Grammy-Winner George Porter Jr. Headlines BCCC Benefit

LEVITTOWN, PA — A Grammy Award-winning artist will be celebrating the legacy of a Levittown musician while raising money for the foundation named in his honor.

New Orleans jam band George Porter, Jr. and the Runnin' Pardners will headline the 4th annual Creative Inspiration concert benefiting the Danny DeGennaro Foundation. The concert will be Sept. 28 at the Zlock Performing Arts Center at Bucks County Community College in Newtown.

The concert also will feature Sylvia Salas and Bee Niranon, winners of the foundation's 2018 scholarships at the college. Other musicians supported by the nonprofit foundation also will perform.

Salas, a psychology major from Levittown, said writing and singing songs is her creative outlet.

"I just sing, mostly in the shower," she said in a news release for the show. "I like writing my own songs, sometimes for personal expression." She'll be performing songs by Lana Del Rey and Rihanna at the benefit, accompanied by a string trio featuring violinist Alyssa McGarvey of Newtown.

Local rock band All Lit Up will open the show and singer/songwriter Cara Cartney, a regular at Sparky's World Famous in Levittown, also will perform. On display will be a portrait of DeGennaro painted by Vanessa Pasqualone, an incoming Bucks County Community College freshman and the foundation's 2018 arts scholarship award winner.

Porter is best known for his work as bassist and singer with influential funk act, The Meters. While that group still performs occasionally, Porter formed The Runnin' Pardners in 1990 and has been touring with them, as well as the spinoff Funky Meters since. He also has worked as a studio bassist for artists including Tori Amos and David Byrne.

Steve Burke, a mentor with the foundation who played with DeGennaro in The Torpedoes in the 1970s, said the foundation remembers his former bandmate by working to inspire a new generation of musicians.

"The whole idea with the foundation is to find people with a creative spark and see if you can fan it," he said. "Every kid I’ve met in the program is above average. They want to be performers and have some of the nuts and bolts figured out already.”

The benefit concert is set for 7-11 p.m. on Sept. 28, with a 6 p.m. VIP concert. Tickets cost $30 for general admission and $50 for a VIP reception that will include beer, wine and hors d'oeuvres. Tickets may be purchased at the Zlock Performing Arts Center box office, at 215-968-8087 or online. Discounts are available for Bucks alumni, military and seniors.

The performing arts center is located at 275 Swamp Rd. in Newtown.

Photos courtesy Danny DeGennaro Foundation. Used with permission.