When we talk about the music industry, it ain’t just the rich and famous musicians, producers, and song writers. It also has the lesser-known artistes, background musicians and singers, and backstage personnel, and more. And with the COVID-19 pandemic going on worldwide, these workers who won’t get paid if they’re not working are also affected.

Thankfully, the organisation behind the GRAMMY Awards, the Recording Academy, is helping these workers through their charitable foundation MusiCares. And the foundation has just received a huge boost from none other than X Japan’s own Yoshiki! The legendary J-rock musician has donated US$100,000 to the foundation through his 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Yoshiki Foundation America.

The musician/philanthropist released a statement regarding his donation:

 â€œWhile I have been calling for performances to be halted for the sake of the fans during this necessary time of self-restraint, I can also understand from my own experience the magnitude of the economic losses. The current crisis threatens not only the entertainment industry but many people across various industries.

As a musician, I decided to donate to the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help my colleagues who might be struggling. With this virus threatening not just one country but the entire world, I sincerely hope that, through self-restraint and patience, we can contain the spread of new infections and eliminate this threat as soon as possible, and all industries can be revived again, including the entertainment industry .”

He also appeared on a video promoting the sharing of information about the Pandamic. In fact, he appeared alongsode Nobel Laureate Shinya Yamanaka (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and director of the Center for iPS Cell Research) to discuss worldwide health concerns.

YOSHIKI made a 10 million yen donation earlier this month to the Japan Red Cross in commemoration of the ninth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. He also made a US$24,000 to Meals on Wheels branches across Los Angeles for seniors affected by the coronavirus situation. And even before that, he also donated a combined $100,000 to Australian Wildfire Relief and the Rain Forest Trust earlier this year as well.

As for MusiCares, they are now accepting donations via their official website. Those who need aid can also apply for assistance there as well.

Yoshiki Foundation America: https://www.yoshikifoundationamerica.org
YOSHIKI Official Website: https://www.yoshiki.net