Music community raising money for local blues musician who lost nearly everything in a fire

The Manitoba music community is rallying to help one of its own rise from the ashes of a devastating fire that destroyed nearly all of his possessions.

Anishinaabe blues musician Billy Joe Green, a three-time Juno Award nominee, woke up early one morning last December to the sounds of fire alarms going off.

He got out of bed to investigate.

“I went to the window and I see flames crawling up my kitchen window,” he told CTV Morning Live Winnipeg in an interview.

“We got the heck out in about five minutes flat with our pajamas, our jackets, our boots, our wallets, our phones.”

Fire crews fought the flames from the outside, and were able to get it under control hours later.

The city says the building sustained significant smoke, fire and water damage.

The cause is still under investigation.

Most of Green’s possessions, including his cherished guitars and musical gear, were left inside.

Green says firefighters went above and beyond to extract what they could, and they emerged with some of his guitars.

“They’re salvageable but the three acoustics that I have, the wood is cracking, so those have to be replaced.”

Meantime, most of his furniture and personal belongings were ruined, as well.

To help Green get back on his feet, the sākihiwē festival is throwing a musical benefit fundraiser. Green is set to hit the West End Cultural Centre stage on Friday night joined by a slew of Manitoba musicians and friends, like Desiree Dorion, Errol Ranville and Ernest Monias.

Online tickets are sold out, but a few dozen are still available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

A GoFundMe page for Green was also launched shortly after the blaze, with over $9,000 raised towards its $10,000 goal.

Green, who sees himself as a bit of an outsider in the local music scene, is heartened by the support from so many fellow musicians.

“It means everything.”

More details on the fundraiser can be found on the sākihiwē festival’s website.

- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagacé