By RICK de YAMPERT

ENTERTAINMENT WRITER

In recent months, local musician Rick Simpson would take his guitar and perform for recovering stroke patients at a rehab center. Never mind that the 61-year-old Simpson was himself a client at the center, battling lymphoma and recovering from having a pacemaker put in him.

"He's still playing music," said his wife, Debi. When Simpson was in the hospital and in rehab afterward, "he had his guitar. When he wasn't feeling too low from the chemo, he would go down and play for the stroke patients, get them to move and dance and sing and clap."

Her husband "has been entertaining through this whole thing," Debi said.

What they initially believed to be a pinched nerve in his back turned out to be a cancerous tumor on his spinal column. The cancer has since spread to his lungs. Simpson is still fighting the lymphoma and is undergoing physical therapy to be able to walk, but his hands are fine and guitar-worthy, Debi said.

He's hoping to play Sunday<cm Sept. 20> when some of his fellow area musicians hold a benefit for him.

The "I'll Get By With a Little Help From My Friends" Benefit for Rick Simpson will be 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, at the Dock, 5395 S. Ridgewood Ave., Port Orange. Rain date is Sept. 27.

Admission is $10 and includes barbecue. The event will have other fundraising activities, including drawings and gift certificates donated by area restaurants and organizations.

While Simpson qualifies for Medicaid, they have no insurance and he hasn't been able to work since March, Debi said.

Along with working as a realtor, "I'm bartending at the Dock a couple of nights a week to try to make ends meet," she said. "We've been borrowing money for our mortgage payment."

Performers at the benefit will include Dan the One Man Band, sax player Ray Guiser, the Rhythm Sharks with Doug and Peg, Bob Thames, Brad Yates and the Soul Surfers, Redmond and Hart, Morning Buzz, Jimmy King and the Tune Kings, Then2Now, and Dan and John.

Yates, who has known Simpson over 20 years, said the singer-guitarist "always has a smile and still does."

In music business lingo, Simpson performs in what's known as a "single" style (as opposed to solo) because he sometimes uses electronic beats and tracks to accompany himself.

"He's got his own style," Yates said. "He's a great entertainer. A lot of times people who do that single thing, as we call it, they let the machine do the work, honestly. Rick could just stand there and play guitar and sing. He doesn't need all those gadgets. He's a real talented guy standing alone."

rick.deyampert@news-jrnl.com