Friday, October 16, 2015

Smokin’ Joe Kubek Services & Fundraiser

Smokin' Joe Kubek
Smokin' Joe Kubek
We’re all gobsmacked by the death of reverend blues-rock guitarist Smokin’ Joe Kubek [obit here]. The guitarist’s long-time musical partner Bnois King released a statement saying “He loved the blues. He was always very serious about the music and the presentation of the music. He had a modern style but he really studied those old cats. And, he would literally give you the shirt off his back. He was a great friend.”

There will be a visitation for fans wishing to pay their respects to Kubek, which will be held from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday, October 18th, 2015 at Donnelly’s Colonial Funeral Home, 606 West Airport Freeway in Irving, Texas. The following service will be restricted to family and friends only. Thanks to The Blues Foundation’s HART Fund, Music Cares, and The Actors Fund For Everyone, the cost of Kubek’s funeral service and related expenses are being paid in full.

However, there’s another way that blues fans can pay respect to Smokin’ Joe for all the great music he gave us through the years. Nobody gets into blues music expecting to get rich, and even for the most popular of musicians, money can be tough. Kubek was stretched thin, financially, before his death. His wife Phyllis has been battling breast cancer, and Joe had been staying off the road – live shows providing most of his income – to take care of his wife. Now that Kubek is gone, his wife is left on her own without income and with mounting medical bills.

A call has gone out to the blues community to help with Phyllis Kubek’s living expenses. If you wish to make a donation to help out and honor Smokin’ Joe, you can do so one of three ways. You can donate to the Go Fund Me account that has been set up to raise a goal of $20k to help Phyllis with her medical and living expenses. You can send a donation directly via PayPal to the email address pkubek@tx.rr.com. Or you can send a check made out to Phyllis Kubek c/o Piedmont Talent Agency, P.O. Box 680006, Charlotte NC 28216. Blues fans have always shown that they have the biggest hearts, so dig deep and help out a friend in need! (Thanx to Debra Regur, Blind Pig Records, for the info)

Smokin' Joe Kubek photo by James Bland, courtesy Blind Pig Records

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