BELLEVUE, Wash. — A hole-in-the-wall Bellevue drum shop was where a rock and roll legend found a humble place to hang.
"He would just come and make himself comfortable here," said Gigi White. "It was kind of like a second home."
YES drummer Alan White arrived in western Washington 31 years ago in a roundabout way.
Bouncing from England to LA he and his wife Gigi White landed in Bellevue to be closer to her family on Seattle's east side and raise their two kids.
"It's such a great lifestyle here and such a great community that no one wanted to go back," said Gigi White.
Over those three decades, Alan White would routinely come to West Coast Drums to give free lessons and camps for charity events.
He and Gigi White founded Music Aid Northwest and the Music Matters project, which funds music programs in Washington schools through specialized license plates.
"It's a real source of pride," said Gigi White. "Anytime I'm driving and I see a license plate I give them a beep!"
But Alan White's music went silent in May when died after a brief illness at the age of 72. He passed 11 days after the couple celebrated their 40th anniversary.
"We were just a team and we knew how to be a team together," said Gigi White, wiping tears from her eyes. "We did it better together than either of us could do individually. My love for him is boundless."
After her husband's death, Gigi White's life was forced into a different rhythm, but she found it -- strong and steady here at home.
"We didn't expect this. It has been a real adjustment," said Gigi White, her voice growing quiet. "I have a community around me now...because this is difficult. People ask if I'm going to stay? Of course, I'm going to stay. This is my home. This is where our friends are. This is where I'm supported now."
Now, Gigi White wants to honor her husband, and the community that has given them both so much, with a benefit concert to fight hunger this Sunday, October 2, at Seattle's Paramount Theater. The proceeds will support WhyHunger, a leading anti-hunger nonprofit Alan White supported throughout his life.
Members of YES, Pearl Jam, Heart and more will perform.
A member of rock royalty will be celebrated in his adopted hometown.
Gigi White says keeping Alan White's legacy of giving alive is so important because charity will always be the heartbeat of their community.
"How can it not be?" She asked. "That's what we need to do. We have to help each other."