LAFAYETTE, La. — Friends, family and the local music industry as a whole continue to mourn the loss of Christopher Stafford, a local music legend who died in a car crash in May.
Now, he and his legacy are being honored with the Christopher Stafford Memorial Foundation.
"I could tell he had music in him in a big way at a young age, you know, just an abundance of natural talent," said Steve Riley, a local musician and friend of Christopher Stafford. "It was just a deep passion for him, and it brought him a lot of joy and, in turn, brought a lot of other people joy and inspiration."
Elise Riley, Christopher Stafford's sister, said his legacy was timeless, impacting so many people, and this foundation is to honor that legacy by continuing his work.
"One thing is we definitely want to keep Staffland Studios open. It wasn't just a place to go and make music or record an album," Elise Riley said. "It was such an amazing sense of community and unity. It was a safe space for creativity and making music, so we definitely want for it to continue to be that for musicians."
"A second thing for us is going to be education. We hope to offer scholarships, after-school programs for French Immersion kids, after-school programs for any kids that are interested, really," said Michael Stafford, Christopher's brother. "Another goal is to support artists in meaningful ways around the community and even broader."
To best provide that support, the foundation is looking for where local artists need it most.
"The foundation, we're still in our formative stages right now, so we're currently—we're conducting interviews with local artists and industry professionals to find those niches that we can slip into and really be effective," Michael Stafford said.
The foundation will try to fill the void Christopher Stafford left in this community.
"His love for music, his love for being the best he could in return brought a lot of people joy, and he inspired a lot of people who he produced, who he worked with in the studio or live, and it can't be replaced," said Steve Riley. "I know I will feel the loss for the rest of my lifetime."
For updates on the Christopher Stafford Memorial Foundation, visit their website here or follow their Instagram or Facebook.
