Help Save The Big Easy in Houston, Texas!
Donation protected
Our Purpose is Clear: Save the Heart & Soul of the Blues Community in Houston TX
Hey everybody! My name is Sheila Cox and I’m here to ask you to join me and other Friends of The Big Easy to help save what has been the heart and soul of the Blues community in Houston, Texas, for over 26 years. The COVID pandemic has temporarily shut-down our favorite Blues dive and we need to act quickly if we don't want to lose it forever.
The Big Easy Social & Pleasure Club , located at 5731 Kirby Avenue in Rice Village, attracts all walks of life, and brings an eclectic group of people together, all for the love and joy of live Blues and Zydeco music. This is a community of people who support each other and work to "keep the Blues alive" in H-Town.
The Big Easy contributes to the rich Blues history in Houston, and many Blues legends have played there over the past 26 years including:
-- Alan Haynes
-- Tommy Dardar
-- Ezra Charles
-- John Cleary
-- Walter “Wolfman” Washington
-- Diunna Greenleaf
-- Trudy Lynn
-- Mike Zito
-- Jimmy Suhler
-- Grady Gaines
-- Lavelle White
Plus so many more!
I was honored to be there when the Keeshae Pratt Band got their start, won the Houston Blues Challenge, and went on to become the International Blues Challenge winners in 2018 . (Making Houston very proud!)
Even Billy Gibbons, from ZZ Top, has been known to drop by from time-to-time.
Believe me, this is an important live music venue in Houston, Texas. It’s been the heart-and-soul of the Houston Blues community for over 26 years and it needs our help!
What's the Deal?
If you haven’t seen it, there’s an article which was recently posted on HoustonPublicMedia.org titled: “Houston Bars Are Doing Their Best To Survive The Pandemic – But Not All of Them Will. The statewide shutdown order for bars has endangered some longtime Houston watering holes.” --Source
In this article, Tom McLendon, the owner of The Big Easy, is quoted as saying, “I don’t know if I’ll ever come back. The big venues will probably stay open. They have the backing. They will get the loans, but the small guys…we’re disposable.”
This article was very worrisome to me and it shows the need for us to take action right away!
It's The Big Easy's Turn to Get Our Support!
Tom and The Big Easy have supported numerous fundraisers for other causes and musicians in the past 26 years that he’s been in business. He has always been there, with open doors, to help musicians and others in the Houston Blues community. Now it's our turn to help! We need to raise money to help Tom pay for the rent, utilities, licenses, and other costs to keep the business going until he’s allowed to resume normal operations.
Live Music and Blues: The Spice of Life!
If I’ve come to learn anything during these trying times it’s that LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER when you can enjoy the music, friendships, camaraderie, dancing, and so much more that we get at The Big Easy. But I’m very afraid that we’re going to lose this iconic Blues venue if we don’t act fast.
Think of all the things we will miss if we lose The Big Easy:
-- Won’t we miss all the diverse people we meet at The Big Easy and the friends we have made?
-- Won’t we miss all the wonderful Blues music and weekly and monthly Blues Jams?
-- Won’t we miss the dancing and laughter that make life worth living?
-- Won’t we miss meeting the Blues and Zydeco artists who touch our souls with music?
-- Won’t we miss mingling with members of the Houston Blues Society and sharing our love of live Blues music?
-- Won’t we miss the opportunities to support local fundraisers and help local musicians and important causes?
-- Won’t we miss all the fun theme parties we have and the joy they bring to our lives?
-- Won't we miss the opportunity to help "keep Blues alive"?
-- WON’T WE MISS THE FABULOUS VENUE THAT GIVES US ALL THESE THINGS AND MORE?
Help Us Save The Big Easy
I know times are a bit tough for some people right now, but think of all the beer money that you have saved by sitting home during the pandemic. (wink wink! :-D)
Consider this: You have saved $5/week cover charge—not counting beer and gas money—for the past several months. Please consider donating $5 x 2 times a month x 7 months = $70 to this fundraiser.
If you can, add on some beer and gas money and make your donation = $140. That would be a HUGE HELP!
But if you can't afford that much, remember that every little bit helps! (And we appreciate it!)
One-hundred percent of these donations (after GoFundMe charges) will go to Tom McLendon, owner of The Big Easy Social & Pleasure Club, to pay for rent, utilities, licenses, and other costs to keep The Big Easy going.
The year 2020 has been a huge challenge to the live music industry. Please do what you can to help this worthy cause so we don't lose one of our most important live music venues in town. Let’s show Tom that he has OUR BACKING and SUPPORT.
Thanks for "Keeping the Blues alive" in Houston!
Please share this GoFundMe with others on Facebook or via text. That is a big help to the cause as well.
THE NEED IS URGENT! TIME IS RUNNING OUT
DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 15, 2020
Thank you! Peace, love, and happiness to all!
-----------------------------------------------
Enjoy Some Big Easy Performances (Videos )
----------------------------------------------
NOTICE: Your contribution is a gift to Tom McLendon and The Big Easy Social & Pleasure Club (which is a for-profit business)...it is NOT a tax-deductible charitable contribution. Thank you for "keeping the Blues alive"!
Hey everybody! My name is Sheila Cox and I’m here to ask you to join me and other Friends of The Big Easy to help save what has been the heart and soul of the Blues community in Houston, Texas, for over 26 years. The COVID pandemic has temporarily shut-down our favorite Blues dive and we need to act quickly if we don't want to lose it forever.
The Big Easy Social & Pleasure Club , located at 5731 Kirby Avenue in Rice Village, attracts all walks of life, and brings an eclectic group of people together, all for the love and joy of live Blues and Zydeco music. This is a community of people who support each other and work to "keep the Blues alive" in H-Town.
The Big Easy contributes to the rich Blues history in Houston, and many Blues legends have played there over the past 26 years including:
-- Alan Haynes
-- Tommy Dardar
-- Ezra Charles
-- John Cleary
-- Walter “Wolfman” Washington
-- Diunna Greenleaf
-- Trudy Lynn
-- Mike Zito
-- Jimmy Suhler
-- Grady Gaines
-- Lavelle White
Plus so many more!
I was honored to be there when the Keeshae Pratt Band got their start, won the Houston Blues Challenge, and went on to become the International Blues Challenge winners in 2018 . (Making Houston very proud!)
Even Billy Gibbons, from ZZ Top, has been known to drop by from time-to-time.
Believe me, this is an important live music venue in Houston, Texas. It’s been the heart-and-soul of the Houston Blues community for over 26 years and it needs our help!
What's the Deal?
If you haven’t seen it, there’s an article which was recently posted on HoustonPublicMedia.org titled: “Houston Bars Are Doing Their Best To Survive The Pandemic – But Not All of Them Will. The statewide shutdown order for bars has endangered some longtime Houston watering holes.” --Source
In this article, Tom McLendon, the owner of The Big Easy, is quoted as saying, “I don’t know if I’ll ever come back. The big venues will probably stay open. They have the backing. They will get the loans, but the small guys…we’re disposable.”
This article was very worrisome to me and it shows the need for us to take action right away!
It's The Big Easy's Turn to Get Our Support!
Tom and The Big Easy have supported numerous fundraisers for other causes and musicians in the past 26 years that he’s been in business. He has always been there, with open doors, to help musicians and others in the Houston Blues community. Now it's our turn to help! We need to raise money to help Tom pay for the rent, utilities, licenses, and other costs to keep the business going until he’s allowed to resume normal operations.
Live Music and Blues: The Spice of Life!
If I’ve come to learn anything during these trying times it’s that LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER when you can enjoy the music, friendships, camaraderie, dancing, and so much more that we get at The Big Easy. But I’m very afraid that we’re going to lose this iconic Blues venue if we don’t act fast.
Think of all the things we will miss if we lose The Big Easy:
-- Won’t we miss all the diverse people we meet at The Big Easy and the friends we have made?
-- Won’t we miss all the wonderful Blues music and weekly and monthly Blues Jams?
-- Won’t we miss the dancing and laughter that make life worth living?
-- Won’t we miss meeting the Blues and Zydeco artists who touch our souls with music?
-- Won’t we miss mingling with members of the Houston Blues Society and sharing our love of live Blues music?
-- Won’t we miss the opportunities to support local fundraisers and help local musicians and important causes?
-- Won’t we miss all the fun theme parties we have and the joy they bring to our lives?
-- Won't we miss the opportunity to help "keep Blues alive"?
-- WON’T WE MISS THE FABULOUS VENUE THAT GIVES US ALL THESE THINGS AND MORE?
Help Us Save The Big Easy
I know times are a bit tough for some people right now, but think of all the beer money that you have saved by sitting home during the pandemic. (wink wink! :-D)
Consider this: You have saved $5/week cover charge—not counting beer and gas money—for the past several months. Please consider donating $5 x 2 times a month x 7 months = $70 to this fundraiser.
If you can, add on some beer and gas money and make your donation = $140. That would be a HUGE HELP!
But if you can't afford that much, remember that every little bit helps! (And we appreciate it!)
One-hundred percent of these donations (after GoFundMe charges) will go to Tom McLendon, owner of The Big Easy Social & Pleasure Club, to pay for rent, utilities, licenses, and other costs to keep The Big Easy going.
The year 2020 has been a huge challenge to the live music industry. Please do what you can to help this worthy cause so we don't lose one of our most important live music venues in town. Let’s show Tom that he has OUR BACKING and SUPPORT.
Thanks for "Keeping the Blues alive" in Houston!
Please share this GoFundMe with others on Facebook or via text. That is a big help to the cause as well.
THE NEED IS URGENT! TIME IS RUNNING OUT
DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 15, 2020
Thank you! Peace, love, and happiness to all!
-----------------------------------------------
Enjoy Some Big Easy Performances (Videos )
----------------------------------------------
NOTICE: Your contribution is a gift to Tom McLendon and The Big Easy Social & Pleasure Club (which is a for-profit business)...it is NOT a tax-deductible charitable contribution. Thank you for "keeping the Blues alive"!
Organizer and beneficiary
Sheila Cox
Organizer
Houston, TX
Thomas McLendon
Beneficiary