Elvis Ate Dynamite

This is a video I posted on my Instagram page on Friday, October 17 (which explains why I say “Happy Friday”!), but I thought I would post it here as well. 

As I explain in the video, Jail Guitar Doors is a great organization that provides musical instruments to incarcerated people to help with their rehabilitation. As I understand it, Billy Bragg started the organization in the UK, naming it after a Clash song, and the late, great Wayne Kramer of Detroit’s legendary MC5 brought it to the United States. 

Aside from the fact that Jail Guitar Doors is a great organization doing great work, the story of how it came to America is truly wild. Check out this video from Tom Morello on the organization’s website (also available on YouTube) which explains how, unknown to Billy Bragg, the Clash actually wrote the namesake song … about Wayne Kramer. The particular serendipity that led Wayne to borrow Billy’s guitar, see a sticker on it saying “Jail Guitar Doors,” and ask Billy what it was about … well, it’s pretty remarkable.

So please donate if you can, and if you have any particular charities that you support, please mention them in the comments below. Let’s all do what we can to make the world a better place!