A hand up for Ironing Board Sam

Part blues and R&B keyboardist, part experimental performance artist, all musical genius: Ironing Board Sam spent more than 6 decades pushing the limits of live performance.

Over his career, Sam played airborne in hot-air balloons, underwater in a giant aquarium, accompanied by a toy monkey, and on demand dressed as a “human jukebox.” He invented one of the first portable electric keyboards, which he famously mounted on an ironing board. He even played with a young Jimi Hendrix and was a regular on the groundbreaking Nashville R&B show Night Train.

Like many artists in the cut-throat music industry, he certainly struggled. But his creativity was, in a word, limitless.

Music Maker began working with Sam in 2010, helping him revitalize his career and assisting him with housing, transportation, and healthcare. He even made a triumphant return to New Orleans Jazzfest and starred in a series of commercials.

Then, in 2015, his world changed when he suffered a stroke. At age 78, the endlessly inventive showman faced a future with many limits – mobility problems, speech difficulties, and steep hospital bills.

This spring, we heard from Sam’s daughter LaSaundra that her father was about to be evicted from his apartment. Since his stroke, Sam has relied on an electric wheelchair to get around. His wheelchair gives him freedom, but it has also caused significant wear and tear on his home – an unavoidable reality for many wheelchair users.

His landlord requested $7,000 to pay for the damage in addition to his usual $700/month rent. For Sam, a disabled senior receiving a mere $400/month in Social Security, this was simply impossible without help. His monthly sustenance grant from Music Maker usually helped him make ends meet, but the unexpected expense was overwhelming. Month after month, he fell further behind on rent and damage payments, until he finally received an eviction notice.

Skyrocketing rent, healthcare costs, and inflation have left millions of seniors like Sam struggling. According to the National Council on Aging, 80% of American households with older adults are at risk of economic insecurity.

The elder artists we serve are no exception: 95.5% rely exclusively on Social Security for income, and 82% report that their monthly bills exceed what they bring in.

 “It doesn’t add up,” says Tim Duffy, Music Maker co-founder and Executive Director.

Thanks to generous music lovers like you, we were able to pay Sam’s landlord enough money to catch up on his back-owed rent and cancel his eviction. Our team continues to work with his family to help him find a long-term housing solution.

Ironing Board Sam is not out of the woods yet – but we’re doing everything we can to make sure this musical trailblazer lives out his golden years with the limitless dignity and joy he deserves.