Concert planned in honor of late Newport Daily New columnist Jim Gillis. What to know

Friends and family of the late Newport Daily News reporter and columnist Jim Gillis are putting together a memorial concert for the man, who died on April 17 this year.

“It was an initiative started by the community, really,” said local musician and longtime friend to Gillis Tom Perrotti, one of the organizers for the event. “Jim just contributed so much … he just has a way of relating to people and he touched everyone that he communicated with. He made everyone feel important.”

Gillis worked as a reporter for the Daily News for more than 30 years. When he retired in 2013, he continued writing for the paper through his weekly column, "Spare Change," up until his passing at age 64. Through his work at the paper, he touched the lives of many people across Aquidneck Island, covering a wide array of topics from government to arts and entertainment.

Perrotti said he was asked to organize the event by Gillis’ wife, Julie Bisbano, and he’s working alongside a small committee of friends and former colleagues of Gillis to put the event together. A GoFundMe campaign with a $7,500 goal was launched to help pay for the cost of the memorial concert as well as to help Bisbano pay the rest of Gillis’ medical expenses.

The concert, dubbed “Gillispalooza,” will be four hours from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16 at King Park. Perrotti is still hammering away some of the details of who all will be performing for the concert, and the possible afterparty. He said he wants to get groups such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians Pipes and Drums, because Gillis used to go to Hibernian Hall, and wants to end the show with the AOH’s male singers singing the Irish folk song, The Parting Glass.

The event is free and open to the public and a rain date has been set for Sept. 17.

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Gillispalooza concert to honor late Jim Gillis of Newport Daily News