| 14th September 2006 01:29 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Paul Butterfield remembered
By: DAVID OWENS,
Associate Editor
September 13, 2006
Clarksdale Press
After overcoming obstacles of their own, Florida residents Salli Squitieri and Gabe Butterfield are looking to give back.
"We fell ill and there were a lot of hardships," she said. "In our search for help, we found many in a similar plight. We decided we needed to get this entity off the ground sooner than later."
The group recently celebrated two years together and the birthday of co-founder, Gabe Butterfield, with a conference in Clarksdale.
A group of nearly 40 people traveled from across the globe to celebrate the life and times of Paul Butterfield.
The weekend included visits to Clarksdale landmarks such as the legendary "crossroads" of Highway 49 and Highway 61, the Delta Blues Museum and Ground Zero Blues Club.
The group, which stayed at Hopson Commissary, also watched archival footage of their namesake, Paul Butterfield.
Butterfield, who died in 1987, was a blues harpist and singer who was a leader of the Chicago-style of blues music.
Squitieri said there are many agencies who offer assistance but make help "very unattainable."
"There's certain criteria who you have to meet and it's very difficult to get help," she said. "A lot of musicians are forced to put their creative energies to the wayside to try to make ends meet."
Squitieri said she and Butterfield had assisted in fundraisers in banquets in the past, but nothing on a large scale.
Actor Dan Akyroyd, a friend of the family, decided he wanted to help the two for the legacy of Paul Butterfield, Squitieri said.
"We felt we needed to reciprocate," she said. "We used the funds intended for us to get PBFS rolling and off the ground."
Squitieri said many believe the only way to give back is by a large financial donation.
"The little things mean the most," she said, noting PBFS' multiple missions.
PBFS assists the blues community in a number of ways including fundraisers, raffles and care packages.
"We send packages to struggling artists with toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, whatever a musician needs on the road," Squitieri said.
PBFS also recently started producing a trail mix for artists to snack on prior to a show, Squitieri said.
"If people need help, we will find a way to help - little or big," she said. "We are developing an entity that will be here for a long time."
Fractured Atlas, a non-profit artist service organization based in New York City, is helping with fiscal matters.
Squitieri said other future ventures include a traveling Education Archival Exhibit on Paul Butterfield and an artist retreat.
"We want a place where artists can come and get away from the every day struggle and focus on their creative endeavors," she said.
Gabe Butterfield, executive director, founder and performer, said the vision was to honor his father and help the blues community.
"I wanted to keep the legacy of my father alive and do something special with that legacy," he said.
Butterfield broke racial barriers in the 1960s with friend and fellow musician Muddy Waters, Gabe Butterfield said.
"My father bridged the gap between black and white music," Gabe said. "Many artists including B.B. King said they wouldn't have got their start without Paul Butterfield."
For more information, contact the Paul Butterfield Fund and Society at [email protected] or call 305-304-2226.
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| 14th September 2006 01:55 PM |
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| erikjjf |
I'm listening to a Paul Butterfield / Rick Danko / Blondie Chaplin boot from 1979 right now. Great stuff! |
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