In the face of adversity, the bluegrass community is once again coming together to help one of its own.
While bassist Kip Martin lies gravely ill in a Nashville hospital, bluegrass friends hundreds of miles away are planning a benefit to help cover his expenses.
The benefit, with live music and a raffle, will be held Sunday at the First Baptist Church of Crofton in Crofton, Md., starting at 4:00 p.m. Martin, who played with Jimmy Martin, Mike Auldridge and in many other bands, moved to Nashville a few years back while undergoing treatment for liver disease. Before the move, he was a mainstay of the Washington, D.C., bluegrass scene and was a founder of the DC Bluegrass Union.
Martin was also an active bluegrasser in Boston during his career.
Those attending the benefit (suggested donation is $20) can win raffle prizes that include CDs, festival tickets and a mandolin donated by Eastman Strings. (Eastman rep Tim Finch is a longtime friend who sold Martin his first upright bass when he owned a music shop.)
To learn more about the benefit, go here https://www.facebook.com/KIPMARTINBENEFIT.
Those who can’t attend the benefit but still want to help can contribute to a fund set up by Martin’s family. Details can be found here: http://www.gofundme.com/Kip-Martin-Fundraiser.
During his hospitalization, his family has used his personal Facebook page to share details of his illness, launched a search for someone to adopt his dog and invited friends to post their thoughts memories and photographs, which are read to Martin when he’s up for it.
