Doc Watkins, the 40-year-old jazz pianist and bandleader, is the main entertainment attraction a couple of nights a week at his popular San Antonio live jazz club Jazz, TX.
One night we know he won’t be playing: Friday, October 22, 2021.
It’s not that he doesn’t want to perform that night. In fact, he will be performing, but in quite a different way. Watkins, along with 11 other local residents – including musicians and local business persons – will be boxing in six charity matches designed to raise funds for local musicians with unpaid medical bills.
The Doc Watkins Classic: A Charity Boxing Gala, is being co-sponsored by Jazz, TX and the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts (also the venue). Proceeds will go to the San Antonio Musicians Medical Aid Fund.
“This is an incredible story of local musicians and community leaders coming together to provide much-needed relief for a crucial segment of our community,” says Watkins, noting that San Antonio’s local music community and venues went through large-scale shutdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Our local musicians have faced severe hardships over the past 18 months.
“This event is a major step towards helping San Antonio’s fantastic local music community.”
Watkins says planning for the event has been under way for nine months and involved a large number of volunteers. The three-round, USA Boxing-sanctioned matches, in which the boxers will wear headgear, include Geronimo Lopez, executive chef and owner of Botika; kickboxing fitness trainers Mariah Fulco and Danielle Gary (manager at local GNC); Tejano and Blues musician Bob Ram (leader of the local group “Bob Ram and the Rams”), and Watkins.
The event also will feature music performances by local Jazz, Blues, and Mariachi bands. Those expected to perform include and Johnny P and the Wiseguys (American standards music) and Vanessa del Fierro and Mariachi Las Coronelas (all-female mariachi group).
Watkins conceived of the idea of the event back in December when San Antonio’s music community was essentially closed down. “I got tired of taking punches and wanted to punch back,” he says.
To that end, he’s taking his bout seriously, training two hours a day.
“I haven’t been in this good of shape since high school,” he says.
###
