Sweet Boneless Jesus
Chris Gaffney would love you if his life depended on it
By Chris Morris
Chris Gaffney is a musical treasure. He needs your help if he’s going to live. Gaffney – “Gaff” to his friends – is one of those unique characters who cuts across genres with a blithe indifference to boundaries. An outstanding songwriter possessed of a voice worthy of comparison to George Jones’, he has effortlessly fused country, blues, R&B, and Tex-Mex border music for three decades. In 1986, he cut the first of his half-dozen solo albums (sometimes co-billed with his band the Cold Hard Facts). He also spent years as a recording and touring member of Dave Alvin’s band the Guilty Men, singing, playing guitar, and pumping his accordion. For the last four years, Gaffney has been partnered with former Paladins guitarist Dave Gonzalez in the Hacienda Brothers. The quintet has released two studio albums, produced by Southern soul songwriting icon Dan Penn, and a tremendous live shot originally broadcast on Norwegian radio in ’05. All of them belong in your record collection. I’ve probably seen the band 20 times, and they made a memorable appearance on my Indie 103.1 radio show. They are one of the only groups I’ve ever seen that raised the bar every time I saw them; one particularly unforgettable set was a searing, balls-out show on the Santa Monica Pier last summer. The loudly beating heart of all these gigs was Gaffney, whose soulful vocals are the Haciendas’ crucial propellant.
Two months ago, friends and fans were alarmed to learn that Gaff had become desperately ill. After he was originally diagnosed with hepatitis C, further tests uncovered cirrhosis of the liver; about a month ago, a large tumor was discovered on his liver. He will eventually need an organ transplant. He can survive this crisis: Washington bluesman Curtis Salgado was similarly diagnosed in 2006, and, following a transplant, he is again performing and recording.
Gaffney and his family, who live in Costa Mesa, have a tough row to hoe. The Hacienda Brothers canceled their tour dates due to the severity of the singer’s condition. While his wife, Julie, works and receives Blue Cross coverage, the family’s money for such essentials as mortgage payments and living expenses has now been halved. Moreover, next week Gaffney is scheduled to begin costly drug treatments to shrink the tumor – necessary preparatory therapy if a transplant is to be effected. It is estimated that beyond his insurance coverage, his medical expenses will reach $60,000, and this estimate was of course made in the very earliest stages of treatment, and could rise.
Gaffney’s sister Helen and nephew Ben have established www.helpgaff.com to collect donations that will go into a fund to alleviate Gaff’s medical expenses. According to Julie Gaffney, many have swiftly rallied around her husband: contributions made through the site and via personal donations directly to the family totaled $17,000 as of March 31.
Gaffney’s situation is sadly not unique: I received word late last week from blues/rockabilly singer Candye Kane, a familiar figure on Southern California stages for 20 years, that she is suffering from pancreatic cancer, and will undergo surgery in mid-April. She is uninsured; a benefit to defray her medical costs is scheduled at Perq’s in Huntington Beach on April 20; see her MySpace page for more information. Local musician and single father Drac Conley is recovering from March prostate cancer surgery; see www.helpdrac.com for more.
In a country where citizens are chronically underinsured, most musicians live in an insurance-free zone; even those with coverage struggle to survive financially in the face of extended treatment. Gaffney and the others face staggering expenses in the face of life-threatening illnesses. I urge anyone who loves music to dig a little deeper and lend a hand. I don’t want to get maudlin about it – I know Gaff wouldn’t approve – but I do want to continue to hear these voices.
DONATIONS CAN BE SENT THROUGH WWW.HELPGAFF.COM
Chris Morris hosts Watusi Rodeo,”the best friggin’ radio show EVAH! on Indie 103.1 every Sunday at 9 a.m.
Published: 04/02/2008
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