Music For Meals Supports Local Musicians And Benefits Second Harvest Food Bank

Background:

WCCB Charlotte’s CW, the only locally owned and operated television station in Charlotte, is teaming up with local, regional, and national musicians for a benefit concert on Saturday, May 16th at 9pm.  The concert will be hosted by WCCB’s Morgan Fogarty and Jon Wilson (of Wilson’s World).  The money raised will be used to purchase food boxes that will be distributed by the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina to people who have reduced income or lost their job due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The music industry has taken a major blow after Stay At Home orders were issued due the pandemic.  As many states are slowly starting to reopen, there is still no time table for when live music and large events will return.

The United States unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April, the highest rate since the Great Depression, according to the Associated Press.  This means people are relying on food banks and charities more than ever.

WCCB works hard to truly be a community partner and live by the motto of eat local, shop local, watch local.  Since the pandemic started, we immediately knew we wanted to do something to help as many people as possible.

We have also had a close relationship with many charities and non-profit organizations in the Charlotte area. One of those long-term partnerships has been with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.  From teaming up with Second Harvest and the Girl Scouts for an annual food drive to partnering with them on their Wine, Woman, & Shoes Benefit, WCCB has used our broadcasting tools to help raise money and get food donations to Second Harvest for many years.

Since the coronavirus pandemic started, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina’s “The Food Bank” has worked with over 800 partner agencies in 24 counties, including local school systems, to help feed families throughout our community.

WCCB Charlotte decided to create Music For Meals, A Carolina Together Event to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.  Our goal is to raise money for Second Harvest so they can deliver food boxes to those hit hardest by COVID-19 and the Stay At Home orders.

The Date:

Music For Meals will air at 9pm on Saturday, May 16th on WCCB Charlotte’s CW.  Watch Music For Meals on-air or online at wccbcharlotte.com/live, in the WCCB mobile app or on Apple TV, Roku or Amazon Fire TV.

The Artists:

Jason Jet: is an indie-soul musician originally from Iceland but now a resident of Charlotte, N.C. Blessed with a brilliant tenor voice, astounding production prowess and gripping lyricism, this sensuous singer/songwriter has an almost trancelike effect on anyone who listens. Welcome to Jason Jet’s world, where his music is an unforgettable experience, according to JSW Media Group.

Brit Drozda: is a dynamic Folk-Rock, singer-songwriter and recording artist based in Charlotte, N.C. Influenced by singer-songwriters like Sheryl Crow, Brandi Carlile, Patty Griffin, and Norah Jones, Brit brings a soulful voice and poetic lyrics to her listeners. Brit’s latest album “Make Something Beautiful” is available on Spotify and iTunes and she plans to release several singles in the coming months.

Jimmy Wayne: is a former foster kid turned award-winning country recording-artist whose songs and story highlight his mission to raise awareness for children in foster care. Jimmy’s hits include “Stay Gone,” “Paper Angels,” “I Love You This Much” and “Do You Believe Me Now,” which earned BMI’s prestigious Million-Air Award for receiving more than one million radio spins in America. In 2009, Jimmy toured with Brad Paisley and recorded “Sara Smile” with rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame duo Daryl Hall and John Oates.

T. Dubya: is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Charlotte, NC. Drawing from both many musical and spiritual influences, his music embodies an ethos of simplicity; encouraging awareness around the abundant offerings found in a simple, mindful approach to life. 

Dae Lee: is a GRAMMY Nominated producer and artist who is based in Charlotte, N.C.,Dae-Lee was introduced to the music industry in high school – in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia – where his style was influenced by music legends Timabaland, Pharrell and Missy Elliott. As a result, Dae-Lee’s music is at its core hip-hop merged with various styles of music in a way that is intended to elevate listeners; to show a true picture of our God-intended purpose and value, and to start a dialogue on how to encourage those around us to live as their best, authentic selves.

Emily Sage: is a Charlotte-based, Independent Singer/Songwriter with strong leanings in jazz and soul. Her romantic and lullaby-like songwriting style is largely influenced by her time spent growing up in Portugal. Sage moved to Nashville, TN in 2012 to study Songwriting and Music Business at Belmont University. Looking for a space to build her career and develop her vision post-graduation, Emily Sage moved to Charlotte, NC. In the summer of 2018 she started an intimate concert series called CLT Loft Sessions so that she could curate the full experience of her live performances. She invited local independent artists to perform their own sets at those concerts as well. After the first Loft Session, every event since has sold out and her name as well as Loft Sessions is gaining recognition in Charlotte and surrounding cities.

Shelby J: is an American singer/songwriter. She is known for her work with her mentor, Prince, and her debut solo album 10 in 2017. Shelby J. began performing in 1994 in North Carolina. She reached a worldwide audience with her mix of gospel, R&B, funk, and soul. She performed alongside and collaborated with musical greats, including Carlos Santana, Roy Hargrove, Mary J. Blige, Jonathan Timber, Joel Henry Kiser, Larry Graham, Anthony Hamilton and D’Angelo. She performed on Kmart’s “Right Here, Right Now” marketing campaign, covering the Jesus Jones song.

Quinton Gibson: is the lead guitarist for Platinum selling Country artist Darius Rucker. Gibson has toured the globe over the past 10 years, performing such chart toppers as “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”, “Comeback Song”, “Wagon Wheel” – even becoming revered in Country Music circles for his guitar solo on the Prince classic “Purple Rain.” Gibson has also performed on such nationally televised shows as the “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, “Good Morning America,” “Today Show,” “CBS This Morning,” “Fox And Friends,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “The CMA Awards,” “ACM Awards,” “The View,“ and many others.

The Hamiltones: are North Carolina natives. The group started as background vocalists for Grammy winning soul singer Anthony Hamilton. When their behind the scenes clips of quartet-styled cover songs were uploaded to the internet, it caught fire! Since then, The Hamiltones have been featured on The Breakfast Club, Steve Harvey Morning Show, sold out The Apollo, and have been featured on four Grammy nominated albums; including Anthony Hamilton, PJ Morton, Johnathan McReynolds, and Tori Kelly.

Time Sawyer/Sam Taylor: is interested in “real people and real songs” and that’s just what the listener finds in their music – a sense of realness. Time Sawyer blends a grassroots feel with heart-felt lyrics to put on an entertaining show. From introspective ballads to high-energy crowd-pleasers, Time Sawyer’s songs land in that rootsy sweet spot where folk, alt-country, and rock gather for a good time.

Tommy DeCarlo: is the current lead singer for the band BOSTON. DeCarlo was an everyday dad with a job at Home Depot when he became the lead singer for BOSTON after the original lead singer unexpectedly passed away. DeCarlo got his big break after posting a tribute song to the late Brad Delp on his daughter’s Myspace page. DeCarlo resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his family.

How To Donate:

Donations are already being accepted.  Click HERE to donate today.

Where The Money Goes:

The donated money goes directly to Second Harvest Food Bank Of Metrolina to purchase food boxes.  The healthy, shelf-stable food boxes will help feed families, children missing school meals, senior citizens so they can stay safely at home, workers who have reduced income or lost their job, and other at risk people who have to remain quarantined.

More Information On Second Harvest Food Bank Of Metrolina:

In addition to providing food to over 800 non-profit partner agencies, Second Harvest Food Bank Of Metrolina directly serves our hungry neighbors. 14.9% of our service area population, over 553,000 people, live in poverty including over 182,000 children and over 48,000 seniors.