Chris Price - Executive Director for Lance Tilton Foundation

His energy and excitement for life is only tempered by his disdain for his phone. Well, not the whole phone, just the call button, otherwise it serves quite nicely as a mini computer. 

It is this thought that runs through my head when Ginger Tilton-Heise suggests that I interview Chris Price next for this Blog. I mean how do you interview someone who you never see, and who you can’t get in contact with? But where there’s a will, there is a way. More pointedly, Chris seemed eager to want to tell his story, and so getting in touch with him wasn’t nearly as hard as finding that needle in the haystack.

And so it was that my interview with the elusive, but seemingly omnipresent Mr. Price began. It went nicely until I realized, much to my relief and anguish, that once he gets on the phone, he loves to TALK. This meant that I only had to throw out a few questions which relieved me from having to come up with good follow up questions. My anguish popped up when my wrist would cramp up and demand a break…in the middle of one of his great thoughts. 

Thankfully, I pulled through like a soldier!!…LOL. And proceeded to learn so much about one of the many heartbeats that is making this volunteer-ran Foundation run like it’s been around for years instead of only months.

“Last night was a great night for music... Tore down the Masquerade with Aleon Craft & the Smka Beats crew, then continued the musical march on the south by torching The Apache Cafe with Ben Deignan & the boys. Ended the night listening to the Q lay down some smooth Rhodes at the studio with Ben & Jonathan Morrison. 2011 is gonna be a phenomenal year!” –Chris Price April 1^st Facebook update

Chris playing with Aleon Craft

He’d make the Jamaican family from In Living Color, The Hedley’s, mighty proud. He wears many hats. And has so many jobs that that he may just give “The hardest working family in America” a run for their money. From graphic design, to editing videos, performing music and coming up with the professional fliers and putting together fundraisers Chris Price does it all. 

Besides playing gigs with the “crazy talented guys” of Aleon Craft, Chris also is the bass player for the Ben Deignan band and makes his rounds of the Atlanta music scene on the weekends. During the week he works a full-time job, and is the man behind the scenes editing videos for, and recording with Ben Deignan. At this time there is one last episode from Ben’s trip to London to post, and the footage from the Zac Brown Cruise to edit. Also in the vault is a ton of video taken of Lance and the band on their cross country trip out West, in 2009. It was footage that was set to be released sooner, but was archived when Lance passed. Says Chris,

Lance, Ben and Chris on tour '09

“It’s gonna be weird releasing it, but people will want to see it. It was an amazing trip.”

For Chris, the thought that his friend and band-mate still lives on in his work is what makes going through such footage bearable. It is what makes it not a completely morbid experience. Adding to this incentive is the thought that he will be helping another human being find their passion in music.  

“I’m very excited about the Lance Tilton Foundation! Lance would totally be all about this. He was 100% MUSIC. To seek out and discover that characteristic in someone else who does not have the means to do (music) by themselves…is really cool.”

As the Executive Director and point man for Events with the Lance Tilton Foundation, Chris has been working hard at getting the first Fundraiser up and going in time to celebrate Lance’s Birthday, which would have been on April 12^th. Making this event a reality started with Troy Tilton, Lance’s older brother, Chris and Ben Deignan, meeting with Francisco Vidal to discuss the possibility of honoring their brother and friend with a night of music and revelry at Tavern 99. After deciding on the day and time, the only thing left was getting enough artists to sign onto the Fundraiser, and then getting the fans the information. 

“Every artist I have contacted has been all in. Lance was an amazing person, he had a good nature. He was kindhearted and no-nonsense when it came to music. Not that he didn’t have a great sense of humor-but where music was concerned, there wasn’t any corners that were allowed to be cut. His SOUL was there in the way that he played music; the way he touched the amount of musicians and inspired them, while still in his 20’s is amazing to me.”

Over twenty local artist confirmations later, and all that is left is for the fans to come out and show their support. From the acts to stickers, T-Shirts, handouts, raffles, autographed items, and sure to be surprises, this Fundraiser is set to have it all on its first go, and Chris has had his hand in almost every part of it. He is even looking ahead to events that have yet to be planned. The only thing set in stone to be released soon, is the Benefit album that will contain “What We Gonna Do?”, and many other songs donated to the Foundation by friends of Lance for this cause.

To be sure there will be many more albums and concerts to look forward to with Chris at the helm. Chris is thinking big and going hard for his goals.  And with the community of artists who all loved Lance, and are supporting the Foundation, his goals are sure to come to fruition.

“There was a massive void when he left. For us to be able to fill it with something that isn’t self serving; but instead serving someone else with music-that’s who he is. So that’s what we’re doing, we’re filling this gap where this great musician was by bringing out that passion from someone else. That first kid is going to get nurtured with this vast community that is the Lance Tilton Foundation. They are going to benefit from this community.”

From someone who is sitting in the midst of all that is going on, the excitement radiating off of Chris is almost palpable. So much so, that it almost makes a twenty-something slightly jealous of whoever this first kid may be. Just listening to everyone who is all in; who is willing to devote so much of their time and energy and skills to helping to keep a name alive for generations to come in the area of music is inspiring enough to keep me up into the wee hours of the morning finishing this article. Because as fellow LTF board member, Vandreena Cotton, says, “the story must be told”. 

“It was a very hard transition, but I am honored and touched to have known and shared music and the stage with him. What we are doing, is very Lance Tilton like.”

And so it is.

Lance Tilton - Abbey Road London, England. from Chris Price on Vimeo.


To check out more of Chris' handiwork with Ben Deignan on Vimeo click here
Check out my last two posts to learn more about the artists performing for our Fundraiser on April 11th
And make sure to let us know you're going to join us on the Facebook Event page