Janie Rothfield here:

I loved seeing Newberry and Verch on Sunday, February 1, when they played a spectacular show in Staunton, Virginia. Such wonderful musicians and people-I felt blessed to be able to hear them play and catch up as friends too.

As with all the many fans of Joe and April, I was stunned to hear about Joe’s heart attack on Friday, February 7, while they were on tour in Upstate NY. So grateful for April who got him safely to the ER in time for much needed medical attention. Joe thought he was on the mend and a few days later they started driving back to Joe’s home in Raleigh NC, when a second emergency took place. As of this writing (2/12/2026) Joe is doing well and being well cared for in the Albany NY area. He will stay put in Upstate NY for observation for a few more days before traveling home.

Newberry & Verch had to cancel the rest of the tour, and as a working musician myself, I know just how thin the profit margins can be on a tour. I contacted them to see if they would be all right with me organizing a GoFundMe to help them cover the loss of touring income, unexpected expenses associated with hotels and travel changes, a myriad of health expenses, and loss of future income while Joe recuperates through the coming weeks.

They have never used crowdfunding for their duo, but, as I told them, folks in our community want to know how to help, and this is a concrete way to do that. If you are moved to lend a hand, wonderful, but if not, please just send along wishes for a complete recovery.

$10,000 is the goal to cover all of these unexpected expenses.

Thank you so much!

Janie Rothfield, Joe Newberry & April Verch