Photo by Semi Song

Sturgill Simpson has announced an online fundraising campaign to aid flood relief in Kentucky, his home state. The singer-songwriter is reopening a merchandise store on his website for the irreverent “Dick Daddy Survival School”; 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Aspire Appalachia in Jackson, Ky.

“The Appalachian region of Southeastern Kentucky was ravaged by severe flooding this past Monday,” Simpson said in a statement. “My hometown of Jackson seemingly suffered the worst of it, especially the immediate areas around Panbowl Lake and Lakeside where I lived as a child.

“Over 25% of Breathitt County was affected and in Jackson, a city with a population of roughly just over 2000, over 1000 people were displaced or completely lost everything,” he continued. “Some of those who lost everything did not have very much to lose to begin with and are now literally living in tent cities. It goes without saying this is something weighing extremely heavy on my heart.”

“One week later, countless volunteers are still working around the clock managing donation distribution centers, while city and county officials continue to evaluate what can and needs to be done—not only in immediate terms of basic necessities and cleanup supplies, but also long-term to ensure every effort is being coordinated to help as many of those affected as possible rebuild their lives,” Simpson said. “You guys raised close to a half million dollars this past June, so with total humility and humanity, I am now asking all of you that are able to respectfully blow that number completely out of the water and help a town I care deeply about put itself back together.”

Simpson established DDSS in the summer of 2020; it based on comedic Instagram stories he posted while recovering from COVID-19. He raised nearly $500,000 for the Special Forces Foundation, Equity Alliance and MusiCares COVID-19 fund.

For more information and to purchase merchandise, head to shop.sturgillsimpson.com.

Simpson was featured on the cover of the Jan/Feb issue of Relix Magazine. Read the feature here: Sturgill Simpson: Grass Roots Revival