Story and photos by Mary Jane Farmer
Tony Garcia has mentored and led many musicians over the years, and when he needed a hand-up, because of mounting medical bills, they came together to not only honor him, but also to raise much-needed moolah to help Tony and his wife, Beverly, make it through this tough time of recovery.
Tony had a stroke a while back, and like so many musicians in similar situations, found himself without enough where-with-all to make ends meet. He’s still got lots of recovery ahead of him, but this is one man who cannot be knocked to his feet and just lie there. Rumor has it he’s working hard to get back into life and the music.
The event, June 24, 2012, was on Sunday afternoon and into the evening at Smitty’s Bar & Grill in Denison. Smitty and Tim kept a steady stream of fajitas and all the trimmings out there on a buffet. Sound was by Charlie Jack Daniels The Great. There was a great table of silent auction items that kept people fighting to be the last bidder, plus so many door prizes it took 20 minutes (between bands) to give them all away, and a couple of 50-50 raffles. All that was donated to the cause, as were the time and talents of so many musicians. The final figures on how much was raised was between the Garcias and the organizers.
It had to have helped, and it was so remindful of the benefit the musicians put on a few years ago for Smitty’s manager, Tim Berry, who also had heart troubles and who has recovered, apparently, completely. Tony Garcia was a performer at Tim’s benefit, and has been a giver at so many over time that even he could not count them all up. Talk about having paid it forward — that’s Tony Garcia for you!