Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh is set to host his ninth annual VetsAid concert on Saturday, which raises money for veteran-related causes.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is a longtime advocate for veterans issues, something that is personal to him, as he’s a Gold Star Family member. His father died in 1949 serving our country when Walsh was just 20 months old.
Walsh tells ABC Audio that he came up with the idea for VetsAid in 2017, after spending years going around the country meeting with veterans and realizing they weren’t getting the help they needed.
“I thought maybe I can make a difference here,” he says. “I always felt guilty not having a benefit. … It was, ‘Duh. You can do something there."”
This year’s concert is taking place at the INTRUST Bank Arena in Walsh’s hometown of Wichita, Kansas. He says it’s “overwhelming” to be doing the show there.
“I’m just Joe here, you know,” he says. “That’s how Wichita is.”
This year’s lineup includes Vince Gill; Ryan Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen; and a “super-set” from Walsh, joined by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks of Tedeschi Trucks Band, Nathaniel Rateliff and other special guests. It will be streamed live on Veeps. While fans will be getting a great night of music, Joe hopes they come away with more than just a good time.
Walsh says he wants the concert to bring “more awareness for veterans and their situation,” but that’s not all.
“I want to show that with no politics involved, people can come and hear music,” he says. “People who don’t agree can sit next to each other. Politics doesn’t matter. Everybody has a good time, recharges, and goes home happy. … That’s a good feeling.”
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