From the City of Florence's Facebook page:
<<<Percy Sledge, renowned recording artist and beloved member of the Muscle Shoals music family, is battling liver cancer and a benefit concert has been organized to show support and help defray his medical expenses. The show is scheduled for Tuesday, September 30, at 7:30 p.m. at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center.
* * * * *
A native of Leighton, Alabama, Sledge rose to stardom in 1966 after his song, “When A Man Loves A Woman,” became an international hit. His successful career as a recording artist and performer has scanned more than four decades and until his recent illness he was still actively booking sold-out shows around the world. ">>>>
https://www.facebook.com/CityofFlorenceAlabama
A successful entertainer over a career spanning almost 50 years, until recently "still actively booking sold-out shows around the world, " now has a serious health problem and needs help "to defray medical expenses"? Does Percy Sledge, like many others his age, qualify for Medicare insurance and has he signed up for it? If he enrolled in the Social Security system (as self-employed persons in this country are required by law to be), many of his health care costs would be paid for through Medicare. If he purchased a supplemental Medicare insurance policy, as I and many others have done, then that insurance would cover a substantial portion of the costs that Medicare does not. Where does Percy Sledge stand with respect to these available opportunities for health insurance?
I commend those who have organized the benefit concert for Percy Sledge and I hope that it will be sold out and will produce generous funds to help Mr. Sledge with his medical expenses. I wish him the best in his struggle with liver cancer, which is one of the more deadly forms of this dreaded disease. But I must admit that I am puzzled as to why Mr. Sledge is in need of such assistance, given the availability of health insurance for senior citizens such as himself at modest costs that are borne by many persons whose incomes are far less than his.