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Jeremy Wilson, founding frontman of ‘90s alt heroes Pilot and ‘80s garage legends Dharma Bums, largely stepped away from the stage a dozen years ago. Yet ever since the late-life diagnosis of his underlying cardiac issues emphasized the desperate need for an organization dedicated to easing the medical concerns of working musicians, he has worked tirelessly, raising funds for the foundation that bears his name.
The absolute respect and goodwill engendered by the JWF Musician Health & Services Program’s good deeds guarantee a murderers’ row of elite PDX performers eager to take part in such annual marvels like this weekend’s tribute to George Harrison, which features 30 local luminaries (including Kris DeLane, Lael Alderman, Matt Cadenelli, and Wilson himself on “Run of the Mill”).
As the Mark Bowden-helmed production (which will cover much of All Things Must Pass and selected favorites from Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh) neared its final rehearsal, WW spoke to Wilson about the health of Portland’s music industry and its artists.
WW: How’d this all start?
Jeremy Wilson: The foundation has been around since August of 2010. I started developing health issues around a congenital heart condition that I didn’t know about until turning 40 years old. It was very intense—four heart surgeries in a three-year period—and I was just getting my feet on the ground after eight or 10 years of feeling really awkward.
Somehow, the word got out and, independently of anything I did, people started to rally for me. I was humbled, and it really fucking changed my life. There was a big benefit show at Doug Fir, and the community came out to try and help. I entered the building, stood in one spot, and never moved, because a line formed of friends and old and new fans coming one by one to give me a hug for four straight hours while the musicians performed.
I’d been able to get health insurance, but during that first surgery, I was already starting to be taxed from donations given to me at the concert. I learned a lot and came up with the idea of forming a 501(c)(3) to make a general fund raising money for musicians so that funds are there when the next person needs help.
Over the years, it’s turned into an actual program with two phases. We provide financial assistance grants during medical challenges—and, even more importantly, social workers to navigate the health care system on behalf of artists and their families to find other forms of financial aid.
But the program goes deeper than just benefit concerts?
Well, for years we had zero money and needed to do individual fundraising every time somebody would get in a pickle. We also realized that we didn’t need to ask the whole community over and over again to pay off these huge medical bills.
That’s where navigation helps us help the artist find the financial aid available through the hospitals and different other larger organizations. We focus on making sure they don’t lose their home or have their phone cut. So our average grant’s about $1,500, but the services can average tens of thousands of dollars. They work with us for three to six months, and we make sure they receive immediate assistance then help get them stable.
Things like GoFundMe mean well, of course, but raising a lot of money for someone and just handing it over can get really complicated. If you’re on the Oregon Health Plan based on income, you’ll get kicked off as soon as $30K drops in your bank account all of a sudden, you know what I mean?
If memory serves, you found an eye for a blinded drummer.
Not a drummer. He was more of a music promoter, only a part-time musician. He actually got the eye from the Lions Club or one of those associations, but we were part of his network during rehabilitation to be able to see again—just taking care of bills can be vital in that sort of recovery scenario. We help with everything from broken bones all the way through hospice.
Any rock stars go through the foundation?
About 90% or more of the people that we work with would prefer to remain anonymous, but we’ve helped a couple musicians who are pretty high profile in Oregon. Everybody knows [Hazel frontman] Pete Krebs. We helped [Northwest alt icon] Scott McCaughey with an Artist Relief campaign during the year-plus recovery from his stroke.
You’d think a guy that played in R.E.M. would be [financially] set and not need that kind of thing, but most musicians are side players struggling like the rest of us. You can have a pretty major career and still lead a middle-class life, you know?
SEE IT: The 3rd Annual George Harrison Celebration will be held at Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., 971-808-5094, revolutionhall.com. 8 pm Saturday, Oct. 21. $39. All ages. A portion of the proceeds go to the Jeremy Wilson Foundation Musician Health & Services Program.