Talk of the Town: Rock ’n’ Roll Rescue: Giving Charleston Kids the Gift of Music

Sometimes an idea just shows up and won’t leave you alone. That’s how Rock ’n’ Roll Rescue began. One day, longtime music manager Bunky Odom decided to stop thinking about doing good and just do it.

“It just came to me one day,” he said, laughing. “I’d been thinking about it for ten years and finally said, what the hell—go do it.”

Odom knows firsthand how music can change a life. As a former manager of The Allman Brothers Band, he’s seen what music can do for people—how it brings them together, lifts them up, and creates lifelong connections.

“We did big benefits back in the day,” he said. “Raised money, raised food, raised instruments. Helping people through music always felt right.”

That same spirit carries through today with Rock ’n’ Roll Rescue, a nonprofit dedicated to giving young people access to musical instruments and the chance to discover their own potential. Working with the Charleston County School District, the organization provides instruments to students who show promise and enthusiasm for learning but might not have an easy way to get one. Once a student receives an instrument, it belongs to them—not the school.

“When a kid owns their instrument, it changes everything,” Odom said. “It’s theirs to care for, to take pride in. It gives them confidence, direction, maybe even a future occupation.”

The group made its debut this fall at Baptist Hill Middle School in Hollywood, SC, where six students received brand-new instruments. After the school’s “Bobcat Band” played a short tune, the students walked over to the row of cases waiting on the floor in neat rows. Each one bent down, picked up their instrument for the first time, and you could see it—the joy of it, pure and simple.

One of Rock ’n’ Roll Rescue’s early champions is Charlton Singleton, two-time Grammy Award winner and one of South Carolina’s most beloved musicians. He first met Odom on a plane.

“I was on a flight and met this guy named Bunky,” Singleton said, laughing. “He told me about Rock ’n’ Roll Rescue, and I said, I’m in.”

For Singleton, the organization’s focus on ownership is what makes it stand out. “Ownership is different,” he said. “When you pick up an instrument and it’s pristine and it’s yours—it gives you confidence. You want to engage.”

The program also follows up with schools and teachers, checking in as students grow in their musicianship and confidence. “At some point, all musicians were young and exploring music for the first time,” Singleton said. “Music is universal. It helps kids learn. Music education opens doors.”

Rock ’n’ Roll Rescue also made its presence known at the Riverfront Revival Festival, setting up a tent to spread the word and build community support. “Our goal from the start was to bring the music community together,” Odom said, “and then bring the community as a whole together.”

With help from a passionate board of directors, Odom hopes to expand into Dorchester and Berkeley counties next. The plan is to eventually provide hundreds of instruments each year to students across the Tri-County area.

“It’s hard work,” Odom said, “but we love it. You’ve got to keep thinking ahead, keep the mission alive. And with Charleston’s help, we’ll do that.” Rock ’n’ Roll Rescue isn’t about trophies or headlines. It’s about a kid opening a guitar case for the first time, holding something that’s truly theirs, and realizing what’s possible. “To see those kids light up,” Odom says, “it’ll bring a tear to your eye.”

To learn more or make a donation, visit rocknrollrescue.org.