Friends, family and former colleagues of award-winning journalist Jim Gillis, as well as fans of his popular weekly column “Spare Change,” will gather Saturday, June 15, at King Park on Wellington Avenue to celebrate his life through the music of many of the local performers he interviewed and profiled during his career at The Newport Daily News.
“Gillispalooza” will run from 2 to 5 p.m. and showcase musicians representing a variety of genres. The public is invited to the free concert, which will be held at the bandstand and promote awareness of New England Donor Services.
The music will begin with a pre-show Irish session on the lawn before the Catnip Junkies, a New Orleans swing brass band, kick things off at 2 p.m. Cee Cee & the Riders, a four-piece blues band featuring Leslie Grimes and Matt Bruneau, will bring the show to a rollicking close.
Greg “Greggy Good” Ferreira, a multi-instrumentalist one-man band, will perform and serve as the concert’s principal emcee. Mark Quinn, Jim McGrath, Chuck and Jules Ciany, Dragonfly Marie, Anne Marie Adrain and the Ancient Order of Hibernians Male Singers are among those scheduled to perform.
The Lois Vaughan Jazz Trio will accompany singer Julie Bisbano, Gillis’s wife, and several other musicians may make surprise appearances.
For more than 30 years, Gillis inspired Daily News readers with his profiles of ordinary people confronting overwhelming challenges. He alternately rallied and infuriated them with “Spare Change,” his weekly column about issues as serious as same-sex marriage and as silly as the choice of multi-colored or white Christmas lights.
He was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2013 and endured eight years of dialysis. In March 2020, Gillis underwent a successful kidney transplant just days before COVID-19 shut down the state. He used his platform as a columnist to promote awareness of the need for organ donors and to share details of his personal journey.
He lived life to the fullest with his beloved wife and his new kidney for three years. Tragically, a heart problem caused his unexpected death on April 17, 2023. Gillis was a young 64.
Members of the community are invited to bring their picnics, beach chairs and blankets to King Park on Saturday, June 15, to enjoy the music and to celebrate his life. “Gillispalooza” originally was scheduled for September 2023 but was canceled because of bad weather.
Sunday, June 16, is the rain date.
Guests are encouraged to carpool as parking is limited. No alcohol is permitted at the park.
Submitted by Catherine Callahan
