Award-winning Calgary musician living in car amid mental health, financial challenges
Global News
With a career that spans decades as an award-winning guitar player, Oscar Lopez has recently been living in his car in Calgary.
After a three-decade music career that established him around the world for exceptional guitar playing, Oscar Lopez has recently been living out of his car in Calgary.
He’s shared the stage with ballet companies and orchestras, has recorded a dozen albums and racked up a pair of Juno Awards.
But recently, he’s taken a step he thought he’d never have to: he set up a GoFundMe for himself.
“I did enjoy the (musician) lifestyle a lot, but I knew it wasn’t going to last forever. But I never knew it was going to get to this point,” he said from a motel room in Calgary on Monday.
Lopez has been open about his mental health struggles and took a break from performing for two years to deal with depression.
He said living this way hasn’t been easy but he’s learned to adapt.
“I’m still in the hole, but I am strong. I never pictured myself in this situation ever. I’m here and who knows where I’m going to be tomorrow,” Lopez said. “Everything I am absorbing right now is good for me. It’s made me humble. It is made me honest, and transparent.”
He came to Canada from Chile in 1979 and soon took up playing the guitar.
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