#TunesForTarrah: A Benefit for Tarrah Segal
It’s a rare day on which I write more than a single blog post for the Musoscribe blog. But this issue is important enough that I’m happy to make an exception. I wish I could say that the circumstances were happy.
A mere three months ago, Tarrah Segal – wife of renowned music journalist Mark Kemp (Option, Rolling Stone, Acoustic Guitar, etc. … you get the idea) was diagnosed with Stage IV cervical cancer. As you would guess, the medical bills associate with her treatment are simply astronomical. Mark and Tarrah’s friends have set up a GoFundMe campaign to help defray at least some of those costs, and Mark’s musician friends – like most musicians, characteristically a population that remains perennially short on cash themselves – have come together to help in their own way.
What they’ve come up with is a benefit concert they’re calling #TunesForTarrah. These days Tarrah lives in Charlotte NC, and that’s the locale for the event, scheduled for 3pm this Sunday, July 24 at Evening Muse. Artists include a friend of mine, Nathan Bell, along with artists representing a wonderfully wide array of styles from Americana to jazz/hip-hop and more.
But hey: it’ not really about the music; if you are in or near Charlotte this weekend, go out and support the people trying to help Tarrah as she faces the nearly (but in her case not quite) insurmountable challenges of disease and financial peril. And if you can’t make the show, contribute to the GoFundMe campaign.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.