Steve Eaton has organized a benefit concert for Idaho guitarist John Hansen at the Sapphire Room in the Riverside Hotel in Boise, 2900 W. Chinden Boulevard on Wednesday from 6 to 10 p.m. This event is sold out, but extra room has since been added. If you can't make it, donations are welcome.

A close friend of John's, Belinda Bowler, wrote the following: "I have known John Hansen for nearly 50 years. In that time, I have had the great honor to be his friend through the ups and downs of our lives, as well as to share the stage as his musical partner at times. He is now facing new challenges and needs our help.

"Over five years ago, John started to have issues with weakness and numbness in his hands and feet. As the pain in his hands progressed, it became difficult for him to play guitar. Anyone who has heard John play guitar knows what this means. His mastery of the instrument is legendary, his voice unforgettable. It was also his livelihood. His hands continued to get worse, as did the symptoms in his feet and legs, until he could no longer work and make a living as a performer. The initial diagnosis was peripheral neuropathy which, as it turns out, did not address what was really happening to him.

"In April, after falling repeatedly as his legs gave out from under him, a trip to the emergency room led to two weeks in the hospital and two more weeks in rehab to try to stabilize his condition. During this time, it was recommended that he get a new neurological assessment. After many weeks of tests, he was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, a debilitating autoimmune disease that affects the myelin sheath of the nerves.

"There are treatments available that have shown a wide range of success in helping some patients recover who otherwise might be spending the rest of their lives in a wheelchair. John needs these treatments to regain some of his mobility and continue living an independent life. The funds will allow John to focus on treatments and physical therapy. Since he has been unable to work for the last several years, the funds will help him catch up and carry him through until he can work once again.

"Thank you for helping our friend!"

Michael Corrigan added: "I have also known John Hansen for many years and have also appreciated his Doc Watson-influenced, rapid-fire, flat-picking style of acoustic guitar work. I remember when John Hansen and Steve Eaton played a benefit concert years ago on July 4 for a theatre I was starting in Lava Hot Springs. Hansen and Eaton were a great combination onstage, though with different styles. Audience members paid for the ticket and could come and go as the evening progressed. (I later discovered the producer had no right of ownership to the building, but it was still a memorable evening of music.)

"Now these years later, many of Idaho’s finest musicians are giving back, including Steve Eaton, Kip Attaway and Belinda Bowler."

You can show support for this GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-john-hansens-battle-with-cidp.