UKIAH >> The third annual Rural Health Rocks concert is coming to Ukiah, and it’s bigger than ever. Five-time Grammy winner Michael McDonald returns twith new material from his recently released album “Wide Open.”
The evening will also feature members of Michael’s family, including his wife, Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Amy Holland, author of the top 20 hit “How Do I Survive.” Their son, singer/songwriter Dylan McDonald joins the show again and brings with him Nashville singer/songwriter and NBC’s “The Voice” finalist Peyton Parker to share the stage.
Multi-instrumentalist Gene Parsons, formerly of the Byrds, and bassist David Hayes of Van Morrison fame will be joined this year by vocalist Gwyneth Moreland and guitarist Steven Bates to perform as the recently formed Mendocino Quartet. Guitarist Alex de Grassi returns again to perform solo and with the band along with Mendocino County native John Mattern on saxophone, drummer Kirk Harwood, and studio musician and producer Gary Cirimelli.
Shows are Saturday, April 14 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 15 at 2 p.m. at the Mendocino College Center Theatre in Ukiah. Tickets are available online at ruralhealthrocks.com.
Michael McDonald’s unmistakable voice brought him early fame with The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, and launched his solo career with hits like “What a Fool Believes,” “Minute by Minute,” and “Takin’ it to the Streets.”
Collaborations with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and the hit single “On my Way Home” with Patti LaBelle have secured his fame as an pop icon who country singer Vince Gill called “…one of the greatest soul singers to ever draw breath.”
McDonald returns to Ukiah with his brand-new album Wide Open — his first in 17 years — drawing acclaim from Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines and landing recent appearances on the Tonight Show and CBS News Sunday Morning.
Rural Health Rocks is the annual fundraising event for Family Medicine Education for Mendocino County (FMEMC) in support of the newly created Family Medicine residency program at Adventist Health Ukiah Valley (AHUV). In partnership with UC Davis, the residency program will take on six medical school graduates as residents every year beginning in the Fall of 2019.
Studies show the majority of rural family medicine residents establish their practice in the area where they train. A family medicine residency program will ensure that we are able to “grow our own” sustainable supply of new primary care doctors for years to come.
According to Dr. Mimi Doohan, AHUV’s Director of Graduate Medical Education and co-chair of Rural Health Rocks, “We know that family medicine residency programs have the power to transform communities to make them healthier, both physically and economically. I am honored to be a part of that transformation in this community which I deeply love.”
FMEMC was formed in 2015 by community members as a local non-profit to support the residency program’s creation. Shortly after, the idea for a Rural Health Rocks fundraising concert was born. The event has raised around $100,000 in each of the past two years, and its success has demonstrated a powerful community enthusiasm that helped secure an additional $500,000 in state grants as well as over a million dollar start-up commitment to the program from AHUV.
Rural Health Rocks’ success is due in large part to the concert’s many generous sponsors. For the third year in a row, Fowler Subaru is the presenting sponsor. Critical media support is being provided by KOZT, KZYX, and KWNE. Other major sponsorships came from Ukiah Waste Solutions, Fedele and Linda Bauccio, the Mendocino College Foundation, Harvest Market, Frey Vineyards, Savings Bank of Mendocino County, Barra of Mendocino, Testa Vineyards, and Chop Chop Restaurant. Additional sponsors include Hawkes Construction, Mendocino Community Health Clinic, Community First Credit Union, Dr. Robert Ortega, Myers Medical Pharmacy, Johnson’s Tree Service, Selzer Realty, Crane of Ukiah, and the Ukiah Saturday Afternoon Club.
Says Rural Health Rocks co-chair de Grassi, “I’m always amazed and excited by the power of this community to make important things happen, and it’s a joy to be a part of that energy and commitment.” Come support the future of good health in our community and enjoy some musical legends in the making! For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.ruralhealthrocks.com.
