07/06/2026
Golden Folk community: we need you! We are honored to announce that we'll be running next week's event on the 14th of July as a fundraiser for our dear friend, inspiring artist, and treasured community member, Doug Carr of Soft Talk Only (soft talk only). We were able to raise roughly $1000 at our last "Golden Folk Gives" last year, and we'd love to top it this time.
Doug has been dealing with a rare condition called Acromegaly for around the past 5 years. It is an incredibly complex and rare disease that we encourage you to research more about, as we can only scratch the surface here. His acromegaly is caused by a tumor on his pituitary gland secreting excess Human Growth Hormone, causing his liver to produce high levels of IGF-1, which together trigger excess bone and soft tissue growth and many other complex side effects. Doug has had his ups and downs managing the condition, but is currently in a rough patch, with his IGF-1 levels escaping control. This is currently causing him severe physical pain, bone/tissue/organ growth, cardiomegaly, metabolic issues, spinal instability, lipodystophy, and more.
Doug has borne immense cost since his diagnosis, both in medical-related payments and in suffering physical symptoms. He is currently facing denied prescriptions from insurance as he tries to get his levels back under control, some unexpected dental work, and the unyielding cost of living with a rare disease in this country's nightmare of a healthcare system. He is one of the most inspiring artists, friends, and all around sweetest human beings that we know, and you would never know from his demeanor that he moves through the world in physical pain every day. We are committed to supporting Doug in his struggle against acromegaly, and also to raising awareness of this rare disease.
Doug has written many highly detailed updates through the years on his GoFundMe page, linked in his bio soft talk only and our bio Golden Folk Sessions (AVL). You can support him directly there, and we will also be donating all proceeds from next week's event to Doug. We will have our usual format of 6 incredible musical acts (mostly curated by Doug). It is sure to be a night to remember.
