Vic Chesnutt will forever be an integral part of Sweet Relief's history going back to 1996 when his songs were featured in a tribute album that created tremendous awareness for what we do in addition to raising money for the cause.  R.E.M, Madonna, Garbage and many others recorded their own interpretations of Vic's song's and our gratitude to him for his support is infinite.

Vic has a new album out called "At The Cut" that contains some of his strongest material and performances of his career.  He recently appeared on NPR's program Fresh Air with Terry Gross where he spoke not only of his new album, but also addressed the health care issues he continues to face today.  The interview is a powerful one and I recommend taking the time to listen to it all the way through.  He will illustrate to anyone listening that even with insurance, our current healthcare system can fail the individual and we at Sweet Relief can attest that Vic's story is unfortunately not a unique one.  I encourage you to come back to our site after listening to the program and consider making a donation that will help the many musicians in need that we are trying to serve.  We cannot do it without your help.

Here is the link to hear the streaming audio of the program: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120978388

December 1, 2009 - At the age of 18, singer/songwriter Vic Chesnutt was in a car accident that changed his life. He became paraplegic, but also began to invest more time in his music. Michael Stipe of R.E.M. discovered Chesnutt playing at a club in Athens, Georgia and went on to produce Chesnutt’s first two albums, Little and West of Rome.

After a PBS documentary broadcast his story, celebrated musicians, including Nanci Griffith, Garbage, Madonna, and Sparklehorse, came together to record a tribute album in 1996 entitledSweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation

Chesnutt has recorded over fifteen albums and is known for his "Southern Gothic" storytelling style. He's collaborated with several artists, from the blues fusion band Widespread Panic to alt-country group Lambchop to — most recently — Guy Picciotto, of the band Fugazi.

Chesnutt and Picciotto join host Terry Gross to discuss their latest album together, At The Cut.