Pine Island medical benefit to boost musician who lost 8 fingertips

Rebecca Mitchell, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Jan. 26—PINE ISLAND — The music notes of Jeff Diamond's life shifted during a severe bout with COVID-19 in 2021.

He experienced blood clots and needed to be placed in a coma for three weeks. During that time, Diamond had eight of his fingertips removed — a major change for the longtime musician who performs classic rock and roll, Motown, soul, country, jazz, blues and swing music on his guitar. Diamond has switched to playing keyboard.

Diamond and Audio Tatonka will perform as the closing act of Pine Island Winter Fest at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Olde Pine Theatre. The event will help raise money for Diamond. Audio Tatonka, a Lanesboro-based band, encouraged people to come to the benefit as "doing something noble," the band wrote in a

Facebook post

. While based in Las Vegas, Diamond has family and friends in the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota areas.

As the owner and manager of Olde Pine Theatre in Pine Island and Willow's Keep Farm in Zumbrota, Ted Galaty met Diamond through his businesses and knew he wanted to help. The performance on Saturday includes a freewill donation with a raffle auction and

Paypal

options available. Donations online should note, "Donation Jeff Diamond."

"Really it's just trying to get him back on his feet and giving him some support," Galaty said.

He hopes to see people from Pine Island, Rochester and the Twin Cities area come to the benefit. Friends including Brandon Sampson of Six Mile Grove and the founder of Rochester's

Limb Lab

are also trying to help Diamond get back to playing the guitar.

"Jeff is a really good vocal artist, too, so he's just trying to transition to be able to still perform. Just unfortunately, he hasn't figured out how to play the guitar after the injury," Galaty said.

Over the years, Ted and Tricia Galaty have hosted five medical benefits for people in area communities.

"It's just one of those things where ... if we hear of people that have need we throw these in occasionally to try to help people," Galaty said.

The benefit concert will also be

livestreamed on YouTube

on the Olde Pine Theatre channel.

What: Medical benefit concert for Jeff Diamond

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28

Where: Olde Pine Theatre, 113 Second St. SW, Pine Island

Cost: Freewill donation