KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Weekends at Knuckleheads in Kansas City, Missouri, are filled with music, and Sunday afternoon was no different.
Five bands headlined a fundraiser for longtime area musician Johnny Toon.
"We’ve been fairly successful, and Johnny’s been a part of that for the last 10 years at least," said Danny Garrison, a vocalist and guitarist for The Outtakes.
The Outtakes, an '80s and '90s band from Kansas City, frequents the Knuckleheads stage, playing each month.
Garrison told KSHB 41 that Toon is the group's bass player. Following a show, Toon apologized to Garrison for being a bit "off" during the performance.
It was no problem, and Toon blamed it on the heat, but Garrison knew that wasn't the case.
The next day, Toon had a seizure and was admitted to a hospital. Shortly after, he was diagnosed with a rapidly growing form of brain cancer.
"I live 10 minutes at a time. Then, it resets," Toon told KSHB 41 News reporter Ryan Gamboa.
On Sunday afternoon, Frank Hicks, owner of Knuckleheads, offered up his venue to support a friend.
"It's what we do," he said. " Johnny would've done it for everybody else; we're doing it for him."
There were silent auction items and a full room of live music fans.
Gamboa met Toon in the green room, where he's spent countless hours with his bandmates.
Many of them expressed to Toon how much they love him.
"I feel pleased, privileged," Toon said.
Overcome with emotions, Toon was embraced by his best friends.
Before taking the stage at 7:30 p.m., the group spent time building their friend up.
"We’re fighting hard every day for Johnny," Garrison said. "Cancer has hit everybody. Everyone knows somebody, if not personally and directly, that's been affected, and cancer sucks. It’s like this is happening to a family member."
At around 4 p.m., the GoFundMe online fundraiser had nearly reached $20,000.
"The music community really is a tight-knit community," Hicks said. "He's just going through some tough times. I have a tender heart for him. I think this is what people are supposed to do."
If you are interested in donating to Toon's treatment fund, click here.
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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
