Singer left with bullet in neck after shootout
News Story Hi, my name is Mercy and I’m fundraising on behalf of my sister, "Grace", who was hit by a stray bullet during a shootout between two unknown parties just outside her home on April 26, 2021. The bullet entered her right arm shattering her right shoulder blade, before lodging itself in the front of her neck.
A gifted singer/songwriter, "Grace" worked as a backup vocalist for years during the eighties and nineties. She travelled the world supporting some of the biggest R&B artists of that time and worked on albums like Mary J. Blige’s What’s the 411? and Al B. Sure’s In Effect Mode.
Growing up, I adored my big sister. I grew up listening to her music the way other kids listened to Diana Ross or Aretha Franklin. Gathering with my nieces in front of the TV just to watch the intro to In Living Color, for which she sang the theme song, is a fond childhood memory of mine. But more importantly she’s always been a loving, warm, and generous presence in our family. This despite the fact that she has endured a disproportionate amount of tragedy in her life over the years, including being widowed at a young age, surviving cancer, and even being an innocent victim of gun violence once before as a teen. "Grace" overcame each of those dark moments with a grace that was truly inspiring. Through it all, neither her optimism nor her faith has ever wavered.
It’s hard to accept that such a wonderful person could be a victim of something as horrendous and senseless as random gun violence not once but twice in her life. Still in the hospital, we don’t know yet if "Grace" will regain full use of her right arm/shoulder nor do we know how her voice will be affected or if she’ll even be able to sing again. What we do know is that "Grace" has a long road of recovery ahead of her and it is our hope that paying for it will be one less thing for her to worry about. Thank you.
*name changed to protect victim's privacy*
