Music manager and promoter Wal Bishop today received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to the community.
Bishop has helped in fundraising events for The Anti Caner Council, Sacred Heart Mission and Visy Cares Center and most recently was helped out musician Max Merritt when he became ill.He set a target of $250,000 and organised the Concert for Max to get the veteran musician back on his feet. “Max fell on hard times after suffering kidney failure resulting from Goodpastures Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder”. Bishop said “He had no income and no way of putting food on the table or paying his mortgage so something just had to be done”.
Bishop is also a board member of the soon to be announced MusiCares Australia. “There is an increasing number of people in the entertainment industry facing health and financial challenges and it is beyond the scope of one charity to adequately take care of the needs of this exponentially growing group,” he said.
MusiCares Australia will provide direct relief of poverty, sickness or helplessness of musicians, entertainers and backstage personnel in Australia and to provide direct benevolent relief by way of services and financial assistance.
