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Members of the entertainment fraternity have come forward to challenge the claims of relatives of Connie Campbell, a popular backup singer, who suffered a brainstem stroke while on tour in the United States, last August.
Four months after a benefit concert which was held by Tarrus Riley, his management team, his band and saxophonist Dean Fraser, Campbell's sister, Sandra Campbell, says she has not received the full amount of money that was promised to her.
Campbell, a backup singer for several leading reggae acts including Luciano, Shaggy and Riley, had a seizure on August 23, 2009, just minutes before hitting the stage while on tour with Riley in Maryland.
Speaking on a show on a Maryland-based radio station, and which aired on the popular website, www.ustream.tv, Campbell said she was told that she would receive US$10,000 from the proceeds of the concert towards her sister's health care. She said, however, that so far only US$1,719 had been lodged in the account created.
disappointed
Campbell and a family friend, who was also on the show, questioned the commitment of local entertainers to helping a fellow member of the fraternity. She said, "I got $1,719 in the bank, and I got an email to say the additional money would come." While expressing her gratitude for the gesture, Campbell said she was disappointed. She also explained that her sister's care has somewhat stalled because of the lack of funds and said the family needed at least US$90,000 to move her from the hospital into a rehabilitation centre. She said her sister had worked for many years in the music business and had done background vocals for many top artistes. She said it was unfortunate that more help was not forthcoming from the industry.
But while Campbell's family is contending that promises made to them were not fulfilled, Nancy Davis, Riley's booking agent and one of the minds behind the Connie Campbell Foundation, said all the proceeds of the concert were lodged to the relevant account. She explained, however, that the concert was not as successful as they had hoped and said they fell short of their US$10,000 target. She said, "The music fraternity put on the show and the money that was lodged to the account was a cash donation, after the expenses had been taken care of."
payments
Davis explained that the persons responsible for the venue had indicated that they were willing to make up the shortfall, and had said they would contribute the outstanding amount. She said, however, that no deadline had been set for this payment to be made and said this, as well as the fact that the payments would be staggered, was communicated to Campbell's relatives. She also explained that the concert and the Foundation were the ideas of the musicians and added that this show was the start of a series of fund-raising events.