Stephen Marley Tour To Raise Money For Ghetto Youths Foundation

By Aaron Brophy 3/4/19 | www.samaritanmag.com

Stephen Marley — image provided
Stephen Marley is using his current acoustic tour to raise money for a number of good initiatives. The son of the late reggae legend Bob Marley will be directing $1 from every ticket sold on his 23-date 2019 Acoustic Jams American tour — plus all proceeds from the VIP meet and greet packages — towards the Ghetto Youths Foundation.

Named after the Ghetto Youths Crew, the record label started by the Marley brothers Ziggy, Stephen, Julian and Damian, the Ghetto Youths Foundation is their charitable offshoot. The foundation's mission statement is to "Let the hungry be fed, the naked clothed, the sick nourished, the aged protected, and the infants cared for…"

Working primarily in Jamaica, many of the programs the foundation runs focus on the Trenchtown neighbourhood of Kingston, Jamaica, a place where 100 per cent of the residents live below the poverty line and where Bob Marley got his musical start. The foundation also runs initiatives in Ethiopia and India. These initiatives include the Elderly Food Program, which helps feed 350 seniors each month, medical assistance and wellness programs, educational initiatives to provide students with things like tuition, books, backpacks and other basic school supplies, and Homework Centers, designated safe community spaces where students can access computers and other technology.

"Education is the pathway to freedom, and every child deserves the opportunity to walk down that path,” said Stephen Marley, in a press release.

Marley, an eight-time Grammy Award winner, has had a long history of combining music and charity. Now 46, Marley made his musical debut at age 7 in the youth band the Melody Makers alongside older siblings Ziggy, Sharon and Cedella. They recorded the song "Children Playing in the Streets," which was written by Bob Marley. Proceeds from that song went to the United Nations Children's Fund.

Marley's current tour is to support the recently-released five-song One Take: Acoustic Jams EP. The EP features stripped down versions of two songs written by Stephen and three by his father.

Tour dates:

Feb. 25 Pensacola, FL@ Vinyl Music Hall 
Feb. 26 Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theater 
Feb. 27 New Orleans, LA@ House of Blues 
Feb. 28 Houston, TX@ House of Blues 
Mar. 2 Austin, TX@ Scoot Inn
Mar. 3 Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live
Mar. 5 Durango, CO@ Fort Lewis College 
Mar. 6 Telluride, CO @ Sheridan Opera House 
Mar. 8 Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
Mar. 9 Fort Collins, CO @ Washington's 
Mar. 10 Beaver Creek, CO @ Vilar Performing Arts Center
Mar. 11 Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Mar. 13 Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
Mar. 14 Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up
Mar. 15 Garden Grove, CA@ Garden Amp
Mar. 16 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst 
Mar. 17 Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
Mar. 19 Crystal Bay, NV @ Crystal Bay Club Casino 
Mar. 21 Airway Heights, WA @ Northern Quest Resort & Casino
Mar. 22 Bend, OR @ Midtown Ballroom 
Mar. 23 Ashland, OR @ Historic Ashland Amory
Mar. 24 Petaluma, CA @ Mystic Theatre
Mar. 26 West Hollywood, CA @ The Roxy Theatre

Watch a video about the Ghetto Youths Foundation

Patike

* Samaritanmag.com is an online magazine covering the good deeds of individuals, charities and businesses.