Gig hits all the right notes for St Nicholas Hospice Care

A fundraiser’s gig dedicated to the passion for music he shared with his father has raised more than £2,000 for the charity which cared for his dad before his death.

To commemorate the seventh anniversary of his dad Ian’s death, Lee Graham, decided the best way to remember him would be to stage the third musical event of its kind Just Push Play 3: Back in the Saddle, in aid of St Nicholas Hospice Care.

Both Lee and his dad shared a love of music and following his father’s death on August 5, 2010, and after a conversation with friends which gave him the initial idea of a music themed fundraiser Lee has been determined to raise as much as he can in his dad’s memory.

Lee, of Bury St Edmunds, said: “In 2010 I lost my Dad after a brief but intense battle with cancer. It was 13 days from diagnosis to him passing away.

“He was not only my dad but my best friend and my hero. We hung out, went for nights out together, liked the same music and went to a lot of gigs together.

“In 2015 as it was five years since he passed away I decided to do something for the hospice as they were amazing with my dad and I can’t thank them enough.

“I had always meant to do something sooner but I really did have to rebuild myself from scratch after my dad passed away and before I knew it five years had passed.

“I was putting ideas out there with some friends in the pub one night and someone jokingly said ‘you should organise Live Aid’ now although this was said as a joke a charity gig made sense to me.

“After all some of my happiest times with my dad were at rock gigs whether they be local bands playing a show down the pub or going to see Aerosmith at Wembley.”

Lee’s first event, which took place in August 2015 raised £1,300, with his second the following year resulting in £1,500 for the charity which cares for those across west Suffolk and Thetford with long-term and life-threatening illnesses.

This year the occasion, which raised £2,050, saw a number of bands come together, at Bury St Edmund’s Constitutional Club on Sunday, August 19, for a full day of music featuring several local bands including Druids, In My Disguise, The Fretz, Nick Lowe and Carousel.

As well as being able to enjoy the music there were also some great prizes up for grabs during a raffle and after receiving a large amount of signed music memorabilia Lee also decided to hold an auction, which attracted bids from Spain, America, Italy, Australia and Chile.

Lee said: “Though I run the show and it’s a lot of hard work I obviously couldn’t put this on without the bands donating their time, as well as the all the donations to the raffle and auction.

“I am already looking into next year’s event as I wish to develop and progress this as much as I can and I am looking at possible sponsorship from local businesses to get the event at The Apex.”

Lee already has several bands interested in his 2018 event, but anyone who would like to support him can contact him by emailing lee_graham1987@hotmail.co.uk

Pictured is Lee Graham who staged his third successful musical fundraiser for St Nicholas Hospice Care raising £2,050.