Butch Baldassari

Tributes are piling up for the late mandolin great Butch Baldassari, who died this past weekend in a Nashville, Tenn., hospital.

Appropriately, those seem to be finding a central location on the Web site, www.mandolincafe.com, which is an Internet hangout for mandolin enthusiasts.

According to a posting there from Lelia Sinclair Baldassari, Butch Baldassari’s widow, a funeral service will be held Saturday in Scranton, Pa., and a memorial service is planned Jan. 31 at the Blakemore United Methodist Church in Nashville.

“We are hoping to have a musical celebration the following day (Feb. 1) at The World Famous Station Inn, where Butch and I had our first Nashville date,” Mrs. Baldassari said in her posting.

She also listed several places where contributions and memorial donations can be sent. Among them are:

Blair School of Music
2400 Blakemore Avenue
Nashville, TN 37209

Blakemore United Methodist Church
3601 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37205

Gilda’s Club of Nashville
1707 Division Street
Nashville, TN 37203

A tax-deductible college fund has also been set up in the name of the mandolin player’s son, Blake Gordon Baldassari. Donations to that can be sent to:

Morgan Stanley
Attn: Jason Pharris
2525 West End Avenue
Suite 1220
Nashville, TN 37203.