FRIENDS PLAN BENEFIT CONCERT TONIGHT NFOR LOCAL MUSICIAN DOYL HENDERSON

The friends of longtime local musician Doyle Hendrix have organized a benefit concert on his behalf tonight at the River City Yacht Club.

Hendrix, a harmonica player, guitarist and singer who works under the professional name Whitey, is recovering from radiation therapy and a four-hour cancer surgery performed less than a month ago.

He will attempt to attend the benefit briefly along with his wife, Kim.

The concert will last from 7 to 1 a.m. and will feature the Acme Blues Band, the Bob Camp Band, Style and Papa Aborigine.

Admission is $10 a person, and will include complimentary hors d'oeuvres and door prizes.

All the bands are donating their services, as is sound coordinator John Sharp.

The Yacht Club is donating the facility, hors d'oeuvres and the proceeds from drink sales.

Radio station Q99 is a co-sponsor of the benefit.

A blues benefit concert previously was held for Hendrix at Players.

Hendrix, 50, has been on and off the road since the mid-1970s, playing with such bands as the Texas Playboys, Floyd Tillman, Sneaky Pryor and Big Bad Smitty.

He also performed at Silver Dollar City for 1 1/2 years.

He worked with George Strait in the 1970s before the country singer became a star.

He frequently has entertained at Broussard's, the Water Street Lounge and other venues in downtown Cape Girardeau through the years, either as part of the duo Whitey and Slick with Bruce Zimmerman or the trio Whitey, Slick and Boogie with Zimmerman and Brad Graham.

He also was a member of an outfit called the Memorial String Band.

Doc Cain, owner of Port Cape Girardeau, organized the benefit. "We just wanted to be of help to him," Cain said.

"He's a great guy. The musicians in the area all know Whitey, and when we got this thing up they all were willing to donate their time and talents."

Hendrix, who lives in Jackson, is the father or stepfather of six children: Donnie, 29, also a musician, Bobby, 18, Erin, 15, Beth, 13, Matthew, 12, and Amber, 12.

Hendrix said his recovery from the treatment is just beginning.

"I'm home. They let me out of the hospital and I'm starting to eat. I lost a lot of weight and I'm starting to get it back," he said.