{"id":167634,"date":"2025-06-17T15:14:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T19:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2025\/06\/17\/why-artists-are-turning-to-fans-to-help-pay-for-healthcare-2\/"},"modified":"2025-06-17T15:14:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T19:14:12","slug":"why-artists-are-turning-to-fans-to-help-pay-for-healthcare-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2025\/06\/17\/why-artists-are-turning-to-fans-to-help-pay-for-healthcare-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Artists Are Turning to Fans to Help Pay for\u00a0Healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

\n\tJon Dee Graham<\/strong>, the Austin guitarist and songwriter who played in the beloved local punk band True Believers<\/a>, slipped and fell in 2021, and doctors apparently did not notice a crack in his spine. In early 2024, he had spinal surgery, and a six-month recovery period meant he could not make money from playing gigs. But the procedure didn\u2019t take, and in April, he had another surgery, then developed an infection. Today, Graham, 66, lies in bed for hours every day, taking antibiotics every 12 hours that cause nausea and chills.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe got a call from the IV company: \u2018We need up-front payment in the thousands before we\u2019re able to deliver the medication,\u2019 \u201d says William Harries Graham<\/strong>, Jon Dee\u2019s son, an architect and singer-songwriter who is overseeing his care.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\n

\t\t\t\t\tRelated\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Chappell<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n

\t\t\t\t\tArtists Often Pay For Their Own Health Care \u2014 This Is Their Biggest\u00a0Expense\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\tJon Dee has Medicare, but there are crucial coverage gaps \u2014 because the hospital discharged him, according to William, insurance won\u2019t reimburse medication and other portions of his home care. So the family turned to the most reliable backup plan available to veteran, well-known musicians: fans. Jon Dee is also a painter, and William has been offering his artwork, comics and music through a zine-like Bear Cave Dispatch in exchange for online donations. It\u2019s working \u2014 for now. \u201cWe were able to cover those initial medical expenses,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe guitarist\u2019s story remains bleak \u2014 sepsis recently set in \u2014 but it speaks to the blessing-and-curse health-care reality that working musicians must endure as they age. As gig-economy workers whose incomes fluctuate across decades, independent artists often find themselves with few resources for medical costs beyond those covered by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicare or spouses\u2019 employer plans. And if medical issues prevent touring, artists often have zero income. But musicians such as Jon Dee and rockers Matthew Sweet<\/a> and Jesse Malin<\/a>, as well as the late David Johansen<\/a> and Gang of Four<\/a> bassist Dave Allen<\/strong>, have recently tapped into loyal, generous fan bases through crowd-sourcing sites like GoFundMe and other grassroots fundraising.<\/p>\n

\n\tAt recent concerts, Gang of Four founding drummer Hugo Burnham<\/strong> has returned to the stage post-encore to request that fans buy merchandise to offset costs for Allen\u2019s family. (Allen died at his home in Portland, Ore., in April at 69 after a long struggle with dementia.) \u201cIt\u2019s no secret the cost of medical care in the U.S. is an obscenity,\u201d says Burnham, 69, who fractured a bone in his leg during the tour but is covered through his job as a college professor. \u201cHad he lived anywhere else, there might not have been this terrible burden on the family. We all know the stories of people who have had to rely on raising money based on the kindness of strangers \u2014 and it\u2019s not just musicians.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\n

\t\t\t\t\tRelated\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Safety<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n

\t\t\t\t\tHealth Insurance Isn\u2019t Enough \u2014 Music Also Needs a Financial Safety Net\u2026\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\tOutside of the U.S. health-care system, musicians struggling with health care costs can tap into multiple resources \u2014 but they rarely come close to providing all the costs needed for severe, long-term health issues. After Chappell Roan<\/a> demanded \u201ca livable wage and health care\u201d for artists during her acceptance speech at the 2025 Grammy Awards, music-business experts pointed out that musicians signed to major labels could access health-insurance plans provided by the SAG-AFTRA union for premiums comparable to the ACA.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn addition, Sweet Relief provides grants for artists and others in the music industry through fundraising concerts, donations and other resources. The 31-year-old nonprofit is a \u201cstopgap,\u201d according to executive director Aric Steinberg<\/strong>. In 2023, Sweet Relief helped Malin set up an online fundraiser when the veteran punk frontman suffered a paralyzing stroke in his back. \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate we have to exist,\u201d Steinberg says. \u201cSadly, we\u2019re busier than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMusiCares, a 35-year-old affiliate of the Recording Academy, raises funds through high-profile events like its Grammy Week Person of the Year benefit, which has recently honored the Grateful Dead, Motown Records\u2019 Berry Gordy Jr.<\/strong> and Smokey Robinson<\/a>, Joni Mitchell<\/a> and Aerosmith<\/a>. It has provided nearly $120 million in health-care assistance to musicians and music-business workers over time, including roughly $10 million overall to 9,000 people during the past year. \u201cIt is not unlimited support,\u201d says Theresa Wolters<\/strong>, MusiCares\u2019 interim executive director\/vp for health and human services. \u201cHowever, it is very, very substantial.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThese limits were evident to William, who says he has reached out to MusiCares on Jon Dee\u2019s behalf for health-care funding with \u201cno result.\u201d Russell Carter<\/strong>, Sweet\u2019s longtime manager, adds that MusiCares contributed funds for some early medical costs, but the charity has been \u201cjust one piece in the puzzle of solving his financial woes.\u201d (A MusiCares representative says the charity can\u2019t comment on artists it works with. Wolters adds: \u201cWe work within the realities of our nonprofit model and our commitment to equitable support across the community. In these instances, MusiCares is one part of the solution.\u201d)<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\n

\t\t\t\t\tRelated\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A2IM,<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n

\n

\t\t\t\t\tA2IM\u2019s New Healthcare Plans for Artists Should Come With \u2018Buyer Beware\u2019 Warning\u2026\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3><\/div>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\n\tSweet, 60, suffered a stroke last October while touring in Toronto. After leaving an intensive-care stroke unit in a Canadian hospital, he returned to his hometown of Omaha, Neb., and has received treatment in a rehabilitation program. Although he\u2019s improving, particularly his speech, Sweet\u2019s main issue remains \u201ccoordination,\u201d Carter says, and he can\u2019t walk or play guitar or keyboard. He also has vision problems and is \u201cgenerally wheelchair-bound in his home.\u201d In addition, Sweet\u2019s wife recently broke her leg, forcing the family to hire a full-time nurse \u2014 which is not covered through the singer\u2019s ACA insurance or early Medicare.<\/p>\n

\n\tSince Sweet\u2019s stroke, his GoFundMe has raised nearly $640,000, which, Carter says, \u201cpaid for what can only be described as exorbitant medical expenses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSweet and his team view the crowdfunding not as an indictment of the U.S. health-care system but a mass validation of fan loyalty and colleagues\u2019 affection. Sweet may not currently be able to tour, but his decades of touring are paying off. \u201cDon\u2019t dismiss the GoFundMe,\u201d Carter says. \u201cIt\u2019s a vehicle for fans to contribute. These are people that would spend $35 to see Matthew if he came through town in a second, and if they can spend $35 to help Matthew \u2014 clearly, they did it, instantly. They\u2019re willing to give back. That\u2019s a very positive thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Aller \u00e0 la source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jon Dee Graham, the Austin guitarist and songwriter who played in the beloved local punk band True Believers, slipped and fell in 2021, and doctors apparently did not notice a crack in his spine. In early 2024, he had spinal surgery, and a six-month recovery period meant he could not make money from playing gigs. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-167634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-musique","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167634\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}