Our Story
Spector 45
(Left to Right) Frankie Campagna, Adam Carter & Anthony Delabano.
Music, Tragedy, Community
We are a non-profit sparked by tragedy. We’re here in memory of Frankie and Adam of Spector 45. Spector 45 was a band on its way to the top, after 9 years of playing music they found themselves at the top of their game-receiving local awards and filling venues for performances. But success is no match for internal struggle. After playing a show on New Year’s Eve, Frankie decided it was time to take his life. His death caused a ripple of despair in the local community that was only amplified a few short months later when Adam chose to take his life.
We Went Searching for Reasons
We are here in honor of Frankie, Adam and the dozens more of artists, musicians and creative souls the arts community has lost to suicide. Like Frankie and Adam, Foundation 45 recognizes that musicians, artists and creative types are often at a higher risk for issues with mental health and addiction.
Attempts per one completed suicide
% of completed suicides associated with depression and substance abuse
% of Musicians Struggling with Mental Health
Americans Die by Suicide Per YEar
Why?
That’s the question everyone asks themselves, be they struggling with suicidal thoughts or confronting the loss of a loved one. The road to that hardest of moments has many paths: anxiety, depression, addiction, abuse, and more. Those in the creative world (musicians, artists, etc.) struggle with it, too. Possibly more. And many of them don’t have access to the resources for mental health many of us do. In addition, many creatives hold on to their darkness for fear that healing will make their art fade.
Our Mission
The punk DIY ethos is the spirit behind the organization. We are here to amplify the voices of the unheard. Born of the loss of two members of Deep Ellum’s hometown heroes, Spector 45, the foundation works to provide full circle support for anyone struggling with their mental health. In our world, what we can’t buy, we’ll make. What we can’t find, we’ll create. When a community can’t get the support or services its members need, we’ll come together to provide it.
This isn’t just a story, these people were our friends, loved ones and role models.
In an attempt to find meaning in personal losses and provide the resources our community needs, Foundation 45 is focused on providing help for anyone suffering from mental illness, depression and addiction, as well as those whose lives have been impacted by the loss of a loved one to suicide.
Our goal is to stand up against and bring an end to these needless deaths.
We’ll never tell you we can stop suicide, but we won’t stop until we arm the Dallas Arts Community with as many tools in the quest for mental health as we can. We want to Break Stigma, Promote Living, and Foster Creativity.