New Orleans Musicians Who Survived Need Housing and Instruments

New Orleans (Louisiana), USA – Most of the New Orleans musicians who survived Hurricane Katrina are now in need of a home. Many of them also lost their musical instruments and need help to replace them.

To help aid New Orleans musicians who need housing, readers can contact the Tipitina’s Foundation. Bill Taylor, from the Tipitina Foundation, reports that they have offers of housing all over the country for displaced New Orleans musicians. You can reach them at +1 828-686-8742 or e-mail them at tipitinashelp@theleaf.com.

There are other foundations that focus on helping musicians. The North Carolina-based Music Maker Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern musical traditions gain recognition and meet their day to day needs. Today, many such musicians are living in extreme poverty and need food, shelter, medical care, and other assistance. They have aNew Orleans Musicians Fund.

New Orleans radio station WWOZ is keeping track of musicians who have survived. The list is available at http://www.wwoz.org/music.php.

Rock ‘n’ roll legend Fats Domino was rescued last week. Domino and his family initially were taken to the Superdome in New Orleans. They are now in an unspecified but safe location “because of all the media attention.”

Musician, producer and composer Allen Toussaint decided to leave his home before the hurricane and checked into the nearby Astor Hotel. He survived, but he lost his home and most of his instruments and equipment. He is temporarily living in New York.

The legendary Marsalis jazz family reported that their family members had survived. Although Wynton and Branford Marsalis don’t live in New Orleans any more (Wynton lives in New York and Branford has a home in Durham, North Carolina), moast of their family still livews in the New Orleans area.

Links to relief organizations:

Louisiana-based:

ACORN’s Hurricane Recovery and Rebuilding Fund (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now).

Baton Rouge Area Foundation:
This group is working with the New Greater Orleans Area Foundation.
whose headquarters were severely damaged.

Tipitina’s /Foundation

New Orleans Musicians Clinic (NOMC). Send donations to NOMC Emergency Fund.
Funds will be distributed by:
http://www.swlahec.com

Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

National non-profits:

Hurricane Housing

America’s Second Harvest

Music Maker Foundation

Jazz Foundation of America