 Javier Escovedo has been living with cirrhosis and degenerative disc disease and has recently been diagnosed with autism. At 68, he was told he does not qualify for disability or unemployment. With his medical and basic living bills continuing to mount, he urgently needs financial assistance. All donations made to this fund will go directly towards vital living expenses for Javier during this difficult time. Javier emerged as a pioneer of the 70s West Coast punk movement, founding both bands, The Zeros and The True Believers, The Zeros being one of the very first California punk rock bands and one of the first to release a single.
Raised in Southern California, Javier Escovedo was born into music. Two of his older brothers, Pete Escovedo and Coke Escovedo, were celebrated Latin jazz musicians who also worked with Santana and formed the band Azteca, while another of his brothers, Alejandro Escovedo, earned a loyal following as an eclectic singer/songwriter. His niece Shelia Escovedo is another jazz artist whose career was launched into pop success under the name Shelia E. Javier was the true rock & roll man in the family - a swaggering and confident guitarist and tunesmith, he played with a handful of notable groups before launching a solo career. Influenced by artists like Lou Reed, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, T. Rex, Roxy Music, and especially New York Dolls, Javier has been in the music scene since 1977. In the 80s Javier formed the True Believers with Brother Alejandro in Austin, Texas and toured the US and Canada with Los Lobos. Putting out their first album in 1991, The Zeros’s Don’t Push Me Around, led them to release ground-breaking punk singles like “Wild Weekend,” which defined the genre, and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the San Diego Music Awards in 2005. After years of working on his craft, City Lights was released in 2012 and was a welcome return from the elusive artist as his first solo project. Kicked Out of Eden, followed as his second solo album in 2016. Javier is currently working on a new record.
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We’re thrilled to announce that Lady Bianca will be joining us as a special guest for A Night to Honor Taj Mahal at The Masonic
Get your tickets before they’re gone! Lady Bianca is a Gospel and R&B vocalist, classically trained pianist, recording artist, producer and band leader. She has performed, recorded and toured with Frank Zappa, Sly Stone, Van Morrison, and John Lee Hooker (just to name a few!) and we are so excited to have her join us in February at The Masonic!
We’re excited to announce that Otis Taylor and Cassie Taylor will be joining us as special guests for A Night to Honor Taj Mahal at The Masonic!
Get your tickets below before they're gone! Critically acclaimed blues musician Otis Taylor is known for his story-driven sound that blends traditional blues with banjo and guitar. Cassie Taylor, his daughter, is a skilled bassist and singer-songwriter who brings their own depth and perspective to the music. We’re looking forward to them joining up on February 21st!  Win a trip to meet Taj Mahal in San Francisco at “A Night to Honor Taj Mahal” with Van Morrison, Joan Baez, Stevie Van Zandt, George Thorogood, & more!
Donate now to help us support Sweet Relief for your chance to win. What you'll get:
JOINED BY VAN MORRISON, STEVIE VAN ZANDT, GEORGE THOROGOOD, MIKE CAMPBELL, BOBBY RUSH, PATTY GRIFFIN, JIM LAUDERDALE, WILL HOGE, JOE HENRY, RUBY AMANFU, TROMBONE SHORTY KIDS, AND TAJ MAHAL WITH SPECIAL GUESTS + MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED TICKETS ON SALE NOW  Photo credit: Dana Tynan San Francisco, CA (January 9, 2026) - Sweet Relief Musicians Fund recently announced their annual benefit concert, celebrating the legacy of legendary blues musician Taj Mahal, on February 21, at Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. Previously confirmed performers include Van Morrison, Stevie Van Zandt, George Thorogood, Mike Campbell, Patty Griffin, Jim Lauderdale, Will Hoge, Joe Henry, Ruby Amanfu, Bobby Rush, and Taj Mahal with surprise guests. Last year’s honoree, the iconic folk singer/songwriter Joan Baez, has confirmed she will join the esteemed list of performers at this year’s event. Joan Baez has endured as a musical force of nature for over six decades, with an unwavering commitment to social activism and the arts. Her classic early 1960s folk recordings attracted a generation who carried songs like “House Of the Rising Sun” and “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You” into the rock lexicon. She was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017. Though Baez stopped touring in 2019, she has been the subject of the film, I Am The Noise, and has released a book of drawings, Am I Pretty When I Fly?, and a book of poetry, When You See My Mother, Ask Her To Dance.  Baez's performance will honor Taj Mahal, an influential American blues musician whose career has spanned more than five decades, marked by a deep exploration of roots music from around the world. Emerging in the late 1960s, he helped redefine the blues by blending it with Caribbean, African, Hawaiian, and Latin influences, long before such fusion became common. His early albums, including Taj Mahal and The Natch’l Blues, set the tone for a career built on innovation, soulful vocals, and masterful multi-instrumentalism. Over the years, he has collaborated widely, earned multiple Grammy Awards, and become a revered figure for preserving tradition while expanding its boundaries. Taj Mahal’s work continues to inspire new generations of artists and listeners drawn to his global, joyful approach to the blues. On the upcoming event, Taj Mahal shared “Thrilled to be honored by Sweet Relief and to celebrate with good feeling music. Thank you @Sweetrelief for all that you do and for bringing us together.” Aric Steinberg, Executive Director at Sweet Relief Musicians Fund added, “What an incredible way to celebrate 32 years of Sweet Relief, by honoring the legendary Taj Mahal! This celebration is long overdue for such an acclaimed artist, and we are so grateful that he’s allowing us to bring these amazing artists together to bring the house down on February 21st. This will be a special show indeed, and is also a critical fundraiser for our music community in need of emergency financial assistance for physical or mental health care. More artists will be announced in the coming weeks and there are always a few surprises!” Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides services and financial assistance for career musicians and music industry professionals. Grants are earmarked for medical and vital living expenses, including insurance premiums, prescriptions, medical treatment and operative procedures, housing costs, food costs, utilities, and other basic necessities. Connect with Sweet Relief Musicians Fund:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | X For Sweet Relief Musicians Fund press inquiries, please contact: Jeff Kilgour | The Syndicate | [email protected] | 917.678.4420 Allie Gruensfelder | The Syndicate | [email protected] | 201.864.0900 x264 PUNK ROCK TO THE RESCUE COLLABORATIVE SINGLE + MUSIC VIDEO FOR “WE ARE LA” FEATURING MEMBERS OF MINUTEMEN, SOCIAL DISTORTION, PENNYWISE, FOO FIGHTERS, ALKALINE TRIO, THE GOGOS, TSOL + MORE IS OUT NOW THE TRACK COMMEMORATES THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEVASTATING LA FIRES BID ON SIGNED GUITAR FROM “WE ARE LA” PERFORMERS HERE  Los Angeles, CA (January 7, 2025) - Punk rock to the rescue! To commemorate the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, a collaborative single “We Are LA” is now available across all digital streaming platforms, marking exactly one year from when the fires began. The single features some punk rock heavy hitters including members of Minutemen, Social Distortion, The Linda Lindas, Foo Fighters, Alkaline Trio, Pennywise and more. To order the limited-edition vinyl, visit HERE. Produced by Charlie Overbey and GRAMMY Award winning producer Ted Hutt, proceeds from “We Are LA” will benefit Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, who provide services and financial assistance for career musicians and music industry professionals. Grants are earmarked for medical and vital living expenses, including insurance premiums, prescriptions, medical treatment and operative procedures, housing costs, food costs, utilities, and other basic necessities. The full list of collaborators include: Mike Watt of Minutemen, Jonny Two Bags of Social Distortion, Ron Emory and Greg Kuehn of TSOL, Atom Willard of Alkaline Trio, Rami Jaffee of Foo Fighters, Jim Lindberg of Pennywise, Tony Reflex of The Adolescents, Jane Weidlin of The Gogos, Annette Zilinskas of The Bangles, Eloise Wong of The Linda Lindas, Texacala Jones of Tex & The Horseheads, Teresa Stone of The Pony Tales, Paul Roessler of The Screamers, Kimm Gardner of CH3, Ted Hutt of Flogging Molly, Marko DeSantis of Sugarcult, Johnny Whitmer of The Stitches, Christian Fuhre of Aversion, Aaron Rev Peters and Jake Margolis of The Drowns, Aric Steinberg of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, Patrick Hildebrand, Owner of The Amazing Music Store and victim of the wildfires, Gary Tovar of The Godfather Of Punk and Founder of Goldenvoice, Charlie Overbey of Custom Made Scare & Katie Overbey of The Backlash.  WATCH “WE ARE LA” HERE Charlie Overbey & Vanessa Dingwell are no strangers to using their platforms for fundraising and stepping up to help a community in need. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Lone Hawk Hats & Honeywood Vintage, with the help of their celebrity clientele, raised over $100,000 through a live social media auction for Navajo Nation COVID-19 relief, benefiting the Navajo Nation via The United Natives Foundation. That same year, Overbey also recorded the single “Ode To John Prine” for Save Our Stages with members of Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Guitarist Jimmy Vivino, Singer LP, and his daughter, Katie Overbey. In addition to the single + video, a signed guitar and signed t-shirt from nearly all of the performers on “We Are LA” is available to bid on, with proceeds benefiting Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. The auction will run from January 7 at 10am ET, and will end on January 18 at 10pm ET. Additional details can be found HERE.  Earlier this year, as part of the ongoing Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts, Charlie Overbey & Vanessa Dingwall, founders of Lone Hawk Hats & Honeywood Vintage, launched an auction across social media, where fans bid on their iconic signed hats. Benefiting Sweet Relief Natural Disaster Fund, signed hats were available daily, including but not limited to, singer/songwriter LP, Blackberry Smoke frontman Charlie Starr, Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson, Taime Downe from Faster Pussycat, along with actors, Cree Summer, Dan Stevens, Josh Holloway, Brian Konoval, 1883 & 1923 Costume designer Gaby Acosta, among others. ###
Connect with Sweet Relief Musicians Fund: Website | Instagram | Facebook | X For Sweet Relief Musicians Fund press inquiries, please contact: Jeff Kilgour | The Syndicate | [email protected] | 917.678.4420 Allie Gruensfelder | The Syndicate | [email protected] | 201.864.0900 x264
We’re excited to announce Alvin Youngblood Hart will be joining us as a special guest for A Night to Honor Taj Mahal at The Masonic!
Get your tickets below before they’re gone! Known as a “musician's musician,” Alvin Youngblood Hart's praises have been sung by everyone from Bob Dylan to Brit guitar gods Eric Clapton & Mick Taylor. Taj Mahal once said, "He's got thunder in his hands." We’re excited for him to join us in February! |
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Sweet Relief Musicians Fund 2650 E Imperial Hwy Ste 208 Brea, CA 92821-6135 Tel. 714-626-0447 Fax 714-626-0473 Toll Free Assistance line 888-955-7880 |
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity. Federal ID# 95-4443269
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