Rockn Roll Black Tie Hospice Huntsville

In the spring of this year my sister and I moved home to assist my mom in giving my dad (Richard Clarke) palliative care. It was during this time that I snuck away to Toronto to record at Union Sound Company for two days with Engineer Chris Stringer (Wooden Sky, Elliot Brood, Rush) behind the console and Ron Hawkins (Lowest of the Low, Rusty Nails, Do Good Assassins) in the production chair. Ron had produced my last album “A Dozen Hearts” and was kind enough to set up this opportunity for me. It was there my band “Myrle” captured 3 brand new tracks basically live off the floor to be released on a 45 RPM vinyl entitled “HiLo” at a later date.

Upon my return home it was only a matter of days until my father was admitted into hospice. In the 17 days my family sat with my dad at the Huntsville Hospice I was astounded to see the amount of volunteers working there. The staff was wonderful to say the very least; I couldn’t help but notice the nurses doing tasks like taking out the garbage, or sweeping and mopping the floors. Furthermore, we had to provide all food, drink and provisions for my father ourselves. So I started asking questions.

I found out that 50% of all the funding at Huntsville Hospice comes from donation. In fact they have to raise a minimum of $534,000/year just to keep their doors open. This includes paying for things like heat, hydro, laundry and basic office products. That means that $1457 has to be raised a day!!

So, with a 45 to release and a cause dear to my aching heart I decided there would be no better way to honour the memory of the greatest man I have ever known than to do it as a fundraiser for the Huntsville Hospice. With the help of my good buddies Mike Shaver, Matty Phillips and Brent Ellerson we are bringing you the first annual Rock and Roll black tie event to Huntsville.

So here is how it goes; on October 15th, 2016 from 6-8 pm at the Algonquin Theatre we will be having a silent auction; drinks will be served by Highlander Brewery, Peninsula Ridge Wine and Totem Juice Martinis. All beverages will be sold “not for profit” with the money going directly to hospice. Canapés will be complimentary and kindly provided by Randy Spencer’s Tall Trees and live music by Toronto’s “Bluebelle”, the lovely Rekha Patal and Erin Hunt. With all auction items 100% of the money goes directly to hospice.

At 8 pm the concert begins, and we are extremely fortunate to have Julian Taylor (formally of “Staggered Crossing”) opening the night. From there my band “Myrle” will take over and we are lucky enough to be joined by Canadian Indie legend Ron Hawkins. Tickets are $40 and again, all profits will go directly to Hospice.

So please come out and make this a night to remember, if you have never had to enter the doors of the Huntsville Hospice, I truly hope you never do; but if you have then you know as well as I do that somehow this quaint little building takes a situation that completely sucks….and somehow makes it suck less.

Thanks Jamie Clarke

www.myrle.ca www.ronhawkins.com juliantaylorband.com hospicehuntsville.com www.spencerstalltrees. com www.highlanderbrewco.com www.peninsularidge.com www.totemjuice.com