Classy move by 49 Winchester. The rocking country band hailing from Castlewood, Virginia recently chose to use their platform to help foster the growth and interest in music in their hometown. Bassist Chase Chafin, along with the rest of the band, came together to donate 50 Fender guitars to seventh graders at Castlewood Elementary School. They apparently chose that specific grade because that's when many of the 49 Winchester members started playing music themselves. Their donation was met with a lot of enthusiasm from the students, and immense gratefulness from the school's staff. Principal Adam Pagett was incredibly thankful for the band's generosity, and provided this statement to WCYB 5: "It's amazing to have a group like 49 Winchester come back and want to give back to the community that they came from, and we're very thankful for them." Not only are the members of 49 Winchester from the Russell County community... they attended the very elementary school that they visited and gifted with the guitars. That undoubtedly offered the country music group a full circle moment, and their donation of 50 guitars could very well spark another "49 Winchester" to come out of Castlewood. Student Alexia Leighton was over the moon about the Fender guitar that she was given by 49 Winchester: "We had some guitars but they don't have the strings, and my mom's been trying to get the strings, so to have a guitar that has all the strings is what I wanted." You can hear more on the story at the link below from WCYB 5, which first reported the story of 49 Winchester giving back to their former elementary school: Such a cool story, and a great way to provide encouragement and give back to the community 49 Winchester calls home. This isn't the first time that the Virginia band decided to use their platform to help others. 49 Winchester responded to the crisis that was caused by Hurricane Helene by announcing a benefit show. The band put on the concert after Thanksgiving at the East Tennessee State University Martin Center for the Arts, and all of the proceeds from their performance (and those tuned in for the show’s livestream), which totaled over $35,000, went to the Second Harvest of Northeast Tennessee.  49 Winchester's bassist, Chase Chafin, also recently launched FOLK Ware, and donated the proceeds from the first design drop to the Appalachian Relief Fund: “Not how we envisioned the launch of FOLK Ware, but it feels more important than ever to promote unity and general positivity across the region. Proceeds at launch will directly benefit Appalachian Flood relief programs and local efforts. It will certainly be a long road ahead & we will stay active in learning the best ways to help in the coming weeks and months.” https://www.instagram.com/p/DAgNuTfJK45/?img_index=1 The "C" in 49 Winchester must stand for "charitable." They're one of the most likable bands out there right now, and with everything they are doing outside of music, 49 Winchester is certainly deserving of their success. We actually caught up with them just last year, as band members Isaac Gibson and Chase Chafin joined the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast. You can download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff,” or click here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBscuoFNQwo

Follow NewsClips channel at Brighteon.com for more updatesSubscribe to Brighteon newsletter to get the latest news and more featured videos: https://support.brighteon.com/Subscribe.html

Follow NewsClips channel at Brighteon.com for more updatesSubscribe to Brighteon newsletter to get the latest news and more featured videos: https://support.brighteon.com/Subscribe.html

Yes, that's right, the current Toto singer, Joseph Williams, is the son of legendary film score composer John Williams and actress Barbara Ruick, who passed away too soon at the age of 41 in 1974. Born in 1960 in Santa Monica, California, Joseph released his self-titled debut album in 1982. In the following years, he worked extensively as a guest vocalist on many soundtracks, including the song "Save the Night" from The Goonies (1985) and Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears (1985). His father, John Williams, is one of the most influential film composers of all time, having created iconic scores for movies such as Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977), Superman (1978), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), the Indiana Jones franchise, Jurassic Park (1993), and more. How Joseph Williams Joined Toto In 1984, two years after Toto released their best-selling album "Toto IV" (1982), which featured hits like "Rosanna" and "Africa," lead singer Bobby Kimball was fired. Earlier, in 1983, Kimball had faced prosecution for drug-related charges, and although he pleaded not guilty and the charges were dismissed, the band decided to part ways with him in the following year due to his inability to record vocals and his frequent absences from recording sessions. To replace him, the band brought in Fergie Frederiksen (formerly of Angel, Trillion, and LeRoux), with whom they recorded the album "Isolation" (1984). However, the record failed to achieve the commercial success of its predecessor. After the tour promoting the album, Frederiksen was also let go. Following his departure, Toto held auditions and Joseph Williams was chosen as the new lead singer. With Williams on vocals, the band recorded the successful album Fahrenheit (1986), which featured two hit singles sung by guitarist Steve Lukather: "I'll Be Over You" and "Without Your Love." Williams also contributed lead vocals to several tracks, including "Till the End." In 1988, he was part of The Seventh One, which included the hits "Pamela" and "Stop Loving You." Although both albums and their corresponding tours were successful, the band decided to replace Joseph in 1988. In the following years, Toto had several different lead singers, including Jean-Michel Byron and Bobby Kimball (who later returned). From 1992 to 1998, Steve Lukather and David Paich handled the lead vocals. Return to the band Joseph briefly rejoined the band in 1998 for a small promotional tour with former members Kimball and Steve Porcaro. However, after the Toto XX tour, only Kimball officially rejoined the band, remaining a member until 2008. During those years, Williams occasionally performed with Toto, contributing to recordings and live shows. From 2008 to 2010, Toto went on hiatus, but when the band was reformed by Lukather in 2010, Williams officially returned as lead vocalist, a role he continues to hold to this day. Besides being a singer, Williams also plays keyboards and tambourine. Like most Toto members, he is also a highly regarded session musician. One of his most famous contributions outside of Toto was providing the singing voice for adult Simba in Disney’s 1994 animated film The Lion King. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tppmuRLNkc&pp=ygUUdG90byBzdG9wIGxvdmluZyB5b3U%3DThe post Did you know Toto’s vocalist is the son of composer John Williams? appeared first on Rock and Roll Garage.