Local musician and community activist, Doug Furze, also known as Boulas, is the founding member of well known Blues/Rock band, The Blunatics, The Boulas Trio, and The High Salsalitos. Doug has been a fixture in the Rockford Music Industry since he was a teenager. Doug has performed in the Rockford and Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin area for twenty five years performing blues, jazz, and rock music at restaurants, nightclubs, festivals, and fundraising events. Tragically, Doug has been diagnosed with Metastic Pancreatic and Liver Cancer.

On Sunday, July, 19, the Rockford community of talented musicians will be performing a benefit and musical tribute to Doug, not only for his talents as a wonderful musician, but also a tribute to his commitment to charitable causes in the Rockford community. The Boulas Legacy Bash will be held at Davis Park, Sunday, July 19, 2009 from 11:00 am – 11:30 pm. Admission is $10 and all proceeds will go to Doug’s medical and living expenses. Any remaining monies will be put into the Concerts for Charity fund at Northern Illinois Community Foundation.

Doug is the founder of Concerts for Charity, an event oriented charitable organization established to use concerts to benefit worthwhile medical causes in Rockford and Northern Illinois. After his mother’s death from cancer in 1999, Doug wanted to give back to the hospice organization’s that so lovingly helped him with his mother, and he has worked tirelessly through Concerts for Charity to bring awareness to the hospice cause. The first Concerts for Charity event was “The Fathers Day Hospice Benefit Concert” featuring Lonnie Brooks, Dorothy Paige-Turner and other Jazz and Blues acts. All proceeds went into a fund established with the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, benefiting VNA Hospice, OSF Hospice and Northern Illinois Hospice.

In the past few years Concerts for Charity has expanded its fundraising efforts in helping medical causes and causes helping the underserved populations in Rockford. Hot Fest for Hospice has been held in downtown Rockford locations featuring an “Iron Chef” style salsa-making contest and continuous live music on two stages. Individuals and local area restaurants have had great fun in participating in this head to head competition where the public samples the salsa and judge the best one. Northern Illinois Hospice Executive Director, Carol Bennett, and VNA Director Barb Johnson have enthusiastically supported Doug’s efforts and the work of Concerts for Charity for the hospice cause.

The other ongoing Concerts for Charity event is The Catfish John Music and Camping festival that has been held out at Lyran Park. After his friend John Pritchett’s tragic death from an apparent drug overdose, Doug decided to do something positive in his friends memory by holding a camping and musical festival with proceeds used to buy youth sized guitars for underprivileged kids in the Rockford School District. Two schools received guitars to start after school guitar lessons.

In addition to Doug’s own fundraising efforts, he has participated and performed in many other fundraising events throughout the community including Kiwanis Club, The March of Dimes, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Rockin’ for a Reason, Greenwich Village Art Fair, Rockford Area Arts Council, City of Rockford, Magnolia Fest, Tinker Cottage, On the Waterfront and Groove Walk.

Another cause close to Doug’s heart is his desire to play and bring live music to the sick and the elderly. Through a grant from the Rockford Area Arts Council, Doug Furze and Ryan Swanson have been bringing live music to seniors and the sick at various nursing homes since 2005. Some of the facilities include St. Anne’s Center, P.A. Peterson Center for Health, Alpine Fireside, St. Anne’s Place, Maplecrest, Luther Center, River Bluff, Loyalton, and East Bank Center.

Doug’s early memories of his mother’s favorites; Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong are what inspire Doug to bring the music of the past to those who appreciate and enjoy the talent of that time and provide fellowship through music. The purpose is to bring hope and foster an atmosphere of well being to the sick and the elderly and to help ease the day-to-day hardships, and reduce suffering.

Doug has been a devoted community champion in his fundraising and musical efforts. He is a humble man who doesn’t like much attention unless the attention is focused on stage or to one of his charitable causes. Members of the community who Doug has helped now want to help him in his brave efforts with this devastating disease. Please support Doug by attending “The Boulas Legacy Bash” on Sunday, July, 19, 2009 at Davis Park for a day of good food, drink, and wonderful music.

If you can’t attend the July 19th benefit and would like to help Doug, donations for the Douglas Furze benefit fund are being accepted at any Associated Bank location.