Jimmy Wayne
FLORENCE – The year 2013 in The Shoals is starting out to be one of mixed blessings. The ranks of local children who need intervention into their lives due to neglect or abuse are ever-increasing. And many of our world-famous musicians and song writers, who have given so much of themselves while building the history of Muscle Shoals Music, are aging… and developing medical problems and the attendant bills that are continually growing.
However, a local radio station group, Big River Broadcasting is once again answering the call to help. The group, founded by the legendary Sam Phillips, has since December 2012 raised over $18-thousand to help ease the burden. How did they do it? Well, Jerry Phillips, son of the music legend, and Jerry’s daughter, Halley Phillips-Yeager, together work long hours to pay back to their community.
In December, their popular internet music show, Muscle Shoals 2 Music Row, featured Nashville songwriter and recording artist Jimmy Wayne. Wayne, himself an adopted child, brought along with him to the Marriott-Shoals Conference Center friends, Tony Arata and Pat Alger. Arata and Alger are also Nashville hit-writers. Their show raised $5-thousand dollars for CASA. Jimmy, in turn, decided to match the dollar amount with his own money. The check for $10-thousand was recently presented to Andrea Holt of CASA.
Donnie Fritts and Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay at Scott Boyer, Jr. Benefit.
In January, a special Muscle Shoals 2 Music Row was produced to give back to one of our own, Scott Boyer, Jr. Boyer has been in ECM Hospital since early January; the recipient of some delicate and difficult surgery. The show was held at the Conference Center so that his friends in the music community could, in some small way, repay Scott for all of the gifts this legend has given his adopted home, Muscle Shoals. According to Halley Phillips, the benefit raised over $8-thousand to help with Scott’s staggering medical costs.
And they’re not finished!
