Dana Middle School will host a benefit concert played by homegrown country music duo The Readings on Thursday, March 27.
Brothers Eric and Chris Reading, graduates of Point Loma’s Dana Middle School and members of the Point Loma High class of 1986, are launching their Tour 4 Cure, a national event to raise awareness and funding for research on a multiple myeloma, currently an incurable cancer.
The Readings will officially kick off the tour at Downtown San Diego’s Borders book store Saturday, March 29. Although the tour is partnered with Borders, the rising country stars will play at Dana as a special homecoming and kickoff concert put on in association with Larry Zeiger Productions.
“It was easy [to decide to start the tour in San Diego],” said Eric Reading. “It’s our hometown. That was our middle school. We went there. We figured we had enough friends we’re still in touch with, and there are enough people who will turn out for this good cause. We’ve been working hard in Nashville for so long, we wanted to come back and share our songs with people.”
All proceeds from the concert at Dana Middle School will go to the Tour 4 Cure and the Eric and Chris Reading Scholarship Fund at Point Loma High.
“The scholarship is in honor of their mother, Bonnie Reading,” said Laurie Hurl, head counselor at Point Loma High. “It will be awarded to a female student who will attend college and [who has overcome] difficult circumstances to reach their goal.”
Partnering with the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), the Reading brothers are touring not just to croon their heartfelt songs but to raise money for a cause that touched the Reading boys personally. Multiple myeloma claimed their mother at age 51 in 1995.
“We would like to raise $100,000 and we’re halfway to our goal ” and we haven’t even started the tour,” Eric Reading said. “The tour is eight cities, eight weeks and free to the public. Hopefully, people will get inspired to maybe donate just a little bit. This was an idea to do something different to raise funds and awareness.”
He said neither Eric nor Chris planned to be musicians. But after their mother passed away, the brothers decided to move to Nashville to create their country band. San Diego magazine recently named the brothers to their 2008 list of “50 People to Watch.”
Their song topics range from bullying-induced suicide (“Wanda’s Song”) to a tribute to the men and women serving the United States (“I Do This for You”). Their song “One of Those Days,” about their mother’s experience, has been picked up by the American Cancer Society and eventually led to the Readings’ partnership with the MMRF.
Multiple myeloma represents 1 percent of all cancers, yet 2 percent of cancer deaths. Only one-third of those diagnosed with the disease survive 5 years, according to statistics.
“Years ago, breast cancer was incurable,” Eric Reading said. “Look at how much the Susan G. Komen Foundation has done. [MMRF] has raised close to $100 million and sponsors 70 labs worldwide. They’re doing amazing things.”
The concert at the middle school will be at 7 p.m. in the Jackson Theatre. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for adults; front-row reserved seating is available for $25. Tickets are available at www.showboxoffice.com.
For more information, visit www.thereadings.net.