Tower Of Power With WAR This Saturday Night.

December 06, 2012

READ ALL ABOUT IT:

http://activate.metroactive.com/2012/12/tower-of-power-returns-to-san-jose-with-old-school-funk-rb/

TOP Back Stage Video From The Road

November 15, 2012

Click Here:

BACKSTAGE WITH TOWER OF POWER

Roger Smith’s Latest CD, “360”

August 17, 2012

Roger Smith's long awaited 'best of ' album takes a look back over the past ten-plus years and 7 albums. Featuring the talents of DAVE KOZ and Motown legends THE TEMPTATIONS, not to mention the inimitable horns from TOWER OF POWER, Roger Smith - 360 spans from funky #1 hit "Off The Hook" to the rich jazz ballad "Rachael's Dream", to the upbeat and energetic Brazilian party of "Fiesta" and finishes with a soul-stirring gospel anthem "Put Your Faith In Me", penned by Ben Sidran and Ricky Peterson.

Roger was invited to contribute to several tracks on the Dave Matthews Band's new album Away From The World, set to drop September 11, 2012. As featured performer with the DMB in recent weeks, Roger Smith's sound has found a whole new market and audience. What a perfect time to coincide with the release of Roger's new album.

Check out Roger Smith as guest performer with the Dave Matthews Band on YouTube

Tower’s 40th Anniversary Show To Air Nationally on AXS TV On 8/5

July 26, 2012

LOS ANGELES (July 25, 2012) – AXS TV will premiere Tower of Power’s 40th Anniversary Concert on Sunday, August 5, 2012 as part of the network’s on-going commitment to concert and live music programming. The band’s performance, which was filmed at the prestigious Fillmore Theater in San Francisco, provides an intimate live look at the iconic band which has spawned such hits as “You’re Still A Young Man,” and “What Is Hip?”

For more than 40 years, the legends of soul, Tower of Power, have delivered their own brand of funky rhythms and driving grooves to fans across the world. With a soaring horn section, soulful vocals and inarguably one of the tightest rhythm sections in the business, the funk-soul outfit is renowned as a must-see act. Combining R&B classics with jazzy hits, Tower of Power performs a spectacular concert for intergenerational music lovers. More than three decades ago the group dropped the hit “What is Hip?” And today, they still have the answer.

They deliver their funky sound to a “souled-out” crowd in this can’t-miss, mesmerizing, soul-stirring concert. According to Emilio Castillo, founder of the band who plays second tenor sax, assists on lead vocals, and writes and produces most of the band’s songs, the opportunity for the band’s performance to appear on AXS TV is “huge!”

In addition, viewers will witness performances by such guest artists as Sam Moore (Sam & Dave), plus dozens of former TOP "Alumni" such as former TOP band members Chester Thompson (Santana), Greg Adams, Richard Elliot, Mic Gillette as well as Lenny Pickett, musical director for "Saturday Night Live" who appear onstage with the TOP musicians, adding their own flavor to the memorable hits.

The band, who stays on the touring circuit, recently shared the stage with the Dave Matthews Band, which was heralded by one critic as "one of the best live performance ever witnessed" and is in the midst of recording music for a new CD. Through social media platforms Tower of Power’s fans will be able to win autographed prizes from the band and stay up to date, front row center in the days leading up to the premiere of the concert.

Tower of Power: 40th Anniversary Concert at the Fillmore, SF

Broadcast Premiere exclusively on AXS TV.
Sunday, August 5 at 8pmET/5pmPT

Visit Tower of Power on the web at the following links:
http://www.towerofpower.com
http://www.twitter.com/top
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Official-Tower-of-Power-FAN-Page/395777150225

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For more information on AXS TV concert events, please visit http://www.axs.tv, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AXSTVConcerts or on twitter http://www.twitter.com/AXSTVConcerts.


Tower of Power Contact: AXS TV Contact:
Cynthia Horner, Cinnamon CHIPS Media and Public Relations Samantha Birnbach
or
732 202-8246

Latest Interview With Rocco

July 02, 2012

Rocco discusses his origins with Tower Of Power, influences, new music and much more...

Click Here to View The Latest Interview With Rocco Prestia:

Jon Liebman's Interview With Rocco

A Special Story For Father’s Day:  Steven Spring With Tower Of Power, Maui, 2001

June 16, 2012

Steven Spring, 12/25/79 to 1/31/2002

This is a story about a father's love, a son's tenacity and grace, and the love of music. Circumstances brought Steve Spring together with Tower Of Power for a weekend that changed his life and made a major impact on the members of Tower Of Power. It is also about a father's loss and what he did after losing his son. Please visit http://www.stevenspring.org and read about Peter Spring's journey and the foundation he created to help other musicians and people mourning the loss of a loved one.

"The time we spent getting to know each other and the time on stage burning the house down were some of the most meaningful memories we have as a band. God was definitely amongst us that weekend and I'll never forget it." (Emilio Castillo recounting Steven's performance with Tower Of Power)

Steven Swinnerton Spring was a wonderful human being, and it showed: in the humble and respectful way that he treated everyone; in the incredible tenacity with which he pursued his dreams and fought his cancer; and, especially, in the infectiously joyous way that he made Music. I was never prouder of, and happier--both for, and with--my son than when he got to realize his dream of playing bass with Tower Of Power on October 13th, 2001 at The Four Seasons Resort in Maui. T.O.P. may have allowed him to sit in at sound check that day out of the tremendous compassion of their hearts, but they asked him to close the show that night on stage out of a genuine recognition and appreciation for his ability to ROCK THE HOUSE WITH SOUL! He truly loved their music, and played it with a depth and passion that proved it to everyone with ears.
I will be forever grateful for this indelible memory—to Rocco for stepping aside to make room for Steven and hanging out with him as a true mentor and hero; to the people at The American Cancer Society for allowing it to happen and the management and staff at the Four Seasons for making our time there so enjoyable; and to Emilio and all the guys in the band and crew for welcoming us as friends, and treating Steven as an equal. T.O.P. is THE BEST!! because they know that the only real, authentic Power IS Love, and it’s Voice is Music… PETER SPRING

From The Steven Spring Foundation Website:

The drummer clicked off the tempo and the band swung into it, filling the empty hotel ballroom with a mountainous wave of sound. The groove was positively ferocious: the horn players bobbed in time, staccato guitar chords sliced the rolling roar while the organ wail came straight from the soul, the drummer absolutely insisted that everybody GO! NOW!!, and the bass player grounded it all, keeping the flow strong, and steady, and down to earth. They'd played this song thousands of times, but it was obvious that they still loved it as much as they had when it was new, many years ago. The few of us in the audience couldn't help but tap our feet and dance in our seats.

This wasn't an ordinary sound check before a concert, though. The bass player was a new guy that the band had never heard before, and he was younger by half than most of the guys in the band. They had no idea how well he knew the tune, how good he was, or that he would even be able to keep up, much less contribute anything.

It wasn't long before they began looking around at each other, smiling. This kid HAD IT! Totally solid, hitting every kick, and throwing in killer fills of his own to boot. They relaxed and the smiles became wide grins. This gangly 21-year old with the backwards baseball cap really knew their music, and loved it as much as they did. The song was nearly a decade old when he was born, but he played it as if he'd done it forever.

The kid was surprised when they turned to him and motioned for him to take a solo. This band never had bass solos, so he wasn't prepared, but, after a moment of surprise, he got right to it: starting slowly, nothing too flashy, just a little more prominent than he'd been before. Building it bit by bit, he climbed up the neck, every lick a little bolder, stretching out his ideas and feelings and showing what he could do, but all the while never losing hold of the solid groove. He reached the climax, then took a long, smooth slide back down to the bottom of his instrument, telling everyone that he was done.

They made him do it again.

He took another solo, then the singer called for more horn solos, working to make the moment last. They finally wound it up and finished strong, with the kid stoppin' on the dime perfectly. Those of us in the audience lept screaming to our feet, clapping till our hands hurt, and, in my case, with tears of joy streaming down my face.

It was Saturday, October 13th, 2001, the place was the ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel in Maui, the band was the legendary Oakland-based soul band "Tower Of Power," the song was their signature tune "Knock Yourself Out," and the kid was my son, Steven Swinnerton Spring. The band was there to play for an American Cancer Society benefit that night, and my son, his girlfriend, and I were there as guests of the band and hotel. Despite a rare bone cancer that had eaten away half his left shoulder, most of several vertebrae and part of his right wrist, and had engulfed his lungs, liver, kidneys, and brain, and despite the bewildering array of drugs that he felt turned him inside out, he was not only still playing, he was, as musicians say, "a monster."

After congratulations all around, Steve played on "What Is Hip," another of their hits that's famous for its tough bass part, then they broke for dinner. They had him close the show that night with "Knock Yourself Out," and gave him a bass solo in the middle of it. As they left the stage, every band member gave him a hug, a high-five, or a handshake that congratulated him and welcomed him as an equal. My wish had come true.

The dream had been born in the summer, on the way to a brain tumor radiation treatment. Steven needed more sophisticated equipment than was available to us in southern Oregon, so we made an appointment at Emmanuel Legacy Hospital in Portland. While listening to our local public radio station a couple days before the trip, I had heard that the day before our appointment Tower Of Power was playing a free concert in Roseburg, which was right on our way. Steve, his girlfriend Teddi and I put a futon mattress in the back of my old Volvo wagon, and off we went to see Tower Of Power.

The concert was in a bandshell with lawn seating, and by the time we arrived all the best places had been taken, so we got as close as we could and settled in. While we were waiting, Steve told us about the last time that he'd heard the band, when they'd played at the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival in Portland. Steven had been studying bass at Mt. Hood Community College when his cancer was discovered, and he regaled Teddi and me with the story of how he had been thrown out of the stagefront area at the festival three times by the same security guard because he wanted to dance right in front of the band, which was not what the people in the cordoned-off, high-priced seating area wanted. Finally, the security people gave up and let the crowd of young gate-crashers have their way, with Steven right in front. After all, this is a band whose leader is known to announce over the microphone "We're here to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable!..."

When the band began, I noticed that Steve recognized every song as soon as they played the first note, and knew them all by heart. He and Teddi moved closer to the stage, but I stayed back, listening to a voice in my head that said "Do something good here, this is a real opportunity..."

I went around to the back of the backstage area, got right across the fence from the local security people, and froze. I wanted this so much that I didn't know what to say, so I just stood there. Finally, I got the nearest person's attention and made my request: "My son is a big fan, he's on his way to cancer treatments, and it would mean so much to him to just meet the band for a minute and get a picture, please..." I choked on the words, unable to hold the tears in.

The local security people had strict orders from the band not to let anyone backstage, and they did their job. I dried my eyes and went back to find Steve and Teddi, who by that time had become part of the dancing mass in front of the stage. I watched them till the show ended, then we headed for Portland. I didn't say anything about my failed attempt to help him meet his musical heroes.

When we got back home after the radiation treatment, the thought about how great it would be to get this crazy idea to happen just wouldn't leave me alone. I went to the band's website and sent them an email about Steven, and how much it would mean to us if they would just meet him, and let him sit in at a rehearsal for a few minutes. Anyplace, anytime, with no trouble to them other than a little bit of their time.

Weeks went by with no response, so I sent another email and waited patiently. Still no answer. Finally, my good friend Jennifer Schloming talked to her friend Herman Edel, who had retired to southern Oregon after a very successful career in the music business in Los Angeles. Jennifer had lost her husband, Gordon, to cancer in 1994, and Herman had experienced the tragic loss of his daughter, Margo, so they both wanted to help. Jennifer and Herman know each other through Temple Emek Shalom, one of our local Jewish synagogues. One of the deepest and strongest tenets of the Jewish faith is the doing of "mitzvot," or good works, particularly without thought of reward other than the goodness of the act itself, and they did a huge mitzvah for Steven and me.

As did Herman's son Scott, an entertainment lawyer in LA. He approached the band's agent, Guy Richard, who in turn called their manager, Michelle Zarin. After discovering that she and Scott were neighbors, they got together to talk about it. They hit it off, and she looked in her calendar for possible dates.

"I turned the page and there it was," she recalled. "We had a benefit we were doing for the American Cancer Society. It was just meant to be. I felt like an opportunity to bless someone had just been dropped in my lap."

Sometimes everything falls into place, and we are lucky enough to see for a moment the hand of the Divine at work in the world, and to feel that we are part of something much larger than ourselves. Because the owner of the 4 Seasons Hotel chain had lost his 17-year old son to cancer, once a year every hotel in the chain hosts a cancer benefit, and Tower Of Power had been booked to play for their flagship resort in Maui. They were scheduled to fly over on a Thursday, play Saturday night, and leave Monday evening. Since this was a relatively long stay at a premier resort, many of the band members were bringing their wives, and some were bringing their children, too. I will be forever grateful to Guy Richard and Michelle Zarin for giving us their tickets, and to the Four Seasons for giving Steven and Teddi an ocean-view room. We were given the same generous meal allowance as the band members, and were treated wonderfully by everyone. The time we spent there was, and always will be, one of the most treasured memories of my life.

There are even deeper levels to this story, though. Francis Rocco Prestia, TOP's long-time bass player, had collapsed on stage during a show in Bend, Oregon the year before, and had been rushed to the hospital. Near death from liver failure and without insurance, he hadn't known how he would be able to pay for treatment, but the doctors told him not to worry, that he would be treated anyway.

"You just don't find people like that anymore," Michelle said. "They were so amazing. So Oregon has been in the back of my mind since that happened, and I'm so glad that we can do something good for someone from Oregon. And he's even a bass player!"

The whole trip was amazing. We met the band at the San Francisco airport, and even though they had gotten just a couple hours' sleep after playing late and travelling, they were gracious and welcoming to us. As we got to know them better, many of them shared with us how cancer and other tragedies had touched their lives, and how glad they were to have us there. The guys in the band and crew are deep, real, and genuine people, and we are truly privileged to know them as friends.

The Four Seasons Maui has been rated among the world's top resorts, and I can't help but agree. The setting was spectacular, the weather perfect, the food incredible, and the service flawless. David Reaves, the manager of the benefit, made sure that we were well taken care of, and the video tape of Steven playing with the band that was made by the house audio-visual staff is priceless to me. Steven and Teddi even ran into one of their old high school friends who worked at the hotel, which made us feel even more that we were in the right place.

We closed down the after-gig backstage party. Emilio Castillo, one of the founders and leader of the band, told Steven that he was welcome to sit in with them anyplace, anytime. Before the sound check, Steve had somewhat anxiously asked me if I thought that they would let him play with them that night. I'd told him "You just be yourself and play the way you play, and everything will take care of itself just fine," and he had relaxed. It felt so good to be able to give him some comfort and hope, and to feel his trust and faith in me.

When Monday afternoon came we didn't want to leave. Everything was so warm--the water, the breeze, the sun and sand, the people at the hotel, the band members and their families--and going back to Oregon and the coming winter seemed cruel and unfair. I had gotten all that I really wanted out of the trip during the sound check, when the guys in the band had recognized my son for the tremendous musician that he was, but the rest of that particular piece of paradise had been pretty easy to take, too, and getting back to real life just didn't hold much appeal for any of us. Reluctantly, we left the island and went home.

We were deeply touched when we got emails from some of the guys telling us how impressed they were by Steven's playing, and, more importantly, by his character. Baritone saxophonist "Doc" Kupka and guitarist Jeff Tamelier wanted to hire him to play on a project for their Strokeland Records label, and the band invited him to play with them at the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco for Christmas and again for New Years in Lake Tahoe, but he couldn't take the travel. He kept on playing as much as he could, but only locally.

He played with his own band on January 4th in our home town of Ashland, and if you didn't notice that he rested the head of the bass on the back of a chair you wouldn't have known that anything was wrong. During the entire course of his illness, no one -- not family member, friend, doctor, nurse, or stranger -- ever heard him complain, or call attention to himself, or ask for pity or sympathy. Once, when he was considering giving up chemotherapy, I asked him what treatment he would do instead. After a long, deep pause he looked me in the eyes and said "Play as much music as possible." He gave me an example of courage and determination that will inspire me for the rest of my life.

We were with him at home on January 31st, 2002 when his spirit went Home. He had done a lot in his 22 years, and i will be forever thankful that he had pursued exactly what he'd wanted to do with a single-minded passion, and that i had helped and supported him in the best way that i knew how. He had made no enemies, he'd been a joy to all who knew him, he was truly fortunate to have known real love, and he'd lived his life without doubt, fear, or regret.

When I called the guys in the band to tell them, they told me that they had been talking about him that very day because they were in the middle of auditioning bass players. Frank needed a liver transplant and was nearing the top of the waiting list, so they were trying out substitutes, and the guy that day had played all the right notes but just didn't have the feel they wanted. Half the band thought he was perfectly adequate as a sub and argued for him, and half the band thought that "perfectly adequate" wasn't good enough for TOP, and was adamantly opposed to him. During a very pregnant pause, someone finally summed it all up by saying "We need somebody who plays like Steve." Emilio told me that if Steven had been available they'd have given him an audition--and i know in my heart that he'd have had the job--and they sent yellow roses to the memorial service with a note declaring that he was "an official Tower Of Power alumnus." TOP is a class act all the way. They truly know in their souls that, among the many joys and powers of music, the deepest one is the power to heal.

After a tremendous outpouring of support from their fans, Frank got his transplant and is healthy and back with the band. He spent a lot of time with Steve and Teddi that weekend, and the picture on my refrigerator of Steven and him smiling and mugging for the camera never fails to make me smile, too. And in June of 2002, the band happened to play at the Britt Festival here in southern Oregon, just when our family from around the country was "coincidentally" holding a reunion! It was a wonderful blessing for us to be able to give them our appreciation and thanks in person.

Steven was so fortunate to have gotten to know the guys in Tower Of Power as both musicians and people, and they were lucky to have known him. I will be forever grateful to have been a part of it, and, through sharing this story, to keep alive the memory of my beloved son, and a truly magical moment of music, and joy, and love, and healing.

Tower Of Power in 2001 in no particular order:
Emilio Castillo
Doc Kupka
Norbert Stachel
Larry Braggs
"Iron" Mike Bogart
Adolfo Acosta
Rocco Prestia
David Garibaldi
Roger Smith
Jeff Tamelier

New Music From Nick Milo, Former TOP Keyboardist.

June 04, 2012

Fans of TOP will certainly know the name Nick Milo. Nick was a member of Tower Of Power for many years, handling keyboard duties for the band from 1988 to 1999. In addition to touring with Tower for many years and recording several albums with the band, Nick was also a big part of the 40th Anniversary TOP show at the Fillmore in October, 2008 and was featured on many of the songs on the DVD available from that event.

Nick is currently the music director and keyboardist for Joe Cocker, who he has been working with since 2001. He will be on tour in the States this July and August with Cocker and Huey Lewis and the News.
Rocky Maffit http://www.rockymaffit.com/ is a composer/percussionist/singer and published author ("Rhythm and Beauty", published by Billboard). He was one of the original members of the band Champaign, a hit makers from the early eighties, when he was three years old!

Yvonne Kupka Has Received A Liver Transplant!

December 28, 2010

‎

-Breaking News!

Yvonne Kupka has had successful liver transplant surgery. Late last night a liver became available and the transplant surgery took place. Our prayers have been answered! The road to recovery is a long one, and with any type of transplant surgery there can be many complications.

Doc and his family, as well as everyone associated with Tower Of Power would like to thank everyone that has been kind enough to make donations to the fund that has been established for Yvonne's medical expenses. Yvonne's recovery will take time and the financial needs are just beginning.

Please click here for information on how you can help the Kupka Family: Yvonne Kupka Medical Fund

Yvonne Kupka Article

November 28, 2010

Yvonne Depatis-Kupka, wife of Stephen "Doc" Kupka of the Legendary Tower of Power needs a liver transplant and needs your help
By Dr. Al Carlos Hernandez
Herald De Paris

Steve Kupka is one of the founding members of the soul band Tower of Power. TOP, The Kings of East Bay Soul have been touring the world for over 42 years bringing their brand of horn fueled furious funk and sweet soulful ballads. Their legions of followers and fans include Prince, Sting, Madonna, and Carlos Santana. Tower of Power band leader Emilio Castillo started to play with his band the Motowns at the end of the 1960's. Unlike most of the other S.F. bands during that time, the Motowns - an East Bay band - played soul music instead of psychedelic music. When Stephen Kupka joined the band Castillo found a partner and an important foundation for what was to come. Soon the band changed its name to Tower of Power - basically because it looked like a name that could mean success.

Bill Graham, master concert promoter signed the band to his label San Francisco Records and Tower recorded their first album entitled 'East Bay Grease' in 1970. With this album and several popular appearances at the Fillmore and other venues the band was quickly signed to Warner Brothers. With Warner they released six albums. These gave them such hit singles as 'You're Still A Young Man', 'So Very Hard To Go' and 'Don't Change Horses (In A Middle Of A Stream)' - the latter being their last US Top 30 hit single in 1974.

When the band switched their label to Columbia things started to get worse (although Columbia paid quite a high price to get Tower). They produced three records for Columbia but only the first one reminded of the old Tower of Power. Drug problems, subsequent line-up changes and attempts to keep up with the disco sound produced two weak follow up albums. It looked like the end was near. Nevertheless one has to acknowledge that Tower produced 10 albums during the 70s and very few bands can claim to have an album out every year!

Tower of Power is bigger and badder than ever and expects to put out a live 40th anniversary DVD later this month that was filmed at the seminal Fillmore auditorium in San Francisco on October 18, 2008. TOP plays at least 200 dates a year still globe trotting throwing the funk down and gaining a legion of new generation fans.

Steven "Doc" Kupka said; “Love is patient and kind. That’s my philosophy. Making things better for you if you’ve been to our show– that gives me a joyous feeling. It’s a beautiful thing and I know it was meant to be. Having a vibrant career that meets my creative and artistic needs also brings me joy. And being this old -- that really works me! The sum for us has always been greater than the parts. Because when we click there isn’t a band in the world that can beat us. It’s us veterans getting that charge from the young guys – they’ve really kept us old guys going”.
When everything got better I appreciated it so much more. Don’t take anything for granted, it’s all so fleeting – that was the biggest lesson. Huey Lewis single-handedly revived our career, and I’m eternally grateful for that. Getting David (Garibaldi) back -- what a major turning point that was. Also, being vigilant about the business -- it doesn’t matter how well you play if you don’t take care of that. So the future is friendly, especially if we get a couple of breaks – a song in a high-profile movie, let’s say, or if Being on top of the world when we’re smoking – it’s a magical feeling. I’m blessed to have my relationships with Emilio (Castillo), who’s taught me so much about soul music, and David and Rocco (Prestia) who make everything look so easy. As long as we have Tower people playing Tower rhythms, and horn players who know how to play tight – and we have a good vocalist -- Tower of Power will be all right.

Well, things for now are not all right, Kupka's beloved wife Yvonne Depatis-Kupka a renowned and highly respected Hollywood makeup artist and actress whose work has appeared in more than 50 movies and television shows including Planet of the Apes, In Living Color, CSI Miami, In Treatment, True Blood, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and many more, is in serious need of a liver transplant and the family at this time doesn’t have all the resources to make it happen, so we need your help. Yvonne Depatis-Kupka recently designed and styled hundreds of wigs for Harold Ramis' prehistoric comedy "Year One," but when it comes to hair, she has a pretty impressive history of her own. She discovered a natural affinity for cosmetology at a very early age.

Yvonne said,” I was doing hair when I was about 7 years old, I had this little doll, and I didn't like her hair. So I took it down and brushed it all out, and it got really crazy. I just started playing with it and gave her a different hairdo. And my mom used to let me comb her hair. She still thinks nobody can do her hair as well as me."
In 1966, Depatis-Kupka went to work for Gene Shacove, the legendary Beverly Hills hairdresser who was rumored to be the inspiration for Warren Beatty's character in "Shampoo." In the 1970s, she moved to Northern California, where she opened her own salon in Santa Rosa before joining a theater troupe called Free Store.
"It was live street-performance theater up in the San Francisco Bay Area," she said. "We were very political -- crazy costumes, full face masks and all of that. We painted our faces differently for every performance."

After 15 years, the L.A. native returned to her hometown and began to pursue work as a hair and makeup artist in the entertainment industry, something she had vowed to avoid as a child. (Her parents worked for NBC and Universal Studios.) "I don't know why, but I can look at a picture and duplicate anything," she said. "I started getting phone calls to take care of actresses or actors who cut their hair off and then they had to go back to do some re shoots or additional photography. They'd call me to come and match them. I love working with wigs. I really enjoy making them look real."

Yvonne is on the California liver transplant list, seriously ill and urgently in need of this surgery. Simply put, the cost for this major surgery and post-operative care substantially exceeds her health insurance coverage and the family's resources. Major surgery shouldn't bankrupt a family or threaten to financially ruin their lives. So the Friends of Yvonne and Doc Kupka have organized this medical fund to help cover the uninsured portion of these extreme medical expenses.

How You Can Help
(1) Please make a PayPal donation to the medical fund: For More Information go to: http://www.yvonnekupka.com
(2) Share this with your followers on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks:
(3) Blog about this fundraiser. Write a short article for your blog to help get the word out.
(4) Buy the CD.

In 2008, Doc Kupka released Doc Goes Hollywood, a collection of ballads in a modern "Great American Songbook" style. Included on this CD is Track 5, Yvonne, a touching, moving tribute to the love of Doc's life: Yvonne Depatis-Kupka.

You can buy the CD at http://www.strokelandrecords.com or http://www.cdbaby.com. All proceeds from the sale of this CD at either outlet are graciously being donated to the Yvonne Kupka Medical Fund.
Doc Goes Hollywood: Copyright © 2008, Strokeland Records. All rights reserved. Used with written permission.

Please pray for the Kupka family.
This is an emotional and difficult time for the Kupkas. But prayer can work wonders—even miracles! "Where two or three are gathered in His name..." Please offer a prayer for the family.
Donations are not tax-deductible

The Friends of Yvonne and Doc Kupka have established an Irrevocable Trust Agreement administered by an independent medical fund trustee to govern the proper handling and administration of all donations received. Donations are gifts to Yvonne Depatis-Kupka and are not tax-deductible in the United States under current IRS regulations.
To verify that this is a legitimate fundraising effort and not an Internet scam, visit Doc Kupka's Web site at http://strokeland.com/ or the Tower of Power Web site at http://towerofpower.com/.