“We won the Austin music awards four years in a row,” said Kyle Ellison.

(Article by Stef Manisero, republished from http://www.twcnews.com/tx/austin/news/2016/03/17/20th-anniversary-of-austin-music-awards-celebrates-helping-musicians.html)

For 15 years, Kyle Ellison and his brother Sims performed in the Austin-based band, Pariah.

”He used to grab my hair when we would play live,” Ellison added.

Moments Kyle wishes he could have back for just one more day.

Ellison continued, “He spread a lot of good will, everybody knew Sims, everybody loved Sims.”

After a two-year battle with depression, Sims died in 1995.

Ellison added, “The community all came together and was kind of like what are we going to do to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again.”

And that turned into the Sims foundation.

Heather Alden Managing Director of the Sims Foundation said, “We see a lot of depression, we see a lot of anxiety, there’s stage fright and unfortunately addiction too.”

Here at the Austin Music Awards, on its 20th anniversary, the Sims foundation is celebrating the 5,000 musicians it’s helped – so far – battle mental illness.

Ellison added, “They listen, they get really involved and they make a plan for you and they tell you what that plan is and it’s very personal.”

Many Austin musicians credit the foundation for helping them through dark times

”It really is taking care of their own and taking care of the musicians, what has made Austin great,” said one attendant.

Including Kyle.

”It’s really touching to me that his foundation ended up saving my life. It’s just something we couldn’t get for him you know,” Kyle added.

Who says the best times with his brother were those spent off stage.

Ellison concluded, “Just eating at Guerros with Sims was like, you know, just talking to Sims.”

Read more at: http://www.twcnews.com/tx/austin/news/2016/03/17/20th-anniversary-of-austin-music-awards-celebrates-helping-musicians.html