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$20,000 Raised for Jacksonville Sound Engineer

By Clive Young. Studio pro awaits transplants after twist of fate.

Jacksonville, FL (July 22, 2019)—Studio engineer Maurice “Moe” Ricks has been a key part of the Jacksonville, FL music scene for decades, helping artists capture their work in the studio. This weekend, the music scene repaid the favor, raising an estimated $20,000 for the sound engineer who, if not for a bizarre twist of fate, would have received a heart and kidney transplant 10 days ago.

A 1995 graduate of Full Sail, Ricks started his studio career in San Francisco, working at multiple studios, including Different Fur, where he engineered for a wide range of artists including new age legend George Winston. Since moving to Jacksonville, he has spent more than two decades running One Moe Pro, his own recording and engineering business, and working out of CoRK Art Studios, recording music, NPR radio programs and more.

In 2005, Ricks was diagnosed with congestive heart failure—a progressive disease that slowly deteriorates the heart—and in early June, after 14 years, it had progressed to the point that he was placed on a transplant list for a heart and kidney.

On July 11, Hicks was on the operating table at University of Florida Shands Hospital in Gainesville, prepped for the surgeries, when a plane carrying the organs flew through a gaggle of geese, causing an engine fire, filling the cabin with smoke and forcing an emergency landing. A new plane could not be found in time to resume the flight to Gainsville, however, and the organs expired.

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Friends and family gathered Sunday, July 21, at The Justice Pub in Jacksonville for a 12-hour fundraising concert for Ricks, organized by Marco Monroy. An estimated $20,000 was raised to help Ricks’ ongoing expenses, and a GoFundMe page has also been set up to help.

Maurice Ricks Transplant Fund GoFundMe Page • https://www.gofundme.com/f/maurice-ricks-transplant-fund

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