A longtime holiday tradition will not be returning to Newport this year. “Singing for Shelter,” an annual charity concert to raise funds for two local homeless shelters, has reached the end of its run, says organizer and community leader Mark Gorman.
“Sadly, after 16 years of hard work, Singing For Shelter will cease to continue. With recent health issues, the time seems right for Anne and me to wind things down. We’re immensely proud of what we and all these local musicians were able to accomplish. We had a blast doing it!”
We learned more about the legacy of the annual event in a recent phone chat with Gorman, who continues to be a staunch advocate for the homeless.
“The concert was born out of the simple idea among musicians who regularly offer their talents to raise funds for worthy organizations,” he said. “Since most of our friends are musicians, it seemed like a logical and fairly simple idea. We set the date, rented Channing Church (a longtime sponsor), and put a line-up together. Our dear friends, Diana and (the late) John Michael Skaggs, were instrumental in helping us get started.”
The event has certainly done a lot of good over the years, raising close to $200,000 over its 16-year run while touching thousands of lives.
“The first year, we charged $10 and had nine acts – the most notable being the late great Leroy White,” continued Gorman. “He was the first musician we asked to play when we were still kicking the idea around, and he promised that even though he was getting his knees replaced a few weeks before the show, he would be there. And he was, with a cane and the most amazing smile.”
That concert, with about 70 people in attendance, raised about $800. But it almost didn’t happen. “The old furnace at Channing Church backfired, filling the church with smoke,” explained Gorman. “The fire department made us evacuate, but we eventually returned to the church, with no heat, and put on the concert. Somehow, we saw that event as a sign that we should continue.”
Gorman recalled other memorable moments over the years. A few include “Jimmy Winters and his fabulous voice and show-stopping outfits, cancer warrior Carrigan Nelson, who continues to sing despite the ravages cancer is inflicting on her, an acoustic reunion of the wildly popular local Beatles tribute band Abbey Rhode and platinum record recipient Brenda Bennett playing an original tune.”
Another highlight involved the audience. “At the end of the night every year, to have 400 people on their feet singing “Feliz Navidad,” leaving with a great feeling that they’d helped out, trying to make a difference, the audience always wants to know what they can do to help.”
In total, over 150 local musicians performed, either in person or virtually during the pandemic. “Many of them are working musicians, so the quality of the acts was always superlative,” said Gorman. “We always had more requests from musicians wanting to perform than we had slots. We eventually arrived at a formula. The show would feature our ‘founders’ who were with us since day 1 (Ed Ledwith, Rand Bradbury, Ray Davis, Jack Casey, Tom Perrotti, Ed McGuirl, and Mike Fischman), and some new acts yearly to round things out. World-class bassist Joe Potenza called to volunteer to play in the show and drove down from Providence for several years to add his brilliance.”
Sadly, homelessness persists as a serious issue, particularly during the winter months. “Homelessness has seen a 35% increase, over 1700 people statewide, at least a third of them children,” noted Gorman, who served on the board of Lucy’s Hearth for eight years. “I wound up being Chairman. It was a real eye-opening experience.”
“Anne and I get all the credit, but like anything, this wouldn’t have been possible without a team of volunteers and community partners, including our sponsor Channing Church, Stagecraft Sound, Christmas in Newport, Larry Brown and Luca Music, Rick’s Music World, John Flanders, who made our awesome poster, production go-to guy Rick Jones, Ed McGuirl and Tom Perrotti for stage management and PR, and What’s Up Newp publisher Ryan Belmore, our announcer for several years.”
“I think the legacy of Singing for Shelter is that it’s a testament to the power of music. Musicians are among the most generous people; they give their time and talent to raise money for those less fortunate. At least one who played the show has experienced homelessness, so it’s not theoretical for some of us.”
“It was a simple idea, we were very innocent, we thought, let’s have a Christmas concert, and if we make any money, we’ll donate it to our two homeless shelters. We were very naïve, but it worked.”
“The concept of musicians raising money for the homeless, we didn’t invent it, and it will certainly continue. The need is always great. To donate directly to the shelters, go to www.lucyshearth.org and www.mckinneyshelter.org.
