Local Group Works to House Aging Musicians
Musician Marcia Ball is a member of the local nonprofit HOME, which is dedicated to providing housing for 83-year-old blues icon Lavelle White and other local musicians in need. Photo courtesy HOME Facebook page Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Housing opportunities for aging Austin musicians can be few and far between, but some local music advocates are doing their part to help.
When legendary blues singer Miss Lavelle White moved back to Austin from New Orleans earlier this year, she only had a few items in storage, no place to live and a very limited income. And hitting the road to tour isn’t exactly an option at 83 years old.
A group of concerned women in Austin’s music community decided to step up and help out. Grammy Award-winning blues musician Marcia Ball is a founding member of the local organization Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers or HOME. The nonprofit is dedicated to providing housing for Miss Lavelle and other local musicians in need.
“We found her a place. We made the calls and we’re learning a lot,” Ball says. “We are going to ride this effort to provide some security for Lavelle and see how it plays out. If it turns out if we have enough funds to help out another person, then we will.”
Miss Lavelle is getting the support she needs, but Ball says the necessity of find homes for Austin’s aging musicians will continue to be an issue.
For information on how you can help visit HOME on Facebook or contact them via e-mail.
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