Southern Avenue is a quickly rising act on the scene, with the fiery Memphis quintet channeling their hometown’s soul, blues, and gospel roots while adding their own firebrand energy to the mix. Recently, the band has been on tour in Australia, and unfortunately, tragedy struck after members of the band found out that their shared home had been robbed. Southern Avenue’s founder and guitarist, Ori Naftaly, and captivating lead singer, Tierinii Jackson, both posted about the robbery on social media today.

 

While Naftaly and Jackson can joke about the chicken that was cooked, it seems as though a great deal of Naftaly’s gear was stolen. In a different Facebook post, he lists:

  • 2013 Les Paul gold top
  • 2001 Fender Stratocaster with stickers
  • Cigar Box 6-string
  • Cigar Box 6-string
  •  2014 Squier Telecaster blonde
  • 2016 PRS blue
  • Bass guitar Squier
  • 7 guitar pedals and pedalboard

However, it seems as though, despite the unfortunate robberies that occurred while the band was out of the country, Naftaly, Jackson, and the rest of the band are still in high spirits. Ahead of Naftaly’s flight from Sydney back to Memphis, the guitarist shared the following message with fans:

Well let’s talk positive: everything in life happens for a reason. And its all for the best. So what is the reason and how can I use this tragedy to my advantage. me and Tierinii are looking for a new house in a safer area around Memphis right now to move into immediately. We will have to compromise on many parts of life but at least have a home to come back to. The music gear is insured through the band company but some stuff is irreplaceable. The rest of the stuff that was stolen like the TV or laptop are history. But I don’t really care about materialistic things. All I want is a house in a safe neighborhood to come back to and feel comfortable. Once we find a new home (not going back to that shithole) then I’ll be able to relax again. It sucks being away and not be able to take care of it now. But all is good and I’m thankful for so many things in my life that losing almost everything feels like a healthy reset. I wonder if they broke our blues music awards…..

Here’s to hoping that the instruments and gear are found and returned quickly, that Naftaly and Jackson find a safe, new home quickly, and that Southern Avenue doesn’t go hungry after their dinner was burgled. For those interested, fans have created a GoFundMe to recoup the costs of the band’s lost gear. You can head here to donate.