Casey Abrams placed sixth on season 10 of “American Idol” in 2011, standing out from the pack by regularly accompanying himself on upright bass.
Abrams took to Instagram on October 31 to tell his followers that a couple of weeks prior, his car had been robbed. In the caption, Abrams wrote that the thief “stole 3 instruments, one of which was my upright bass I got when I was 14.” He went on to explain that the stolen bass was the same one he played while a contestant on “American Idol.”
“It was the bass tracked on all my records, in every Postmodern Jukebox video and in every social media video you’ve ever seen,” Abrams shared. He then emphasized how badly he needed a new bass for his career and encouraged his followers to donate to a GoFundMe page he had set up.
“This bass cost $4,500 with the case, stand, pickup, tuner and bow. I’m asking $5,000 for the taxes I’ll have to pay. I’d love to have this by Nov 9th as that is when I’m headed to a memorial service in Vegas and then to go play for my 103 year old Grammy in her new place,” Abrams wrote.
Abrams Reached His Fundraising Goal
Abrams has surpassed his $5,000 fundraising goal by a wide margin. As of this writing, $12,885 has been donated to the GoFundMe page. The “American Idol” alum returned to Instagram to thank everyone who had donated in a new video.
“I am just so joyful, so grateful, and I am overwhelmed with love because I feel all the love that you guys have sent to me,” Abrams said. He told donators they won’t regret supporting him “because I’m gonna give you the best upright bass jazz, rock n’ roll jam sessions that you’ve ever heard.”
Abrams reiterated that he will be sending videos to everyone who donated to the cause. He also thanked everyone who shared his video or GoFundMe page on social media as well as his friends in the bass community who offered to lend him their instruments.
Abrams Was Hospitalized During His Stint on ‘Idol’
While a contestant on “American Idol,” Abrams was hospitalized due to a flare-up of his Ulcerative colitis, forcing him to miss an elimination show. After a blood transfusion, he was able to return to the show and continue competing. “Hey guys, thanks for the well wishes, I got some nice fresh blood in me and feeling better,” Abrams tweeted at the time.
Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes ulcers and sores in the colon. After being on the show, Abrams launched “IBD Icons,” a disease awareness campaign to let people living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease know there is hope for them.
“When I was diagnosed with UC in college, I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to balance my health and my music. I could barely find the energy to walk to class, let alone carry a bass around campus,” Abrams said in a press release. “But I decided UC was just an obstacle I had to rise above in order to pursue making music. I want to let people know that if you stay positive and have the courage to ask for the help you need early on, anyone can live beyond this disease.”
READ NEXT: LISTEN: Katy Perry Releases New Cover of an Iconic Song
No comments:
Post a Comment