Leverton Band

This is the ad in the Gadsden Times today on the Jam for Frankie.


Published Thursday, May 15, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008

Friends, fans gather to raise funds for musician

By Cyndi Nelson, Times Assistant Managing Editor




Frankie Smith played with area bands including Tin Pan Alley and White Noise. Sunday, 20 bands are having a day-long "Jam 4 Frankie" to raise funds for his care. He has been diagnosed with liver cancer. (Special to The Times)





What started as a prayer request on an Internet forum culminates Sunday when 20 bands get together to “Jam 4 Frankie.”
On March 31, a user posted a request to The Gadsden Times forum asking for prayers for Frankie Smith, a local musician formerly with the band Tin Pan Alley, among others. The post stated Smith had been diagnosed with liver cancer.
The next day, another user suggested a benefit concert. Less than 45 minutes later, Mike Dryer, who identified himself as a former sound man for Tin Pan Alley and “road gig roommate with Frankie Smith,” got the ball rolling.
The result is Sunday’s “Jam 4 Frankie.” It takes place from noon to 8 p.m. in Second Street Music Hall.
About 20 bands have signed on, and they represent the musical spectrum. Wednesday’s version of the event poster (available at Dryer’s Web site, www.soundude.com, and referenced here with Dryer’s permission) lists Albert Simpson, Ballyhoo, A Bridge Between, Catfish Road, Cowboy Up, Crossroads Band, Dave & Danny, Danny Moon, Foggy Hollow Bluegrass, Forever Band, Hillbilly Circus, Janelle Frost, Jim Parks Band, The Leverton Brothers, McPherson Struts, Mystic Window, Rick & Tad, Ricky Carden, Russ Rosser and the SkyDogs.
Even as the day nears, more information is being added to the Web site. Check for updates.
To accommodate the expected crowd, indoor and outdoor stages are planned. Concert-goers may bring lawn chairs and coolers. Glass items and open containers are strictly prohibited.
At 7 p.m. on the outdoor stage, an All-Star Jam will bring the show to a close.
As with most instances in the South, where two or more are gathered, there will be food. The menu includes Coach Romine’s Famous Chicken, “Rack” Gibbs’ famous Crawfish Boil and Percy Hall cooking burgers and hot dogs. Plates, like admission to the event, may be secured with “donations from the heart.”
Several other donation opportunities are available. There will be a silent auction, and “Jam 4 Frankie” T-shirts are $10 for sizes small through extra-large and $12 for XXL and XXXL. Those who wish to wear the souvenir shirt to the event may buy from Chris Brown, Gadsden Screen Printing, 322 Broad St.
The poster for the event bills it as “Music, Motorcycles & More,” and bikers are welcome.
Smith played bass with many local bands, including Tin Pan Alley and White Noise. He has been diagnosed with adeno carcinoma.
Donations may be made via Dryer’s Web site using PayPal or may be mailed to Frank Smith, 478 Colony Circle, Fort Ogelthorpe, GA 30742.



- Gadsden Times