Musicians Respond to Hurricane Katrina; Big Star Frontman Missing; Kanye West Blasts Bush
Amy Phillips reports:
It’s times like these that we need to get our heads out of our collective asses, stop worrying about what rating the next Liz Phair record is going to get, and pay some attention to the world around us. We all know what’s going on in New Orleans and its surrounding areas right now. It's horrifying, and it affects all of us, first and foremost, as human beings.
There have been reports of musicians of every stripe, from Ani DiFranco to Juvenile to Fats Domino, losing property and loved ones to the hurricane and its aftermath. Alex Chilton, frontman for the Box Tops and Big Star, is currently missing. A post on Craigslist's missing persons forum, purporting to be from a member of Chilton's family, said that he was last heard from at 2 p.m. on Monday, August 29, on the phone from his home near the French Quarter. No one knows how much of the city’s formidable musical history has been lost, or how long it will be before performing and recording in the region can resume.
The music world is reacting with a mixture of commitment and outrage. Benefits of all kinds, from all-star concerts to food and clothing drives, are being organized. Countless statements expressing sorrow and encouraging fan donations to the Red Cross have been released. But perhaps the most powerful response came from Kanye West, who ignored teleprompters during a live concert Friday night on NBC to vent his frustrations, insisting, to the shock of his co-hosts, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." “I hate the way they portray us in the media," he said, visibly shaken. "You see a black family and they say we are looting, you see a white family and they say they are looking for food. America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as slow as possible.”
**i think it's really sad that it took a black person to say that, when every one of us knows that it's true. you are pathetic mr. bush, but thanks for finally getting off of your ass from vacation and 'helpin' out**
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