LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Health care has become a hot, election-year topic on Capitol Hill. But the lack of affordable medical treatment is not just an issue for seniors and the poor. Musicians, many of whom consider themselves to be eternally youthful, are among the high-risk groups not receiving proper care.
“The healthcare issues that face everybody are amplified in this particular line of work,” says JoAnne Klabin, managing director of Sweet Relief, a nonprofit organization that helps needy musicians cover medical expenses. “When you think musician, you think someone who doesn’t get enough healthy food, doesn’t rest enough — not exactly an insurer’s dream. That’s part of the problem.”
Sweet Relief is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with a concert series of “Badass Benefits” produced by Music for Charity. This month’s three-show series at the Troubadour in Hollywood kicked off Monday night with American Music Club, Concrete Blonde, Paula Cole, Glen Phillips and Jesse Harris. Cardboard Vampires, a new band fronted by Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) and Billy Duffy (the Cult) will perform April 12 on a bill including Beth Hart and Whitestarr. The lineup will feature Michelle Shocked, Jim Lauderdale, Grant Lee Phillips, Peter Himmelman and Michael Penn April 19. Other shows are likely to be scheduled throughout the year.
Although many major-label recording artists can now get health insurance through the American Federation of Television and Radio Artist, there are countless club musicians and artists who self-release recordings who cannot afford insurance, Klabin says.
“I think that the whole situation with health insurance for musicians is terrible,” Harris says. “It’s really difficult to get insurance even through the musicians union, which is maybe a reflection of the health insurance problem in this country. If you’re a musician, there is nothing set up. Even if musicians organize and try to get a (group policy), health insurance companies won’t give them policies because they consider them high risk.”
Duffy notes that socialized medicine in his native United Kingdom, though commendable, is plagued with substandard care. As for the United States, Duffy says: “As a visitor from another country, when I examine your health care system, it seems awfully corrupt and just an opportunity for everybody to get wealthy. It’s totally and utterly rotten from the inside out with the insurance claims and overcharges. Health care insurance is a big business, and everybody wants a slice.”
Musicians, however, also are partially to blame for their situation.
“(They think) ‘I’m a creative person and the practicalities of life are beyond me,”‘ Klabin says. “That person is going to get in trouble.”
Duffy compares many musicians’ mentalities to being in a “Peter Pan” state of eternal youth. “I think musicians are terribly ill-educated as to the realities of life,” Duffy says. “The music business wants you to remain young-minded, so, therefore, issues like that are not put on the front burner.”
For Duffy and Cantrell, supporting Sweet Relief is a way for musicians who have been successful to give back to their musical communities.
“Alice in Chains and myself have always been pretty active in helping out wherever we can,” says Cantrell, whose new combo also include former Motley Crue vocalist John Corabi and members of Puddle of Mudd. “This is a great cause.”
Cardboard Vampires (named after Cantrell’s cats) will perform Alice in Chains songs and a number of Duffy-penned Cult songs as well as covers.
“It’s straight up old hard-rock stuff, ” Cantrell says. “We’re having a lot of fun with it.”