When legendary jazz pianist Joe Sample returned to reside in his hometown of Houston, he saw that the old inner city neighborhoods had deteriorated.  The middle class residents had moved out to the suburbs leaving behind the poor.  He saw that the schools in these neighborhoods lacked the financial support to simply maintain and they oftentimes struggled when faced with the challenge to upgrade. 

Many of these schools approached Joe asking that he perform at their individual fundraising events.  However, Joe decided it best to combine his efforts into one annual event that became known as “The Legacy Concert”. Then in 2005 Joe organized and created The Joe Sample Youth Organization, Inc. (JSYO), a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization, whose purpose is to raise funds for his childhood school and other schools in Houston’s inner city in need of financial assistance.

The September 2013 Legacy Concert was the final concert in which founder, Joe Sample performed.  Shortly thereafter Joe became ill and succumbed to his illness on September 12, 2014.  Today the Joe Sample Youth Organization, Inc. continues to raise funds in support of the children who Joe was so passionately committed to help. Read More