World Translation Center Music Blog

June 1, 2015

Frank Barham was an amazing jazz musician and a disability activist. In 1980 at the age of 24, he was paralyzed in a car crash, and despite being in a wheelchair, he never gave up playing music.

In order to raise money for the charity ‘Wheel 2 Live’ and in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, he started rolling in his wheelchair from Atlanta to Savannah on May 11, 2015, travelling about 30 miles per day, stopping at various places, raising awareness and raising money for the charity. He retraced the route of Gen. William Sherman’s “March to the Sea” during the Civil War. Barham Along the way, he met many people and on some days he even received a police escort. People contributed money to his campaign and offered lunch to the team.

After 302 miles of rolling towards Savannah and only 30 miles before having reached his destination where he was scheduled to perform a grand finale concert, he was tragically hit by a gas tractor trailer and killed. Margaret Kargbo who documented this journey by following Frank in a van was also killed.

Frank always loved jazz, blues and also rock. Since high school he played the trumpet and after the accident in 1980, he added percussion and the chromatic harmonica. West African folk music and Afro-Brazilian rhythms were his favorite music, which led to the creation of his band ‘Frank Barham Brazilian Fusion Band’.

More information about his tragic accident can be found here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3093329/Frank-Barham-traveling-302-miles-wheelchair-raise-awareness-people-disabilities-killed-struck-vehicle.html#ixzz3ber6LOJT