Charlie Kelley
Nov 8, 2010
Well known Nashville artist/producer/musician Charlie Kelley, in collaboration with The Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA), of which he is a board member, has helped create the Blue Note Fund.
The Blue Note Fund is a program designed to provide financial support for colon cancer patients in need.
After a colon cancer diagnosis at age 40, Kelley was all too aware of the financial burden that accompanies cancer and decided to do what he could as a young entertainer to not only raise awareness about colon cancer but also to raise funds for families that find themselves in a difficult financial situation. "When you're fighting cancer, the last thing you want to think about is a bill you can't pay," said Kelley. "I knew I needed to find a way to help others who were going through this."
The fund is named after a musical term, as well as the official color of colon cancer awareness. "A blue note is associated with soul," added Kelley. "Most musicians and singers will slide in and around these notes to create emotion and cancer certainly is an emotional roller coaster."
In effort to raise money for the Blue Note Fund, Kelley and songwriter Peter Cooper have written a tongue-in-cheek song about Kelley's bout with cancer, "Less of an Ass," and it is now available for download at http://charliekelley.bandcamp.com with proceeds going to the Blue Note Fund.
Kelley and his wife and GAC personality Nan Kelley (also a cancer survivor), have hosted "The Stars Go Blue" for Colon Cancer Benefit the last two years and plan to do so again in March 2011.
For more info on the Blue Note Fund visit www.bluenotefund.org.
By Jim Asker