By popular demand, the extraordinary Tim Ellis Birthday Concert, recorded Monday February 15 at Revolution Hall, will be broadcast this Saturday, February 27, and again Sunday, February 28 on Portland Radio Project. Beginning at noon both days, Tim’s friends at PRP.fm, including singer/songwriter Michele Van Kleef, composer/guitarist Rob Rainwater, and PRP founder Rebecca Webb, will host special three-hour radio broadcasts of the event.

“People stepped up in a huge way to make this all come together,” said Ellis’s friend and longtime musical partner, Concert Rock Violinist Aaron Meyer, who organized the sold-out Birthday Concert event in under three weeks, after learning of Ellis’s melanoma diagnosis.

With help from Rachel Mortensen and countless volunteers, Portland’s legendary music community came together to support Ellis, who has become a local institution. He has performed with nearly every prominent musician in the region, along with many more nationwide and in several countries. His Kung Fu Bakery studio is home base to many recording artists, including Pink Martini.

According to Webb, “PRP will stream the broadcast worldwide twice this weekend, to ensure that Tim’s fans and friends everywhere will have an opportunity to enjoy the concert.”

Live performances at the event included Ellis, his musical partners Meyer and Van Kleef, along with the biggest headliners in the Portland music scene: Pink Martini, with China Forbes; Art Alexakis of Everclear; Michael Allen Harrison; Patrick Lamb; Tom Grant; and Stephanie Schneiderman, who led the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to Ellis, along with John Nielsen.

Together, an online auction, crowd-funding campaign and Birthday Concert have raised nearly $140,000 to help pay medical expenses.

PRP will air the special broadcast at 99.1 fm in the heart of Portland , and stream online at www.prp.fm

Special thanks to Brent Rogers and REX Production and Post for mixing/mastering the recording, and to Portland Center Stage for providing underwriting support that makes the broadcast possible.

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ORIGINAL POST:

Guitarist Tim Ellis, one of Portland’s musical treasures, recently turned 60.

Tim is fighting for his life. His family, friends, and the Portland music community are stepping up.

Big time.

Aaron and Tim On Stage

Aaron Meyer (violin) and Tim Ellis (right, on guitar) shared the stage during a celebratory benefit at Revolution Hall. Photo by Robert Parish.

Nearly 1000 of Tim’s closest friends sold out Portland’s Revolution Hall on February 15, 2016.

The standing-room-only benefit concert, which along with a number of other fundraising endeavors, was created to help raise money for the The Ellis family’s daunting cancer treatment investment.

The extraordinary night of music — which featured dozens of Portland’s most accomplished performers — was the brainchild of one of Tim’s musical partners, Rock Violinist Aaron Meyer.


During the show, Tim took a few minutes to thank this family and the audience for all their love and support.

Tim’s five daughters were there.

MVK & TD

Photo by Teri Briggs.

Four of them talked with PRP’s Michele Van Kleef (who also performed at the benefit).


Right before intermission, Tim’s daughters joined him on stage.

Michael Allen Harrison, one of Tim’s many musical collaborators who performed,

talked about Tim’s guitar mastery before the concert.

IMG_9968

Steve Hale (left) and Tim Ellis (right) performing during soundcheck prior to the benefit concert. Photo by Robert Parish.

Michele Van Kleef and Robert Parish talked with several of Tim’s friends prior to

concert.


If you’d like to make a financial contribution to Tim Ellis’ medical treatment…

Here’s a link to the gofundme page that was created by Tim’s friends.

Tim 12

Photo by Teri Briggs.

Tim and Aaron 10

Aaron Meyer and Tim Ellis. Photo by Teri Briggs.

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