Musicians Fund Provides Sweet Relief to Struggling Artists

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a non-profit organization that has, since 1994, been providing assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while dealing with disability, illness, or age-related problems. Grant recipients include recording artists, composers, songwriters, and club and session musicians from every musical genre, including pop, rock, classical, jazz, country, blues, hip hop, reggae, and everything in between.

For the past 19 years, Sweet Relief has been offering vital assistance to professional musical artists in need. Musicians, professionals, fans, celebrities, venues, companies, and organizations have all contributed to the fund, and benefits have been performed all over the country, with performances donated by both established and emerging artists, to assist struggling musicians.

Sweet Relief has helped musicians with medical and living expenses by covering prescriptions, medical treatment, insurance premiums, housing costs, utilities, food costs, and other basic necessities. While not every applicant receives a financial grant, Sweet Relief never turns anyone away. The charity also offers other resources such as information, counseling, and financial services.

A few years ago, Sweet Relief launched a directed artist and project fundraising initiative to assist musicians who face major illness or injury and have an under-insured health plan. In these cases of overwhelming financial and personal distress, Sweet Relief takes on the role of organizer, advocate, administrator, event planner, and media partner to bring together friends, family, fans, and industry partners to help the artist.

Sweet Relief was founded in 1993 by singer-songwriter Victoria Williams, who was forced to drop out of a career-making tour with Neil Young due to multiple sclerosis. Following her diagnosis, a group of friends created an all-star album of her songs called Sweet Relief, which alleviated much of her medical debt. Knowing there are many musicians like her, Williams donated some of the proceeds from the album to start Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.