January 8, 2011
The Houston Blues Society was a beneficiary of the Jimmy "T-99" Nelson estate. The sum of $500 was bequeathed to the organization to establish a scholarship fund to be known as the T-99 Scholarship. The funds are to be used expressly for the purpose of awarding scholarships to high school and college students who demonstrate promise and creativity in music composition and/or performing. The selection of the recipients and the amount of the award are to be in the sole discretion of the Houston Blues Society or its successor.
It was agreed at the August 17, 2009, meeting of the Board of Directors to grow the T-99 Scholarship Fund into perpetuity to honor the memory of Jimmy "T-99" Nelson and his legacy of blues music indigenous to Houston. HBS is now accepting your tax-deductible donations to help build the scholarship fund by mail to HBS, PO Box 7809, Houston, TX 77270 or online via secure credit card at http://houstonbluessociety.org/store.php. You will receive a receipt for your tax reporting records.
The Board of Directors is very happy to announce that after our recent Holiday Party/Fundraiser the total of the fund has grown to over $2,000.00 at this time. This was in large part due to a $1,000.00 check from musician Carl Querfurth presented by Nuri Nuri, KPFT’s Big Bossman of The Blues! As I understand it, this money represents royalties from T-99’s CD-Baby sales, and while we are pleased to be growing the scholarship fund, we have a goal of substantial growth enabling us to administer significant annual awards.
In the Summer of 2010, HBS awarded the first Jimmy “T-99” Nelson Scholarship to home-schooled, Blues guitarist Rebecca Laird! Rebecca took her $500 Scholarship Award, and immediately put it to good use. Within weeks of receiving the award, Rebecca headed to an upper-level guitar workshop in Austin. With Derek O’Brien and Hubert Sumlin instructing, she learned from the best! She also parlayed her trip into a stint on the stage at Antone’s on jam night meeting Pinetop Perkins!
HBS is very excited at the scholarship prospects for 2011! Please help us help the musically talented youth in our community by contributing to the Jimmy “T-99” Nelson Scholarship when you can. We will post application instructions and send out e-blast notifications in March with an estimated submission date of May 15th. If you have any questions, please email us at info@houstonbluessociety.org.
Sincerely,
Boyd
Boyd Bluestein
President
August 18, 2009
The Houston Blues Society was a beneficiary of the Jimmy "T-99" estate. The sum of $500 was bequeathed to the organization to establish a scholarship fund to be known as the T-99 Scholarship. The funds are to be used expressly for the purpose of awarding scholarships to high school and college students who demonstrate promise and creativity in music composition or performing. The selection of the recipients and the amount of the award are to be in the sole discretion of the Houston Blues Society or its successor.
It was agreed at the August 17, 2009, meeting of the Board of Directors to grow the T-99 Scholarship Fund into perpetuity to honor the memory of Jimmy "T-99" Nelson and his legacy of blues music indigenous to Houston. HBS is now accepting your tax-deductible donations to the fund by mail or online (HBS T-99 Scholarship Fund, PO Box 7809, Houston, TX 77270 or http://www.ccnow.com/cgi-local/cart.cgi?lightnin_99_http://www.houstonbluessociety.org/store.php . You will receive a receipt for your tax reporting records.
I have been in touch with the fine folks in Navasota who adminster the Mance Liscomb Scholarship Fund which is funded by the Navasota Blues Festival. They are happy to share with us their knowledge and some of the forms they use for processing applications from students. We will design our own forms, guidelines and eligibility criteria. We have given three Scholarships to date totalling $2,500.00, and look forward to building the fund to enable much more.
In the meantime, we are making plans for the First Annual Houston Blues Society T-99 Scholarship Fund Raiser&Holiday Party - date and details to be announced.
Sincerely,
Boyd Bluestein
President
