Friends of Chef Keith “Buttons” Hicks Host Benefit Concert

Longtime North Texas culinary fixture Keith “Buttons” Hicks — a chef known for his infectious personality and joy — has made significant contributions to the community with his Southern cooking. Over the years, he’s helmed the kitchens at The Worthington Hotel, The Italian Villa, Mercury Chophouse, The Rim and his namesake restaurant, Buttons Food and Music for the Soul.

Hicks is now battling end-stage COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). He is under palliative care and in need of a double lung transplant. His friends, family and current and former staff members are hosting a special concert and benefit dinner to show their support for the chef and his family.

The Buttons Family Affair Benefit Concert event will take place from 5 p.m. to midnight on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at the Ridglea Theater, 6025 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth.

Tickets for the event range from $25 for general admission to $400 for VIP tables. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite. For those who cannot attend the concert, donations can be made through GoFundMe.

Throughout his career, Hicks’ restaurants have been loved by guests and critics alike, which has given him a platform to give back to others.

“We’ve hosted countless benefit events and celebrations at Buttons’ restaurant, due to our love and compassion for the community. I am asking the community to support Chef Keith by attending this benefit concert in his honor,” said Carolyn Hughes, a former co-owner of Buttons restaurant. “For so many years, he brought so much ‘Love, Peace and Gritz’ to each of our lives, and now he needs us.”

Musical guests at the event will include many who have played at Buttons’ restaurants throughout the years, including Rob Holbert Band, Natural Change, Melanie Dutton, Paul Cannon, Kenya Crawford, Bergette Rideau, Lori Dawn and many more. Musical performances are set to begin at 6 p.m.

Attendees can look forward to popular Southern appetizers from Buttons’ original menu that will be prepared by former Buttons chefs Billy Kidd and Ty Frazier. Food trucks will be stationed onsite to serve additional items, including Fat Face Full by Angie Edwards, Angi’s Louisiana Kitchen and The Rim Restaurant Waterside.

For those who haven’t had the pleasure of knowingHicks, his infectious and joyful personality has been described in countless articles. In a 2016 article by KERA, the chef explained that “’Buttons’ was the nickname my grandmother gave me as a kid ‘cause I was cute as a button,” adding that for him, cooking is an intuitive and spiritual process that he learned from watching his mother.