A couple of weeks ago, we told you how Red Dirt stud Stoney LaRue decided to follow other big names and host a charity golf and poker tourney in Grapevine, with the help of some his famous friends from the world of sports and music. That specific event, which benefited the Cook Children's Recording Studio Project, was but the latest example of a regional big-shot using his name to support a worthy cause.
George "Jub-Jub" Dunham of 1310 KTCK The Ticket and his band, The Bird Dogs, will be headlining the first Jub Jam on Wednesday night at the Southside Music Hall . The show will benefit an organization that assists those on the opposite end of the spectrum: The Senior Source.
For those of us who aren't all that into golf, motorcycles or poker, Jub Jam is perfect. Music and only music.
As was the case for father of four LaRue and the charity he supported, Dunham has a special, familial link to the services of the Senior Source.
"My parents both went through long tough battles with debilitating conditions. My mother had dementia and was bed-ridden for the last few years of her life that ended in 2000," explains Dunham. "My dad suffered a stroke, which put him in a bed for the final three years of his life before he passed away in 2004. Their struggles opened my eyes to the world of elderly care and just how sad it can be. They were well cared for but the process was still heartbreaking. The Senior Source addresses the needs of the elderly in so many ways."
The show's lineup, including north Texas favorites the Tejas Brothers and Rodney Parker and the 50 Peso Reward, is worthy of attending, regardless of where the money goes. Dunham, while an accomplished and popular veteran in the world of sports talk radio, is still a relative newbie in terms of where his band sits in the always crowded collection of Texas country acts. But he's made fast friends with many of the region's best performers, so it's not shocking he could easily enlist the help of some talented friends.
"We've been a part of some great lineups for charity, including the Hat Tricks Toy Drive and Buckets and Boots for the volunteer fireman of Palo Pinto County," says Dunham. "I've been so impressed at the giving nature of guys like Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Stoney, Casey Donahew and many others."
While fun will surely be had and the music will be front and center for the inaugural Jub Jam, good times and better tunes aren't at the top of the list for the goals Dunham has for the benefit show.
"I got involved with the Senior Source the year after my dad died. And now, I want to keep doing something for those who may not have a support system to care for them."
