MusiCares Distributes $15 Million for Los Angeles Fire Relief

One year after fires ravaged across Los Angeles County, wiping out entire neighborhoods in its wake, residents have come together to rebuild — a bold example of the resiliency and strength of the L.A. community. Among the organizations that have helped survivors navigate the aftermath and loss is MusiCares, a charity that works in partnership with the Recording Academy, and has since directed $15 million toward relief.

The organization announced the news on Wednesday, sharing that they have helped more than 3,200 music professionals through direct financial assistance, health and wellness services, and long-term recovery support. MusiCares distributed $7 million immediately following the fires to help with urgent needs and ongoing recovery, per the charity.

“Recovery does not happen on a fixed schedule,” said Theresa Wolters, Executive Director of MusiCares. “We continue to hear from people who have been in survival mode for nearly a year, rebuilding homes, juggling displacement, trying to keep working, and only now able to focus on their own health and stability. That delayed need is a very real part of disaster recovery.”

Darryl “JMD” Moore was among the many artists who lost not only their homes, but also their studios, instruments, and livelihoods. “I lost the 1965 Rogers Holiday drum kit I used to record ‘Inner City Boundaries’ with Freestyle Fellowship, and all of the tapes I made with those kids. Our whole archives burned to dust,” Moore, whose Altadena residence and decades-old equipment burned in the blaze, told Rolling Stone for a feature marking the one-year anniversary of the fires.

Moore also detailed the impact MusiCares had on him and his family in a social media post shared Wednesday. “Music care has made it possible for me to get an interface, a mic free, an accelerator that gave me the basic components it took for me to start being creative,” said the producer, who added the organization also gave him a grant to help pay his rent and mortgage. “It’s allowed us to regain some of ourselves. … Music cares was a gift of love.”