Jon Glik Medical Assistance
Jon Glik’s fiddle playing can be heard on some of my favorite records. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a huge Del McCoury fan. Don’t Stop The Music may be my all time favorite McCoury album, and Glik’s fiddle plays an important roll in the band’s sound on that recording.
Over the years Jon has recorded with a number of other bluegrass legends including David Grisman, Frank Wakefield, Peter Rowan, the Forbes Family, Dave Evans, Paul Adkins, Walter Hensley, Bob and Danny Paisley, and more.
Sadly, Jon is now in the hospital due to liver failure. This makes the third time this year he has been hospitalized. Like many other musicians, Jon does not health insurance and is faced with rising medial bills. In the midst of this, he is in need of a liver transplant if he is to survive.
The bluegrass community is coming together in an effort to assist this beloved fiddle player. A fund has been started to raise money for the transplant and to help offset his medical expenses.
Several things are being done to raise money for the fund.
A benefit concert is being held on Friday, October 19, from 7:00-11:00 PM. The concert takes place at The Arcadia Fire Hall, in Arcadia, MD. Admission is $35 at the door. Performers include The Del McCoury Band, David Grisman, David Grier, and The Forbes Family.
Eastman Strings has kindly donated a beautiful 904 D Mandolin to be raffled off at the concert, with all proceeds going directly to Jon’s medical fund.
James Reams, Walter Hensley & The Barons of Bluegrass are donating all proceeds (during the month of October) from the sale of the CD Wild Card, featuring Jon Glik on fiddle, to Jon’s medical fund. To order the CD, they ask that you mail a check for $15, made out to Jon Glik Medical Fund, to Mountain Redbird Music, 565 9th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215. They ask that you also include $1 in cash or postage stamps to cover shipping costs.
You may also contribute directly to the fund by sending a check to Jon’s sister, Barbara Glik. Again, the check should be made out to Jon Glik Medical Fund, and mailed to:
Barbara Glik
P.O. Box 4005
Annapolis, MD 21403
Let’s all pull together and help one of our own in his time of need.
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It really freaks me out to read about Jon Glik, Tom Adams, Butch Baldasarri and all the great bluegrass artists caught in this trap. There’s something very wrong in this country when Americans have to live like this, and it’s even worse for regular folks who don’t get benefit concerts.
What trap would that be? The trap of not having health insurance? I love these guys as part of our bluegrass family, but they should have insurance. It’s no one’s fault but your own if you don’t.
I consider myself one of the “regular folks.” I don’t work for a big company that provides insurance. I provide it myself by shelling out the cash every month. And I’m glad to do it.
Sure it’ expensive, but so are a bunch of medical bills. It’s part of doing business. A musician, or band, should just calculate their health insurance into the cost of doing business. It’s a fairly fixed cost that just gets factored into your monthly budget.
There’s a seminar I’d like to see at IBMA, “Budgeting and Business Administration for Musicians.” The problem is, I’m not sure it would be well attended.
You must