Y&T say thanks to Wendy

[stu]

For those that don't already know, Phil Kennemore of Y&T was recently diagnosed with cancer and is sitting out their current tour while he undergoes treatment. The band are using a temporary replacement on the road but Phil will be back. Y&T sent the following message to everyone on their mailing list:

On behalf of Phil, his family, and Y&T, we would like to thank everyone who has so generously donated something to Phil. There is not a donation, no matter how small, that goes unnoticed or unappreciated.

We've been so moved by some of the stories--fans who could probably not afford a cent yet they gave what they could anyway, even if it was $5; a number of fans who have been kind enough to give more than once; a fan in Japan who sold his extra guitar and donated the funds to Phil; George Bisceglia who is building a "Facemelter" guitar to auction for Phil (details to come); Denise & Eric Martin who gave a generous donation; a popular booking agent in the UK who gave a substantial donation for his pal Phil; one of our agents in Belgium who wired a healthy donation into Phil's account. Those are just a few of the many events that have overwhelmed us.

And one donation that has touched us all...Wendy Dio phoned Jill to say that the board of the "Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund" met and decided to give a sizeable donation to Phil. The check arrived the next day, along with a handwritten note from Wendy for Phil.

As Dave recently posted on the forum, what you all are doing demonstrates more how you feel about Phil than just the monetary value of your donation. Thank you, one and all, for your outpouring of love and support for our buddy Phil.

NEW PHIL HEALTH UPDATES
Since our last email update, Phil has posted two new threads on the forum regarding his health and well-being.

http://www.meniketti.com/vforum/showthread.php?t=32003

http://www.meniketti.com/vforum/showthread.php?t=32250

As Phil stated, he is reading (and re-reading) every single response.
Please post your messages to Phil in one of the above posts.


Nice gesture from Wendy and the board.

[olivious the drummer]

Glad to hear that the Stand Up And Shout fund is already out there helping people...........Hope Phil fights hard and makes a full recovery.
_________________
Stand up and Shout!!!!!

[Pat]

I can't understand. I believed that Stand up & shout fund was created to offer oncologic treatment to sick people devoid of health cover. I wish P. Kennemore can win his battle, but I ask how indigent can be a rockman on tour, or rather in action.

[stu]

You might have a valid point Pat, but maybe Phil is a sick person devoid of health cover? I don't know...
You'd think he'd be a millionaire rock star but a lot of that Y&T message is taken up with thank-you's to everyone who's donated money, which might imply that the cash is needed. I haven't looked at the forums on meniketti.com, but maybe there's more info there? (I'm only on the Y&T mailing list because I once bought a cd from their webstore).

I have no idea how much money Phil has in the bank, or how big the "sizeable donation" was. That's a private matter between him and the Stand Up & Shout Fund board. Whatever, Wendy and the board will have heard the full story and felt that he is a deserving case and that a donation was appropriate. I thought it was a lovely gesture and I can only applaud them for it.

My original post was not meant to stir up a discussion of who deserves to benefit from the fund. Feel free to do so, but I'm not getting involved. I just wanted to let anyone who's interested know how some of the donated money is being used, and that it's not gathering interest in a bank account.
Keep up the good work Wendy!

[stu]

Slightly off topic, but Phil Kennemore isn't the first fellow musician that Ronnie & Wendy have helped. This is from Jerry Best (Lion, Freak of Nature, and briefly with Dio of course):

"Trouble in Angel City" was our 2nd record which the title proved to be a preminition after all was said & done.This record came out on Grand Slamm records and after this record, Mark Edwards had been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and could not continue to play drums.
We did a few benefit shows here and in Japan for our fallen mate. I remember Ronnie James Dio coughing up $1000 bucks for his medical expenses at the Country Club gig-I'll never forget that.

Full text is here: http://jerrybest.com/story/

[Pat]

I didn't say that every musician is a millionaire, but if someone asks money to offer oncologic to people devoid of health cover I think that's a great idea: millions of americans, workers, immigrants, old and new poors, victims of economic crysis..., are really helpless, more than musicians that tread the boards. If instead purpose of the Fund is to create a sickness fund for a definite category, musicians in this case, he is free to do it but is necessary to say it.

[LindaJeanne]

[The Wolf]

Hi Pat

Do you know, how much a cancer-therapie costs?
In some cases it becomes more then a million Dollar.
Chemo, radioaktive therapy, operation and - if I understand correctly - in Kennemores case, they had to replace some of his bones with titan-implantates, because he has BONE-CANCER.

And there´s a problem with private insurances - they can quit!

A big point of the immo-crises is that a lot of americans had to take credits for health-problems and then they couldn´t pay their hypotheks.

I hope you can understand what I mean - my english is limited...

P.S.: Last year I saw Y&T in front of 150 people - they made a 180 minute gig (for 150 people) - so I don´t think they are millionaires (now)!
_________________
No more night-I´ve seen the light
let it shine on bright-hang him higher!

[LindaJeanne]

The Wolf: Very good points!

I've read that statistically, the majority of bankruptcies declared in the U.S. are due to medical expenses, and the majority of THOSE were people who HAD insurance, but either got dropped, or went over the "lifetime maximum", or had too many expenses that the insurance didn't cover. (Yes, our healthcare system really is THAT broken )

Unless you know that someone is so incredibly wealthy that they couldn't possibly need the help (Donald Trump, Bill Gates, etc), I think it's kind of mean-spirited to begrudge someone getting assistance for cancer treatment.

[Pat]

I repeat. The Fund cans help who it wants. I only underlined that a beneficent enterprise that seemed offered to all society, maybe is offered to a definite category. Asking money, aims must be explained better. And I don't intend to open a useless controversy. However, if P. Kennemore has a bone cancer, I sincerely wish to him much luck, as indispensable as treatments.

[LindaJeanne]

[alitivity]

Not sure what you meant by "Tread the Boards" are you saying he lived a lifestyle that could have lead to his ill health, or are you saying he probably has money, and is undeserving?

Y&T was never a huge successful band. They had a couple of hits in the 80s, but not top 10 or anything. they are just working class musicians that did well enough to continue to play. I doubt they make much more than it takes to survive. I doubt they are thriving. So he would probably fall into the exact category of need required for the fund.

Also if the insinuation was about his lifestyle, no one Knows if that would be a factor at all for his current illness, without knowing what that lifestyle was in the first place. So please refrain from making assumptions about his condition.

One last thing. The post never once says he asked for the money. It says that Wendy and the board met about his condition, and sent him a check. so again dont make assumptions about something if you do not have the full story to for a legitimate opinion from.
_________________
Check out Al Diamond Phillips/Nevermet on the web
http://www.reverbnation.com/nevermet

[Rainbow]

To me a life is a life, Rich or poor it doesn't matter. If any one can benefit or get any help in any way from Ronnie's Charity it can't be a bad thing. I don't think Ronnie would have turned anyone away if he could help them in some way.
I hope as many people can be saved as possible. Too many people have been lost to cancer

[Pat]

I found significant that the first news about Fund concerned a rocker and I couched my doubts, that’s all.
I’m not a fan like you. I’m only a person who loves music, loves rock and loves the voice of Dio and all his songs. So strikes me the lack of critical sense that I find in many posts. Another example: the debate about the statues by Knuckebonze and Kavarna major. Dio is a giant of the Music, in the next centuries people will know Dio between Beethoven, Maria Callas, Debussy, Toscanini, Pink Floyd and all the other “bigs”. And instead he is object of a business, commercial or “artistic”, vulgar and nasty: the statues are ugly, terribly ugly and painful. Who made the history doesn’t deserve such sweating. I think that he can be celebrated only spreading and bringing out his works and his heritage. So that the young generations don’t must listen to only Madonna & C., to which we can leave statues, dolls and all trash...
(PS. I fear I mistook some verb.)