LA Blues Man Out Of Work, Still Without Stimulus

My name is Samuel Blair, known by my fans as Diamond in the Rough. I make my living by singing blues and soul songs out on the streets of Downtown Los Angeles. The COVID-19 Crisis has made it hard to do what I do.  In a city that the virus has hit extra hard, going out on the street at all means putting myself at risk. With less patrons on the street, taking that risk would be for a lot less money than normal.

Earlier this summer, we ran a GoFundMe at a time when it felt like the whole crisis might be over by September. I felt blessed that we reached our goal and I was able to get through a difficult first chapter.

Now it's December, and things have only gotten harder.  Virus cases have reached a record high, hospitals are filling up past their means, and the governor has enacted another statewide shutdown.  When I do  take the risk to go out and make some money, there's hardly anybody at the bars and restaurants I'd normally play outside of.  When there are people, they're not interested in someone they don't know coming up to them and singing a song to them (which I respect!).  I don't qualify for unemployment, and I still haven't received my CARES act stimulus check. Times now are tougher than ever.

I'm here again raising money to help myself get through this trying time.  I'm hoping that people see this as a chance to help out someone who fell through the cracks of support received by a lot of Americans during the crisis.  If you can afford to spare a small donation, please consider helping me reach my goal. Hitting that mark would leave me taken care of, and this holiday season, I couldn't ask for better than that.