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On Sunday, May 1, the Star Theater will host a memorial potluck for the late Portland blues and soul singer Tahoe Jackson, who died March 25.
The potluck, which is being organized by Jackson’s friend Christy Desko, will be held on the theater’s patio from 4 to 7 pm (and the bar will be open for buying drinks).
Known for her bands Hungry Mob and Black Angel, Jackson was also known for her valiant battle against lymphatic disease, which inspired none other than Storm Large to name her the most fascinating person she knew on the Mesmer Project in 2009.
Jackson’s death was announced last month on a GoFundMe page created by Evon Porter, who started the campaign to support Jackson and her partner in both life and music, JR Pella, when they became houseless.
“JR is devastated but hanging in there,” Porter wrote. “I can tell you that Tahoe died in her sleep and that JR, the person that loved and cared for her the most, was there for her, and she was in a safe and good environment.”
The GoFundMe continues to seek donations for Pella, who was Jackson’s primary caregiver and remains jobless and houseless. The campaign has raised $9,240 so far (its goal is $9,500).
Jackson came from a musical family in the Bay Area, which included a bass-playing brother and a flute-playing sister. Her voice earned her comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Nina Simone, a testament not only to her talents as a singer, but to the zest she brought to both music and life.
When Jackson was interviewed by for the Mesmer Project, she revealed her personal motto, including: “Love in the deep creases of your soul you will find solitude and peace. Try to wake up and say ‘I am perfection....’”