For the past 13 years, the Aphasia Center of West Texas has worked to help bring awareness of the life-changing condition with its annual free concert.
This year, the Aphasia Center of West Texas will continue its tradition of tribute concerts with Kenny Metcalf performing as Elton John.
The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. May 5 at the Midland County Horseshoe Amphitheater.
While guests are welcomed to attend with free admission on the lawn, they can also sponsor tables and receive reserved seating, valet parking, a catered dinner, a private host bar and more with the proceeds going to the Aphasia Center of West Texas.
“We’re very excited,” Aphasia Center of West Texas Executive Director Kitty Binek said. “Things are going very well. We’re experiencing record sales for the event so I encourage people, if they’re interested, in buying a table and sponsoring. People can always come for free and they don’t need a ticket or anything if they just want to come to the free concert.”
The event raises awareness and funds for the Aphasia Center of West Texas which is this region’s primary resource for individuals and families coping with the loss of language, typically occurring after a stroke.
Those who are interested in sponsoring a table can do so at tinyurl.com/mr6d679b.
With an illustrious career that spans six decades, Elton John has sold more than 300 million records worldwide and topped charts in the music industry with hits such as “Rocket Man,” “Crocodile Rock” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.”
Metcalf has been joined on stage and on television by John’s original producer and lead guitarist, Caleb Quaye.
Metcalf has earned acclaim for his tribute, which includes his live national television performances on AXS TV’s “The World’s Greatest Tribute Bands.”
“Kenny Metcalf, I have to give a shootout to Lisa Grisholm,” Binek said. “She’s produced our concerts since we first started them in 2010 and she’s never done wrong. I’ve never seen Kenny Metcalf but I can say that Lisa has always delivered a phenomenal performance and I just believe he’s going to be great. He’s modeled himself off some of the earlier Elton john of the 70s but he will be performing some of the songs from the 80s as well.”
Believe it or not, the Aphasia Center of West Texas’ awareness concerts originally began as a bike ride.
It got started because of an author, Megan Timothy, who had aphasia and was riding her bike across the country to spread awareness about aphasia and bring interest to her book.
“It’s an interesting story,” Binek said. “We thought how fun it would be to have her and do a bike ride to bring awareness. We reached out at the time to David Ham at Peyton’s Bikes and they got on board, instantly. It was really supposed to be an aphasia walk and bike ride and run.”
However, after getting in touch with Grisholm, they were able to bring in drummer Artimus Pyle who played with Lynyrd Skynyrd, for a concert.
“So we did a concert and that’s how it got started,” Binek said. “A few years later, we dropped the bike ride and run and walk and just kept the concert and people have loved it.”
Since then, the Aphasia Center of West Texas has brought in primarily tribute bands each year.
Last year, the Aphasia Center of West Texas held a Queen tribute concert.
“It’s just been a huge success,” Binek said. “It’s been a great fundraiser for us. It’s also a great awareness-raiser. Awareness is the primary purpose but we do raise money that night too.”
Over the years, Binek says the awareness concerts have been primary to the Aphasia Center’s purpose.
“If you have aphasia and you have difficulty in reading, writing and communicating, that’s really hard to advocate,” Binek said. “This is a really important event because our sponsors enable us to offer it free to the community so they come out and get this wonderful concert for free. It’s a wonderful family event and we educate people about aphasia and the aphasia center. So it’s a great educational opportunity that’s primary to our purpose in helping the people that we serve. It gives them a voice. This fundraiser and awareness helps them so they’re no longer isolated or alone. They have this community support.”
Then, of course, there’s the fundraising aspect.
“At the Aphasia Center of West Texas, we don’t take any government or insurance funding,” Binek said. “We’re completely, privately-funded because we want the people who receive our services to be able to come as long as they see it as a benefit. It takes money but in West Texas, we rally around our neighbors and friends. We believe in taking care of our own. I love that. I love that pioneering spirit in West Texas.”
For more information about the concert or the Aphasia Center of West Texas, go to tinyurl.com/mr6d679b.
