Tribute CD to benefit shooting victims

As vigils and memorials continue in the wake of the Grand 16 Theatre shooting, one tribute will remember the victims through song.

Plans are underway to create “Lafayette Healing,” a CD with new songs and popular recordings by local artists, including Jillian Johnson.

Johnson, who was a singer and ukulele player with The Figs — an all-female, old-time country band — died in the July 23 shooting.

The CD grew out of a Facebook conversation musician Joey Richard started July 26. Richard suggested a compilation album with proceeds going to families of the shooting victims.

Dozens of musicians and fans joined the conversation and offered to help. Bob Holbrook of Holbrook Multi Media was recruited into the project, along with veteran musicians Tony Goulas and Tony Ardoin.

Holbrook said the project remains in its infancy.

“It’s still in that liquid stage,” said Holbrook. “There’s a spreadsheet with all the musicians who want in. We’re going to include as many as we can. We want to have as many good, local legends as possible. We have some people, nationally, who’ve offered support.

“We’re trying to weed all of this out. We all know that timing is everything. We want to move this out as quickly as possible, while it’s still warm in everybody’s hearts.”

Holbrook said a Kickstarter page will be created for fans to pre-order the CD. He hopes to have a variety of sounds on the disc, but is particularly interested in some of Johnson’s recordings.

Since 1977, Holbrook Multi Media has produced music recordings, television commercials, short and feature-length films, documentaries and more. Their latest projects include “The Shelter,” a John Fallon film that screened in May at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.