Fiddles ready for donation at the Woodsongs Flood Relief distribution in Asheville, NC (3/9/25)
This is a contribution from Rick Heldmann, a great lover of bluegrass music living in Colorado, about the efforts of Michael Johnathan and Woodsongs to collect and distribute musical instrument for Hurricane Helene survivors who lost theirs in the flooding. This is the third time they have done so, with another coming up next month.
I want to tell you about a friend of mine. He is one of the people I admire the most in the entire music industry. His name is Michael Johnathon, and he is a musician, singer, songwriter, and promoter. He goes all the way back to the days of the early popularity of American folk music. Michael is the founder and host of the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, a show that is broadcast over hundreds of radio stations and cable TV channels, all over the world. He also founded and hosts Woodsongs Kids, which gives up-and-coming youth artists the opportunity to appear nationally. This is a great opportunity for young artists!
After the hurricane-related floods in North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Kentucky, and other states, Michael organized an effort to give back musical instruments, via donations, to people affected by those floods who lost everything, including their instruments. Michael set a goal for collecting 1,000 instruments. As the collection proceeded, he wound up with approximately 1,800 instruments!
I have to believe there will be a special place in Heaven for Michael.
Another batch of instruments of all types is currently being collected from donors for distribution in Pikeville on April 13. They will all be offered free of charge to flood survivors. Instruments are sought, either newly purchased for this reason, or ones laying unused in closets or attics.
Volunteers to help with distribution, trucks to deliver the instruments, and cash donations to cover expenses are also being sought.
Further details can be found online.
