James Taylor and his wife donate $1 million to Boston hospital to battle COVID-19

James Taylor and his wife, Kim Taylor have made a $1 million donation to Massachusetts General Hospital [MGH] in fighting the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

“There is no question that it’s a point of pride for New Englanders to claim the MGH as their hospital – our hospital – and this is especially true today with the threat coming from a new and insidious virus,” said Taylor in a statement.

“Kim and I want to be part of this fight. We have been so inspired by the courage and sacrifice of the health care heroes in the trenches who are working so hard to protect us all.”

The Taylors’ donation goes toward the MGH President’s Emergency Response Fund, which was set up after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 to deploy flexible resources quickly in times of immediate need.

In the case of COVID-19, MGH has said that the funds will go toward the development of in-house testing, establishing a patient hotline, transforming hospital spaces to accommodate COVID-19 patients, expanding telemedicine capabilities, and purchasing more personal protective equipment for health care workers and patients.

Born at MGH, James Taylor has some personal ties to the hospital. His father, Isaac was a doctor who served at MGH as chief resident. Kim Taylor has described the MGH as “a place that is looked to for leadership — clinical, scientific and ethical — in humanity’s fight against the danger that is around us”. In 2016, the couple also performed at a benefit show for the MGH Cancer Center, which raised $2.6 million.

James Taylor was also set to embark on a 28-date tour with Jackson Browne – who recently tested positive for COVID-19 – in support of the former’s latest release, American Standard. That tour has since been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rescheduled dates have yet to be announced.

Stay up to date with COVID-19 related event cancelations/postponements here.

For more music news, click here.