Joe Bonamassa launches the Fueling Musicians initiative, providing cash and petrol for musicians in need

Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa has launched a new program offering relief for musicians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Entitled Fueling Musicians, it will provide musicians with funds as well as prepaid cards to purchase petrol to help them get back to touring as soon as possible.

Fueling Musicians will provide immediate cash payments of $1,000, as well as pre-paid cards of $500 for fuel – as soon as it is safe for tours to take place again.

In a statement on the initiative’s website, Bonamassa said “I just want to encourage everyone to donate what they can to the Fueling Musicians Program… we’re going to try to get some immediate cash payments to artists in need to help pay their bills, and move forward, as well as prepaid fuel cards so when they do get the green light to go out on tour, they have some gas money. I remember when I was a kid, if I had a $500 gas card that was 2,000 miles – and it makes a big difference. It’s something i want to do because this industry is being brought to its knees at the moment.”

The relief program joins Bonamassa’s already-established Keeping the Blues Alive initiative, which provides music education for students across the US. It also joins other similar musician-focused initiatives such as Seymour Duncan’s Music Heals, which also seeks to soften the impact of the pandemic on musicians, many of whom have lost significant income from cancelled tours and festivals.

Donate to the program or put in an application for funding, here.

For more guitar news, click here.