The Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation’s 3rd annual Stream-A-Thon, hosted by Joe Bonamassa, was a spectacular display of musicianship that helped raise an additional $60,000 for musicians in need and featured nearly 3 hours of music performances from over 25 talented artists including some of Joe’s legendary friends and rising stars.
Last week, fans from more than 40 countries tuned in to watch the line up which included Dion, Peter Frampton, George Thorogood, Eric Gales, Bill Payne (Little Feat), Tommy Emmanuel, Larry McCray, Joanne Shaw Taylor, and many more.
The Stream-A-Thon event benefits the Fueling Musicians Program which provides assistance to musicians in need. This year, our gracious industry partners include Gibson Brands/ Gibson Gives, Seymour Duncun, Ernie Ball, Broken Arrow, Sixthman, Truefire, OceanWay Studio, Herbsman Hafer Weber and Frisch LLP, Grand Brulot, Sweetwater, Dunlop, and Driven Communication.
“I am so thankful for the incredible support from our industry partners and for the fans who have donated to this program. Through their generosity, we will continue to impact musicians who still need our help and get their careers back on track,” said Bonamassa.
The program was created in 2020 when Joe recognized that supporting artists was crucial to maintain their livelihoods during the pandemic crisis, as well as helping them get back on the road when live music events were permitted. Now he wants to continue to pay it forward as so many did for him, and extend the Fueling Musicians Program to get immediate assistance to musicians who have suffered hardships due to the long lasting effects of the pandemic on their careers.
To date, the Fueling Musicians program has raised over $560,000 for qualifying touring musicians. The program provides immediate cash payments of $1,500 for essential living expenses and more. This month, the Fueling Musicians Program was honored as one of the recipients of the prestigious “Keeping the Blues Alive Award” by The Blues Foundation for its contributions to the music community.
The Annual Stream-A-Thon, and Fueling Musicians program together, help bring awareness to the ongoing struggles many musicians are still facing, while also providing a platform for artist discovery. Bonamassa’s ultimate goal this year is to raise an additional $100,000 to continue to help musicians and hopes more will join him in this important cause.
