The Mucky Duck is hosting a benefit for Houstonian Christi Ayo, a longtime supporter of the local music scene. Ayo left Hollywood and a job as co-producer of James Belushi’s sitcom According to Jim in 2007 to return home to care for her elderly mother.
Now Ayo is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and friends, including Tracy Newman, are organizing a benefit at The Mucky Duck on May 6 starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 with all proceeds going to the Ayo fund.
Newman, sister of Saturday Night Live alum Larraine Newman, is a singer/songwriter who performs with her band The Reinforcements. But she was also an award-winning TV writer working on such hits as Cheers and creating According to Jim. And her biggest claim to fame is that she and her writing partner wrote the historic coming-out episode of Ellen for which they won an Emmy and a Peabody award.
Newman has said of that groundbreaking episode: “It was fun. It was scary. There were bomb threats. But we knew everyone would be watching that episode.”
“The Puppy Episode,” as it was called, aired in 1997 and is ranked #35 on TV Guide’s 100 Greatest Episodes of all time.
Benefit for Christi Ayo
Featuring Tracy Newman
Sunday, May 6, at 6 p.m. at The Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk, Houston, Texas 77098
www.facebook.com/christiayofund
