Sept. 29 concert near Nashville features country music's Jamey Johnson
Full Moon Full Life is a unique concert planned under this
fall's Harvest Moon to benefit pancreatic cancer research at the
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).
The concert, featuring country music sensation Jamey Johnson, with
special guests Jessi Colter & Waylon Jennings' last band,
Waymore's Blues Band, is set for 6 p.m. Sept. 29 on Front Street in
front of The River Cafe in Normandy, Tenn., about 50 miles
southeast of Nashville.
The River Cafe's owner-operator Nikki Mitchell - personal assistant
to Colter, the widow of country-music legend Waylon Jennings -
expects 4,000 fans to attend.
"This is a unique way of helping advance TGen's groundbreaking
scientific research into this awful disease," said Mitchell, who
was diagnosed in December 2010 with pancreatic cancer, a
particularly aggressive form of cancer responsible for nearly
38,000 deaths annually in the U.S.; the fourth leading cause of
cancer death in America.
"I felt like I got a glimpse of the future," Mitchell said of her
tour earlier this year at TGen's research headquarters in
Phoenix.
Mitchell - who has run Jennings' company or more than two decades -
opened The River Cafe in 2010. Any business having to do with
Jennings and Colter goes through her offices of Colter-Jennings,
now also located in Normandy. Waylon died in 2002 of complications
related to diabetes, and another TGen project, The Waylon Fund,
backs TGen research into the genetic causes of diabetes.
"To know Nikki Mitchell is to love her, as Waylon, Shooter and I
could testify, having known her and worked with her for many
years," Colter said. "I am exceedingly proud of her spirit to win.
This is just another victory, and we are glad to include Johns
Hopkins and TGen as our friends. Having given Waylon's name to
Diabetic Research with TGen, we are delighted to be with Nikki to
celebrate her pancreatic cancer healing. As usual, she will seek to
help others in her win."
Colter added that she greatly appreciates the participation of
Jamey Johnson and Waymore's Blues Band.
TGen Foundation President Michael Bassoff said, "Nikki Mitchell's
strong leadership and Jessi Colter's star power will certainly
advance TGen's fight against pancreatic cancer. Their efforts will
help TGen discover methods of early detection and better
treatments."
Mitchell credits her continued survival to genetic research at
TGen, and her surgery at Johns Hopkins University in
Baltimore.
Seventy-five percent of the proceeds from Full Moon Full Life will
go to TGen, and 25 percent will go to Johns Hopkins to aid its
Multidisciplinary Pancreatic Cyst Program. Both TGen and Johns
Hopkins offer promising breakthroughs for early detection, which is
key to saving countless lives from a cancer that too often is not
discovered until its late stages, when treatment options are
limited.
Advance tickets are $20 and can be purchased at:
www.therivercafenormandy.com or http://www.fullmoonfulllife.com.
Tickets will be $25 at the gate. Parking is $5. The gate will open
at 3 p.m. No pets, coolers or glass are allowed. The event will
also include a live auction.
"We are so excited to kick off this first of what we hope will be
an annual benefit concert to support pancreatic cancer research,"
said Linda Albright, event organizer and wife of Richie Albright,
the original drummer and right-hand man for Waylon, who began
playing with Waylon & The Waylors in 1964.
Richie Albright added, "The 11-piece Waymore's Blues Band, along
with former Waylor, Gordon Payne, are looking forward to reuniting,
and once again performing with Jessi for this very special
fundraising event."
About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a
Phoenix-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at
TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer,
neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the
genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with
collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen
believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency
and effectiveness of the translational process. For more
information, visit: www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
