joe Bonamassa and Presented by Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation will be streamed across Joe's platforms below:

https://jbonamassa.com/ktba - Joe Bonamassa's website which includes direct links to watch the video.

https://joeb.me/JBLIVE - Facebook live video short link. (To share the Live Streaming video, you must share after the video goes live from Joe's FB)

http://Joeb.me/StreamAThon - Official FB Event Page (live stream will automatically start here. If you can, please share this link on social media before the event)

http://joebonamassa.tv – YouTube Live video short link (for embedding and sharing YouTube video on website pages. Note: embedding will only work after video is live)

"I am honored and moved by the generosity and support from the vast array of contributors to this program. My gratitude goes out to all of these companies and individual donors that have helped us make a difference in these musicians' lives," Bonamassa said. "All proceeds raised will help to sustain touring musicians during this difficult time and will provide them with the opportunity to get back on the road when the time is right." Industry partners who have generously contributed include Volkswagen, Fender Premium Audio, Seymour Duncan, Gibson Brands, Gibson Cares, Guitar Player, Guitar Center, Guitar Center Music Foundation, Norman's Rare Guitars, Reverb, Caveman Productions, George Thorogood, Ernie Ball Music Man, Peter Frampton, Truefire, Chicago Music Exchange, among others, who have come together to give their support both financially and through in-kind contributions.

"Right now, the music industry has been brought to its knees," explains Joe. He recognizes that to truly support these artists, necessary funding will be crucial to maintain their livelihoods during the crisis, as well as helping them get back on the road when live music events are permitted. Wanting to give back and pay it forward as so many did for him, Joe created the Fueling Musicians Program to get immediate assistance to musicians in need.

Individuals or organizations interested in helping Joe support this program should go to the Keeping the Blues Alive website, ktba.org or ktba.org/fueling-musicians.

Artists who would like to be considered for financial aid can fill out an application via ktba.org/fueling-musicians-program-application-form/

About Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation

Keeping the Blues Alive® Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by two-time GRAMMY-nominated blues-rock artist Joe Bonamassa and his long-time manager Roy Weisman. KTBA fuels the passion for music by funding projects and scholarships to allow students and teachers the resources and tools that further music education. Since its inception in 2011, KTBA has funded music programs and initiatives affecting 70,000+ students in all 50 states. This is accomplished by making weekly donations to music projects in schools, as well as funding merit-based scholarships and extracurricular programs all over the country. Through donations totaling $600,000+ from fundraisers, sweepstakes, merchandise sales, and our biannual blues festival at sea, KTBA has been able to keep all too vital music education thriving. ktba.org

About Joe Bonamassa

As a professional musician for over 30 years, Joe Bonamassa continues to blaze a remarkably versatile artistic trail, and amass an authentic, innovative and soulful body of work. Bonamassa's career began onstage opening for B.B. King in 1989 when he was only 12 years old. Today, he is hailed worldwide as one of the greatest guitar players of his generation and is an ever-evolving singer-songwriter with over 30 albums to date all under his own label, J&R Adventures. He founded and oversees the non-profit Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation. Bonamassa has received two GRAMMY® nominations, and recently achieved his 22nd #1 Billboard Blues Albums (more than any other artist) with the release of LIVE AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE in 2019. While touring is on hiatus, Bonamassa has been staying busy by releasing new singles from his upcoming studio album, starting a brand new video interview series on Facebook called "Live From Nerdville" and promoting the Fueling Musicians Program to help those in need. Jbonamassa.com

CONNECT:

Joe Bonamassa: