If you play or follow bluegrass along the Gulf Coast, odds are you have encountered Pat Murphy, one of the most enduring and colorful characters in our music. You may know Pat from his time on banjo with his wife, Benita, in their group Delta Reign, or with The Marshall Family some years ago. He’s been part of just about every band that’s worked his home town of Mobile, on either banjo, fiddle, or bass, as has Benita on bass or guitar.
Murphy is also known as a quality live sound and studio engineer, producing high-quality recording in his home-based studio.
Now folks in Mobile are lining up to offer a hand as Pat fights an aggressive colon cancer that his doctors have just recently diagnosed. The growth has been labeled as stage 4, but both he and his medical team are upbeat about knocking it down with several months of chemotherapy.
A benefit concert is scheduled for next Friday, April 20, at the Christ United Methodist Church at 6:00 p.m. Music will be provided by Circuit Riders, and Doyle Dykes and Don Moen. All monies raised will be donated to Pat and Benita to pay for any expenses beyond insurance, plus help with loss of income while he is receiving treatment.
Fortunately, Pat was recently approved for Medicare, so most of his medical costs will be covered, but anyone who has endured chemo knows that each bi-weekly treatment bills for tens of thousands of dollars, and insurance won’t cover it all.
A Facebook event has been set up for this show, which has some additional details. Organizers ask that donations not be made to the church, but to Pat and Benita directly. He will be undergoing chemo through August, at which time the doctors will consider what addition al treatment may be required, if any.
For anyone who is unable to attend the benefit show, a PayPal donation button has been set up on the Delta Reign site. Those donations go straight to Pat and Benita.
