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Sweet Relief Puts Care Back in Artists' Health
04/07/2004 7:53 PM, Reuters
Tamara Conniff
Healthcare has become a
hot, election-year topic on Capitol Hill. But the lack of
affordable medical treatment is not just an issue for seniors
and the poor. Musicians, many of whom consider themselves to be
eternally youthful, are among the high-risk groups not
receiving proper care.
"The healthcare issues that face everybody are amplified in
this particular line of work," says JoAnne Klabin, managing
director of Sweet Relief, a nonprofit organization that helps
needy musicians cover medical expenses. "When you think
musician, you think someone who doesn't get enough healthy
food, doesn't rest enough -- not exactly an insurer's dream.
That's part of the problem."
Sweet Relief is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year
with a concert series of "Badass Benefits" produced by Music
for Charity. This month's three-show series at the Troubadour
in Hollywood kicked off Monday night with American Music Club,
Concrete Blonde, Paula Cole , Glen Phillips and Jesse Harris. On
April 12, Cardboard Vampires, a new band fronted by Jerry
Cantrell (Alice in Chains) and Billy Duffy (the Cult) will
perform on a bill including Beth Hart and Whitestarr. On April
19, the lineup will feature Michelle Shocked , Jim Lauderdale ,
Grant Lee Phillips , Peter Himmelman and Michael Penn . Other
shows are likely to be scheduled throughout the year.
Although many major-label recording artists can now get
health insurance through the American Federation of Television
and Radio Artist, there are countless club musicians and
artists who self-release recordings who cannot afford
insurance, Klabin says.
"I think that the whole situation with health insurance for
musicians is terrible," Harris says. "It's really difficult to
get insurance even through the musicians union, which is maybe
a reflection of the health insurance problem in this country.
If you're a musician, there is nothing set up. Even if
musicians organize and try to get a (group policy), health
insurance companies won't give them policies because they
consider them high risk."
Duffy notes that socialized medicine in his native United
Kingdom, though commendable, is plagued with substandard care.
As for the United States, Duffy says: "As a visitor from
another country, when I examine your healthcare system, it
seems awfully corrupt and just an opportunity for everybody to
get wealthy. It's totally and utterly rotten from the inside
out with the insurance claims and overcharges. Healthcare
insurance is a big business, and everybody wants a slice."
However, musicians also are partially to blame for their
situation.
"(They think) 'I'm a creative person and the practicalities
of life are beyond me,"' Klabin says. "That person is going to
get in trouble."
Duffy compares many musicians' mentalities to being in a
"Peter Pan" state of eternal youth. "I think musicians are
terribly ill-educated as to the realities of life," Duffy says.
"The music business wants you to remain young-minded, so,
therefore, issues like that are not put on the front burner."
For Duffy and Cantrell, supporting Sweet Relief is a way
for musicians who have been successful to give back to their
musical communities.
"Alice in Chains and myself have always been pretty active
in helping out wherever we can," says Cantrell, whose new combo
also include former Motley Crue vocalist John Corabi and
members of Puddle of Mudd. "This is a great cause."
Cardboard Vampires (named after Cantrell's cats) will
perform Alice in Chains songs and a number of Duffy-penned Cult
songs as well as covers.
Cantrell says, "It's straight up old hard-rock stuff. We're
having a lot of fun with it."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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