It began with a promise.

A young boy named T.J. Martell asked his father, music industry executive Tony Martell, to raise a million dollars for the lifesaving leukemia research that made it possible for him to reach his nineteenth birthday, two years beyond his original prognosis. T.J. died later that year, but Tony Martell, along with a group of music industry executives, artists and friends, vowed to uphold that promise and organized their first fundraising event, a concert at Buddy Rich’s club in New York City.

The event was a huge success and the support from the music industry was absolutely incredible. On that September night in 1975, not only did Tony Martell begin to fulfill his promise, but he founded the T.J. Martell Foundation to honor his son’s life and help so many others that are affected by these devastating diseases.

For over thirty-three years under Tony Martell's inspiration and vision the T.J. Martell Foundation has blossomed into one of the nation's premier charities with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville. To date, the foundation has raised more than $225 million while funding eight flagship research centers for treatments and cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS.