PANTERA’s ‘Social Distancing’ T-Shirt Raises $100,000 For MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

PANTERA's recently released limited-edition social distancing t-shirt has raised approximately $100,000 for the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. 40 percent of the net proceeds generated from the purchase of the shirt — which takes the classic image from PANTERA's "Vulgar Display Of Power" album and adds personal protective equipment (PPE) to the artwork, as well as the "Walk" song lyrics "Be yourself, by yourself, stay away from me" — are being donated to the fund, which was started with two $1 million donations from the charitable foundation MusiCares itself as well as its affiliate, The Recording Academy. Late last month, MusiCares announced that the COVID-19 Relief Fund was depleted and that it had been forced to stop accepting new applications. "Unfortunately, until we can raise more money for our COVID-19 Relief Fund, we can no longer accept new applications from those seeking assistance. While our goal is always to provide support to everyone in need, we are currently bound by the funds available," the Foundation said in a statement. Since forming in March, the fund had reportedly raised nearly $14 million to aid thousands of music industry professionals affected by the pandemic. According to MusiCares, over 20,200 applications for financial assistance had been vetted and approved in the last several weeks. Experts say "social distancing" is the best way to curtail the spread and dampen the impact of the coronavirus on the population. The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention defines "social distancing" as the act of "remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet) from others when possible." In a 2017 interview with the WGRD radio station, former PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott spoke about the 25th anniversary of "Vulgar Display Of Power". He said: "I never ever think about [how long it has been since the record was released]. It certainly doesn't feel like it at all, man; it feels like it was yesterday, almost. But looking back on it, it really was a groundbreaking record for heavy metal. It really set the tone for what modern-day metal bands do. They still use that record to A-B their records to — getting their guitar sounds, their drums sounds, this, that and the other. So it really was special, and I'm really proud to have been a part of it." "Vulgar Display of Power" was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2004, signifying shipments of more than two million units in the U.S. since its February 1992 release.