Look To The Stars News: Brian Wilson

Neil Young: 2010 MusiCares Person Of The Year

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Neil Young has been announced as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year.

The 63-year-old musician is being recognized for his outstanding philanthropic work, including co-founding Farm Aid in 1985, and founding Bridge School – and running the annual Bridge School Concerts – with his wife Pegi in 1986. Bridge School was founded to develop and use advanced technologies to aid in the instruction of children with severe speech and physical disabilities.

“Neil has set a standard of artistic integrity and iconoclastic creativity for more than four decades, and his achievements have been matched by his unwavering humanitarianism,” said Neil Portnow, president/CEO of the Recording Academy and the MusiCares Foundation. “He is a shining example of how music people offer their creative gifts to the world, and how they also give back through their commitments to charitable endeavors.”

MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. Its services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community.

Young will be the 20th person bestowed with the honor, with previous recipients including Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.

Young will be honored at a gala in Los Angeles on January 29, two days before the 2010 Grammy Awards.

Take That Wins Award And Donates To Charity

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British boy band Take That has made a major donation to charity following winning a coveted award during the weekend.

Singer Gary Barlow announced they would be giving £50,000 to Nordoff-Robbins, the UK’s leading independent provider of music therapy service, after they took home their second Silver Clef award at the Intercontinental Hotel in London on Friday.

Hosted by Denise Van Outen, this year’s Silver Clef event raised more than £400,000 for the charity. As well as some memorable performances, the event featured an auction of one-off music memorabilia items, including a one-off Mini Cooper designed by former Silver Clef recipient Paul Weller, and a £10 note signed by Take That that was sold for £2,000. The annual event has raised over £7.5m for Nordoff-Robbins over the years.

Also honored at the awards were Queen, Brian Wilson and Madness.

War Child Album Cover Artwork To Be Auctioned

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Artist John Squire’s artwork for the new War Child Heroes compilation is to be auctioned off for the charity.

The former Stone Roses guitarist has donated the image for the online auction on eBay.

“For me the appeal of War Child is pretty simple, they help the hungry, the displaced and the traumatised children in certain war zones to deal with that situation and they involve them in deciding how that help is organised," he said. “Anything I can do to support them is no trouble at all.”

It is the third time the musician/artist has created a cover for the charity’s benefit albums.

“I did the first two War Child albums, so why not make it a hat trick?” Squire told NME.COM. “They told me Bowie and the Ramones might be involved, so the first two things I offered them were based on lyrics. They rejected those, I think over the last few years I’ve forgotten how to make record sleeves! So this is the final offering, it’s a bit literal now. I did some exhaustive research, found some psycho website full of guns.”

Also up for auction are copies of the Heroes album and t-shirts signed by Coldplay.

The album features a series of once-in-a-lifetime collaborations between some of the best known names in the music world and up-and-coming stars – a concept that mirrors one of the intrinsic aims of War Child’s worldwide efforts in war zones across the world: to place faith in the next generation. The project paired stars such as Sir Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Brian Wilson with up-and-comers such as Duffy and The Hold Steady.

The auction can be accessed here.

Lily Allen To Go Abroad With War Child

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British singer Lily Allen has announced her plans to travel overseas for charity and explained why.

“I sometimes feel like my life is a bit empty – as ridiculous as that sounds to some people, a bit vacuous,“ she told Q Radio host Samanthi. "It is pop music and people do talk about it too much and sometimes I feel like I want to have a bit more substance in my life.

“I am going to be going to Afghanistan or the Congo in a few weeks to help War Child. They want me to go there and see how the money I have earned for them in the past is being used. And that is the stuff I get really excited about.”

War Child is a network of independent organizations, working across the world to help children affected by war, and advancing the cause of peace through investing hope in the lives of children caught up in the horrors of war.

The charity is currently getting ready to release their long awaited Heroes benefit album on February 16. The CD features a series of once-in-a-lifetime collaborations between some of the best known names in the music world and up-and-coming stars – a concept that mirrors one of the intrinsic aims of War Child’s worldwide efforts in war zones across the world – to place faith in the next generation. Stars such as Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Brian Wilson have selected one of their best-known classic songs and nominated a new artist to record a cover of the track. Artists taking part include Beck, who will cover Dylan’s Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat; Rufus Wainwright, who will perform a medley from Wilson’s Smile; and The Kooks, who will cover The Kinks’ Victoria.

The Hiltons Help Out For Christmas

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Paris Hilton’s mother, Kathy, held her annual Christmas auction to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation on Saturday, December 20.

The auction was broadcast live on the internet and featured over 200 items, such as a meet-and-greet with the Jonas Brothers, shoes and a necklace donated by Elizabeth Taylor, autographed guitars from Melissa Etheridge and Avril Lavigne, a tambourine signed by Brian Wilson and designer clothes taken from the closets of Paris and Nicky Hilton.

Kathy Hilton held her first celebrity auction last year, and raised over $27,000 with items such as Mel Gibson’s jeans, Tom Cruise’s sunglasses, and an Ocean’s Thirteen script signed by the movie’s stars, including George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

The auction isn’t the only good thing Paris and Nicky are doing this Holiday Season. Last week they were spotted distributing toys to disadvantaged children at the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles.

Springsteen Chooses Rockers For Charity Album

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The long-delayed Heroes charity album will finally get its release in February, and anticipation is already high from music fans and musicians alike.

“We’d already done ‘Atlantic City’ at a charity benefit, so we kind of had an arrangement worked up, so we decided to record that," Craig Finn, lead singer with The Hold Steady told XFM radio after Bruce Springsteen chose the Brooklyn-based band to cover his song for Heroes. “It’s a pretty fun song, and I’m pretty happy with our version of it. We’ve been compared to Bruce Springsteen a lot, and he is a hero to all of us. It’s flattering that he’d think of us, given the choice. We hope our version of the song conveys the respect we have for him as an artist.”

The album will raise money for War Child, and features a series of once-in-a-lifetime collaborations between some of the best known names in the music world and up-and-coming stars – a concept that mirrors one of the intrinsic aims of War Child’s worldwide efforts in war zones across the world – to place faith in the next generation. Stars such as Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Brian Wilson have selected one of their best-known classic songs and nominated a new artist to record a cover of the track. Artists taking part include Beck, who will cover Dylan’s Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat; Rufus Wainwright, who will perform a medley from Wilson’s Smile; and The Kooks, who will cover The Kinks’ Victoria.

“I have been supporting War Child since 1995,” said McCartney, whose 1973 hit Live and Let Die is being covered by Duffy for the album. “Their work with children in war zones saves lives and their work with those who take decisions that help them to do something about it saves even more lives. I think Duffy’s version of ‘Live And Let Die’ is great – I was really impressed. The breadth of talent on this project is amazing; it’s great that so many people gave their time, energy and support to this initiative. I urge everyone to support War Child.”

The album will be released on February 16, 2009.

Status Quo Rocks The Auction House

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Last week’s special charity auction featuring works from some of Status Quo’s celebrity fans was a huge success.

Over US$158,000 was raised for the Prince’s Trust in the auction, which featured artworks created by Brian Wilson, Rolf Harris, Alice Cooper, Brian May, Chris Tarrant, Jamie Cullum, Katie Melua, Paul Rogers and 50 other stars. Every artwork represented one of Status Quo’s album or single covers from the last 40 years, with one painting by David Shepherd attracting bids in excess of $26,860.

“It’s marvelous because normally these things can go down a damp squib,” said Quo frontman Francis Rossi. “The fact that we reached GBP100,000 is very nice. The Prince’s Trust is for young people that are not articulate or come from a poor background. Nobody gives them a chance. It’s such an unusual charity. It’s not the kind of charity that most people give to. People are not usually concerned about some young kid from a council estate background."

Status Quo's Celebrity Friends Help Out

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British rockers Status Quo have asked some of their celebrity fans to create works of art to be auctioned off for charity.

Brian Wilson, Rolf Harris, Alice Cooper, Brian May, Chris Tarrant, Jamie Cullum, Katie Melua, Paul Rogers and 50 other stars have stepped up to the challenge to benefit the Prince’s Trust as part of the launch of the band’s new CD box set and double album being released to mark their 40th anniversary.

Eight of the paintings will go under the hammer at London auction house Bonhams on November 5 at a special album launch party, with the rest of the collection being sold via a silent auction accessed through the Prince’s Trust website. Entrance to the auction is invitation only.

Singers Cover Heroes For War Child

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

War Child has announced the release of their biggest and most ambitious album to date: Heroes.

The album – to be released on November 24 – will raise money for the charity, which works to help children around the world affected by war. It will feature a series of once-in-a-lifetime collaborations between some of the best known names in the music world and up-and-coming stars – a concept that mirrors one of the intrinsic aims of War Child’s worldwide efforts in war zones across the world – to place faith in the next generation.

The idea behind the project is to have stars such as Sir Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Brian Wilson select one of their best-known classic songs and nominate a new artist to record a cover of the track.

Other artists taking part in the project include Beck, who will cover Dylan’s Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat; Rufus Wainwright, who will perform a medley from Wilson’s Smile; and The Kooks, who will cover The Kinks’ Victoria. Other musicians will be announced over the next few months.

“Heroes (Vol 1) is the most innovative and exciting War Child album to date and therefore it was essential for me that Parlophone be involved,“ said Miles Leonard, Musical Director for Parlophone. “It is very rewarding to see so many artists giving so generously of their time for such a worthwhile cause. I’ve admired the War Child organization for many years now so I am delighted that Parlophone has been able to lend its support.”

The album follows the highly successful Help benefit album – also featuring McCartney – that was released in 1995.

“The prosecution of war on children outrages us,“ said Mike Waddinton, CEO of War Child UK. “And War Child shares this outrage with many, many people. The generosity of the legendary and talented artists who have made this album happen is helping us to harness this outrage and do something really positive for children marginalized by war, the real heroes.”

Heroes will be available wherever good music is sold, and Look To The Stars will bring you more information as it is released.

Julia Roberts Stands Up For A Cure

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Stand Up For A Cure – a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating lung cancer – is busy with its year-long quest to raise money by organizing concerts, and has just released details of their latest fundraising gig this Fall.

Julia Roberts has been confirmed to introduce the Dave Matthews Band when they play Madison Square Garden on September 10.

“The charity is honored that she will be introducing the band at the concert.,” said a rep for the event. “Her support will make a huge difference.”

Stand Up For A Cure has previously organized concerts with Bon Jovi and the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, as well as a night of stand-up comedy with Jerry Seinfeld. Shows by Andrea Bocelli and Barry Manilow are still in the pipeline. The charity believes the use of celebrities on TV, radio, in print and on the Internet helps to bolster awareness of issues such as lung cancer, and hopes their concert series will both raise funds for research into the disease and increase education about the effects of smoking.

Sir Elton John's White Tie And Tiara Party Hits The Beach

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Once a year Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish throw open the doors of their exquisite Berkshire home to a sparkling array of celebrities for their annual White Tie and Tiara Ball, and last night was no different as a staggering number of stars filed into the singer’s house for this year’s much-looked-forward-to event.

More than 600 guests turned up to the beach-themed party, each paying around US$6,000 for the dinner, auction, and concert. This year’s performance came from Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson, and attendees included Bill Clinton, Elle Macpherson, Denzel Washington, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael Caine, Simon Cowell, Rod Stewart, Mischa Barton, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Gordon Ramsay, Tracey Emin, Roger Federer, Natalie Imbruglia, Kelly Osbourne, and Jemima Khan.

Sir Elton decorated his lavish garden with palm trees and sand for the party, which raised money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Last year’s event raised over $12 million for the cause, and the White Tie and Tiara Balls have made over $50 million since 1998.

Artists are Standing Up For Stand Up

Thu, 15 May 2008 11:27:30 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

As previously reported, Jerry Seinfeld will perform in a benefit concert on June 2 at Madison Square Garden. The highly-anticipated show will be hosted by Alec Baldwin, and accompanied by an online auction to benefit Stand Up For A Cure.

Stand Up For A Cure’s strategy in eradicating lung cancer begins with the development of relationships. By creating meaningful partnerships with people in the entertainment industry, they gain high-profile artists who donate their time and talent. This brings much-needed attention and funding to their cause. By creating meaningful relationships with researchers, this funding is directed to the programs that show the best results and hope for progress in lung cancer research and improved treatments.

The key, Stand Up For A Cure believes, is in public awareness. Lung cancer research is seriously under-funded, in part because public opinion believes that lung cancer is a smoker’s disease, even though 60% of the newly-diagnosed don’t smoke or have never smoked. The use of celebrities on TV, radio, in print and on the Internet helps to bolster awareness, and so do their concerts. Next in line after Seinfeld is Brian Wilson in July, Dave Matthews Band in September, and Andrea Bocelli in the fall.

Seinfeld has performed previously for Stand Up For A Cure, campaigning against the cancer that kills 450 Americans every day. According to the non-profit’s website, a new case of lung cancer is diagnosed every 3 minutes and carries a 5-year survival rate of only 14%.

Tickets are still available through Ticketmaster, with prices ranging from $254.50 to just over $1500 for the Seinfeld VIP Offer. For more information on the Seinfeld VIP Offer, call 212-209-3871, Option #1. To learn more about the upcoming concerts, visit the Stand Up For A Cure website.

Sting’s 20th Year Saving Rainforests

Mon, 05 May 2008 11:44:38 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, will celebrate their 15th annual Rainforest Foundation Fund benefit concert, Some Kinda Legacy, at Carnegie Hall May 8.

The Rainforest Foundation Fund (RFF) came out of Sting and Styler’s Rainforest Foundation International (RFI), created in 1989 to raise awareness about the need to conserve tropical forests, support indigenous peoples, their land, their rights and to develop resource management. RFI began its focus on Brazil and then spread throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia. RFF has continued funding the programs and creating new ones to this end since 1999.

To help raise awareness of both the rainforest and the Fund’s mission, the Mayor’s office has declared May “Rainforest Awareness Month” and the Empire State Building will be lit in green Thursday evening during the event.

Besides Sting, the many other performers at the concert will include Billy Joel, James Taylor and Brian Wilson, followed with a gala dinner at the Grand Ballroom at Plaza Hotel, and then impressive items will be up for auction, such as a smart car, an opera night in Paris and stay at the Ritz, Bruce Springsteen memorabilia and concert tickets, tickets to a Police concert, a meeting with Tiger Woods, a visit to the set of Law & Order, and more.

Tickets to the concert range from $150 to $600, and can be purchased through Carnegie Hall

Jerry Seinfeld Stands Up For A Cure

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:49:30 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

They say that laughter is the best medicine, and this June Jerry Seinfeld will prove the proverb when he performs a one-night-only charity gig at Madison Square Garden.

The 53-year-old comedian will bring his special brand of stand-up to the Wamu Theatre in New York on June 2 for a show benefiting Stand Up For A Cure, a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating lung cancer. Tickets for the concert, which will be hosted by Alec Baldwin, cost $350 for general admission and are available through Ticketmaster.

The show will be accompanied by an online auction at Charity Buzz, which will also raise money for patient care, public awareness, and research into lung cancer. The auction will run from May 20 to June 11, and items will be announced closer to the time.

Stand Up For A Cure has also revealed they are organizing concerts from ex-Beach Boy Brian Wilson, the Dave Matthews Band, and Andrea Bocelli later this year. Tickets are available from their website.

Bon Jovi Headline Charity Concert

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:28:56 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Bon Jovi has headlined the first concert in a charity series to raise funds for lung cancer research.

The show was held at Manhattan’s Hammerstein Ballroom on Tuesday, February 12, to a capacity crowd of 3,500, with proceeds going to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering, a facility that specializes in lung cancer. The Center is also where Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora’s father received treatment for the disease before his death last year.

“Cancer is relentless; you can’t stop it,” said Sambora, who opened the concert with a 30 minute set of solo material. “Hopefully this money will help find answers.”

The concert was organized by Stand Up For A Cure, and is expected to be the first of a yearlong series to benefit the cancer center. The organization hopes to pull together at least seven concerts in that time, and have already confirmed a stand-up performance from Jerry Seinfeld on June 2 at Madison Square Garden, a concert with Brian Wilson and special guests at the Hammerstein Ballroom on July 11, and a performance by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli set for a to-be-determined date in December.

Jordan Belkin, Executive Producer for Stand Up For A Cure, hopes the concert series will not only raise money for cancer research but also awareness for what he calls a “severely under-funded” disease.

“It’s the number one cause of cancer-related deaths in the world,” he told Billboard.com. “We need to get the message out and get money into the programs that are offering a potential cure for treatment. By groups like Bon Jovi donating their time and support to this cause, I think we’re getting closer to doing so.”

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