On Saturday April 29th, Fowler Subaru, in cooperation with Rural Health Rocks, presents Grammy award winner Michael McDonald and friends at Cotton Auditorium, 500 N Harold Street in Fort Bragg. Joining Michael on stage will be Grammy nominee singer/songwriter Amy Holland, Nashville musician Gary Cirimelli, as well as local luminaries Gene Parsons & David Hayes, acoustic guitarist Alex de Grassi, and singer/songwriter and sax player John Mattern. All proceeds from this star-studded, rockin' event will go towards establishing the first ever Family Medicine Residency program for Mendocino and Lake counties. Tickets will go on sale March 1 at www.ruralhealthrocks.com. The show begins at 7pm, reserved seating is $40 and $75, with very limited premiere seating at $100.
Michael McDonald’s music has been a part of the soundtrack of our lives since the 1970s when his stunning vocals and keyboard artistry launched the Doobie Brothers and eventually his own solo career to stardom with songs like “What a Fool Believes,” “Minute by Minute,” and “Takin’ it to the Streets”. Collaborations with Ray Charles, Kenny Loggins, and the #1 hit single “On My Home” with Patti LaBelle have secured his fame as an icon with one of the most recognizable voices in popular music. Those lucky enough to hear his house-shaking performance at the first Rural Health Rocks event at Mendocino College in Ukiah in April 2016, also learned that he is a gentle, compassionate soul who often donates his time and talent to a variety of worthy causes.
Amy Holland has garnered a Grammy nomination for her debut recording Amy Holland and a top 20 hit with “How Do I Survive.” Her most recent recording is Light on the Path. The brilliant multi-instrumentalist Gene Parsons, best known for his work with The Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, currently performs in a duo with world-class bassist David Hayes who has toured and recorded with Van Morrison for over 40 years. Grammy nominated guitarist Alex de Grassi is often cited as a leading innovator in the solo acoustic guitar genre since his early Windham Hill Records debut Turning: Turning Back. Mendocino County native John Mattern joins the group as both a jazz saxophonist and a singer songwriter whose latest album is Fire Girl. Gary Cirimelli is a producer, recording engineer, and studio musician who has worked with Mariah Carey, Michael Bolton and many other pop musicians.
Rural Health Rocks is a fundraising arm for Family Medicine Education Mendocino County (FMEMC), a non-profit organization with its origins in our rural community's medical crisis and with a vision for a more robust, healthier future for our region. FMEMC is working with Adventist Health to establish a medical residency program at Ukiah Valley Medical Center, which will begin training medical school graduates in cooperation with UC Davis in 2019. Statistics show that a majority of residents establish their practice in the community of their residency, and this program will provide a much needed and sustainable source of young physicians into our rural communities for years to come.
Additional support for this event comes from Friedman's Home Improvement, C&S Waste Solutions, Harvest Market, Handley Cellars, Savings Bank of Mendocino County, Frey Vineyards, and many more generous sponsors.
For more info on the artists:
Michael McDonald – http://www.michaelmcdonald.com/news.html
Amy Holland - http://www.amyhollandmusic.com/bio.html
Alex de Grassi - http://www.degrassi.com/bio/
David Hayes/Gene Parsons – http://www.ruralhealthrocks.com/gene-parsons-and-david-hayes.html
John Mattern – http://www.johnmatternmusic.com/bios.html
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