Help Black Lips, Carbonas and Others Pay for Atlanta Rocker Bobby Ubangi's Funeral

Update: Late last night, just as the first band was scheduled to take the stage at the Drunken Unicorn, Bobby Ubangi passed away. Our hearts go out to his friends and family.

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Atlantans who read this week's Creative Loafing will be struck by some sad news. Benjamin Jay Womack, known to many by his stage name Bobby Ubangi, recently entered hospice care after suffering from terminal cancer for the last nine months. Womack is an iconic fixture in Atlanta's music scene, playing with punk hometown heroes Carbonas and The Lids and paying the bills by working as a doorman at Atlanta rock club the Drunken Unicorn.

Womack is rightly celebrated for his generous temperament, and it's his dying wish to have an environmentally low-impact funeral. Unfortunately, it's expensive, and Womack's family and friends simply don't have the money. Henry Owings of Chunklet sent out a call for help today:

"...Now there's the not-so-delicate point of telling you that neither he nor his family and friends are rich. Furthermore, everybody who has ever known Bobby wants to abide by his dying wish which is to have a "green funeral" near Conyers which'll cost around four to five grand. I know. Dying ain't cheap. Anyway, if you've ever cared about the Atlanta music scene, please donate. If you've ever bought a Lids album, please donate. If you wonder why Deerhunter, Carbonas, Black Lips, Gentleman Jesse and every other band in Atlanta cares about BJ's welfare, please donate. Even if you have only a few dollars to contribute, please donate."

Residents of Atlanta can contribute by attending one of two (or both!) awesome benefit shows this week. Members of the Black Lips are holding a Renegades reunion show tonight at the Drunken Unicorn. Another benefit show will be held by Carbonas (it will also serve as their final breakup gig) at 529 this Saturday, July 4.

If you don't live in Atlanta or can't make it to the shows, Owings has organized a Paypal donation fund. Contributions via Paypal can be sent to henry@chunklet.com.

Related links:
Live Photos and Review: Atlanta Mess-Around, Day 1 (Blade II, Carbonas, More)
Creative Loafing: The Life and Times of Bobby Ubangi
Bobby Ubangi on MySpace

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