Look To The Stars News: Ozzy Osbourne

Metallica And Ozzy Donate To Charity

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Heavy metal legends Metallica will kick off their latest tour with two charity shows.

The Rock Gods will play a gig at O2 World in Berlin on September 12, to be followed by a concert at the O2 Arena in London three days later, with proceeds going to local charities which will be revealed in the next few weeks. Tickets are only available to the band’s fan club members and subscribers to www.MissionMetallica.com – the band’s website dedicated to their new album, Death Magnetic. The ticket price will be as low as £5 (US$10).

The band – who have performed at a variety of benefit concerts in the past, including Live Earth, the Bridge School concerts, and the Silverlake Conservancy – are no strangers to giving their concert proceeds to charity. Following their performance at Live Earth, the band’s drummer Lars Ulrich announced that fans could download the performance, with all money raised benefiting climate charities hand-selected by the band – including the Sierra Club, Apollo Alliance, WWF, and the Rainforest Action Network.

In other heavy metal news, Ozzy Osbourne, Slayer, Counting Crows, Black Tide, Kingdom of Sorrow, Devildriver, As I Lie Dying, and The Dillinger Escape Plan are some of the artists who have donated autographed items to the Ride For Dime charity auction. Autographed guitars, posters, CD sleeves and other rock memorabilia are all up for grabs to raise money for Ride For Dime, a charity named after former Pantera guitarist Darrell “Dime” Abbot, who was shot and killed onstage in 2004. The organization gives back to the charities that were of interest to Dime during his life as well as charities he would have been proud to be a part of. Ride For Dime will raise money on behalf of three charities, Little Kids Rock, Covenant House, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

The auction can be accessed via Ride For Dime’s eBay page.

Stars Prepare For Oscar Glory With Charity Parties

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:56:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The next few days will be busy for Hollywood’s elite, as they practice their speeches and iron their gowns in anticipation of the 80th Academy Awards to be held on Sunday, February 24. As always, part of the pizzazz of the event is the glamorous parties in the days leading up to the big night. And although many of these soirees give the rich and famous a chance to be seen in the right places, a few are designed to raise awareness and funds for causes other than fame.

Wednesday, February 20, will see the Fifth Annual Global Green Pre-Oscar Party hit Hollywood between the eyes, with an event formulated to promote “smart solutions to global warming”. The party, to be held at the Avalon in Hollywood, will feature performances by Damien Rice and Michelle Branch, as well as Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the stars of Oscar-nominated musical, Once.

A huge selection of stars are expected to attend the event, including Salma Hayek, Alicia Silverstone, Val Kilmer, Adrian Grenier, Dana Delany, and Josie Maran. There is also a strong possibility that committee members Orlando Bloom and Leonardo DiCaprio may also attend.

Tickets to the party, available from the Global Green website, cost $250 for general admission and $5,000 for “green carpet” access and entry to the Patron Lounge, with all proceeds going to Global Green’s climate initiatives and their efforts to rebuild a green New Orleans.

Another big event in the next few days is the 16th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Party, to be held at the Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood, on February 24.

The Elton John AIDS Foundation gala is the most highly visible and successful fundraising event in Hollywood on Oscar night, and over the past 15 years has generated over $15 Million for the fight against HIV/AIDS.

“This event is our most important fundraiser of the year,” the Foundation stated in a media statement. “Last year, we raised over $4.3 million, and we expect to exceed that record this year.”

The evening will begin at 4pm, with a special cocktail reception, followed by a formal dinner and a live screening of the Academy Awards. An auction, featuring items such as a vintage Corvette from Sharon Stone’s collection, will also be held, and Sir Elton will perform for guests such as Victoria and David Beckham, Ellen DeGeneres, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, and Elizabeth Taylor.

“With the loyal support of the Hollywood community, the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party has raised significant attention and funds for the fight against HIV/AIDS over the past 15 years,” said Foundation Director Scott Campbell. “This year we hope to set the bar even higher and let the world know that we are as committed as ever to fighting this devastating disease.”

Absentee bids and more information on the event can be found at the Elton John AIDS Foundation website.

Bono's Fishy T-Shirt Benefits African Farmers

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:41:01 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Bono has designed a new T-shirt for charity, joining a host of other celebrities in an on-going and major charity campaign.

The 47-year-old singer from U2 is the 25th artist to design a shirt for Hard Rock Café’s Signature Series clothing line, an initiative started in 1990 as a way for musicians to raise money for charities of their choice. Sales from the shirts have raised over $6 million for a variety of causes.

Bono’s creation, available for $26 from the Hard Rock website, features his stylized drawing of a fish soaring past the moon, and is adorned with the words “Fish Can Fly”, as well as his signature. 15% of the proceeds will go to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Conservation Cotton initiative – a scheme designed to lift African farmers out of poverty by providing education on proper land management, organic cotton growing techniques, and wildlife conservation. The shirts will also support the trade for aid ethos of EDUN, the conscious consumerism fashion label founded by Bono and his wife in 2005, by being made from 100% African cotton and manufactured by African garment workers.

Other artists to have designed shirts for the initiative in the past include Green Day, who raised money for Amnesty International’s Campaign To Save Darfur, Shakira who chose to benefit Pies Descalzos, Ozzy Osbourne for the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program, Bruce Springsteen for World Hunger Year, Eric Clapton for the Crossroads Centre, Peter Gabriel for Witness, Sting and Elton John for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Michael Stipe for Artists for a New South Africa, Don Henley for the Walden Woods Project, John Mellencamp for the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Foundation, and Stevie Nicks for the Special Olympics. Carlos Santana and Aerosmith have also contributed designs. Many of these shirts are still available from the Hard Rock website.

Bono’s “Fish Can Fly” is more than just a phrase – it is a message that tomorrow can be better than today.

Osbournes Auction A Success

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:06:30 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

It was a sight not often seen in an auction room – heavy metal fans battling a bidding duel with art lovers. But this is exactly what was witnessed when Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon auctioned off belongings from their former Beverly Hills mansion over the weekend of November 30 and December 1. Over 600 lots went under the hammer, raising a colossal $800,000 for charity – twice the amount expected.

“We had Ozzy fans bidding against these sophisticated fine art buyers, which you don’t see every day,” said Darren Julien of Julien’s Auctions. “For the most part, the metalheads were outbidding the art crowd.”

Most of the items up for grabs were an eclectic mix of memorabilia from “The Osbournes”, the hit MTV reality show that revealed the bizarre home life of the Rock ‘n’ Roll family. A coat embroidered with bats was snapped up for $3,300, and a pair of sneakers adorned with skulls was sold for over $2,000. One lucky bidder paid over $5,000 for Ozzy’s trademark round glasses.

Some of the more unusual items sold during the auction (as if those listed above were not unusual enough) included an oversized coffee cup that sold for $1,625, and a luxury dog bed given to Sharon by Elton John that went for $2,375.

Ozzy, who is not really known as a softy, thought twice about putting his pool table up for auction, because he cherished the memories of playing with his children as they grew up. But it eventually walked out the door for $11,250.

The fine art lovers, however, did not go home disappointed. A sculpture by French artist Edouard Drouot was sold for $10,500, and a painting by Gabriel Joseph Marie Augustin Ferrier disappeared for over $5,000.

The proceeds from the auction went to the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a facility Sharon set up in 2004 after beating the disease. She had been given a 33% chance of survival.

“For a celebrity garage sale, it was pretty spectacular,” said Julien.

Osbournes Auction Furniture

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:24:47 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne are auctioning off furniture and works of art next month, with some of the funds going to the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program.

The couple will sell more than 600 lots of memorobilia, jewelry, furniture and decorative works of art from their homes in Malibu, Beverly Hills and England, including items such as their son Jack’s black leather bed and Ozzy’s gold, gem-encrusted American Flag bracelet. Many of the items have been seen in the hugely popular MTV reality show, The Osbournes.

The auction is set to take place at the Gibson Guitar Showroom in Beverly Hills on November 30 and December 1st, with a pre-sale exhibition taking place from November 26th-29th. Highlights from the sale will appear at the O2 in London on November 5th. Ozzy is also scheduled to perform a benefit concert for the charity at Staples Center in Los Angeles on the first night of the sale.

Another furniture auction recently raising funds for charity was the sale of the Tonight Show furniture. Jay Leno encouraged people to bid on the furniture, which included a sofa, guest chair, two cocktail tables, an ottoman and an area rug, along with Leno’s autographed desk. The sale benefitted Bailey’s Cafe, an education and cultural organization founded by Leno’s long-time friend, Stefanie Siegel. Over $45,000, was raised in the auction, all of which went to Bailey’s Cafe.

London and Austin host GuitarTown for charity

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 07:12:01 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Sir Paul McCartney is among a group of celebrities who have donated giant guitars to exhibitions in both America and England, to be auctioned off over the next few months.

The exhibitions are part of the Gibson GuitarTown Galas And Auctions being held in London and Austin, and feature both 10-foot-high and regular-sized guitars designed and signed by artists and musicians. The sculptures have been on show in the cities for 10 weeks, and will soon be removed in preparation for the auctions, which will benefit a variety of local charities.

“I just fancied playing a big guitar!” joked Sir Paul, who signed a sculpture designed by cartoonist Rosie Brooks entitled And The Crowd Goes Wild. “I think this one will hopefully catch the imagination of the public and whoever is going to buy it at the auction, and raise money for The Prince’s Trust, the Teenage Cancer Trust, and Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy – which are all great charities.”

GuitarTown London is an initiative of The Gibson Foundation, a division of Gibson Guitars that is dedicated to improving the quality of life through the support of arts, education, health and welfare, and environmental causes. It follows a similar event held in Nashville in 2005, which raised over $400,000 for local charities, and is coupled with an event currently being held in Austin, Texas. GuitarTown Austin features 65 giant sculptures and showcase guitars, which are currently on display in various locations around the city.

Celebrities such as Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quaid, Lance Armstrong, and Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines have all contributed their signatures to the artworks, to be auctioned at a special event at the Austin Grand Atrium on October 17. Bidders will have the chance to attend the Gala evening or bid online, with all proceeds going to the Health Alliance For Austin Musicians, the Austin Museum For Art, American Youthworks, and the Austin Children’s Museum.

“This public arts project showcases the enormous talent of both Austin’s visual and musical artists in the community,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, CEO of Gibson Guitars. “I hope Austin GuitarTown strikes a chord in people’s souls.”

The London GuitarTown Gala and Auction will be held on November 8, in the Indigo Room at the O2 Dome, and the sculptures are currently on display at More London in South Bank. Other artists to have contributed to the 61 items include Rod Stewart, Katie Melua, Corinne Bailey Rae, KT Tunstall, the Kaiser Chiefs, Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, James Blunt, Cliff Richard, Mark Knopfler, and Roger Waters.

“It seems the electric guitar is here to stay,” said Brian May, guitarist for Queen, who has two works included in the auction. “Gibson GuitarTown London looks set to become a glorious testament to this fact, and will be raising money and awareness for three great charities. I’m proud to endorse its imminent success.”

More information on the exhibitions and auctions can be found at www.londonguitartown.com.

Stars Design Plates For Charity

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:51:22 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

For those who want to have dinner with the stars, this could be the next best thing. A selection of dinner plates designed by celebrities are for sale, with proceeds going to charity.

The plates feature designs by David Bowie, George Clooney, Giorgio Armani, Coldplay, Minnie Driver, and Sir Michael Caine, and are part of a fundraising initiative from 21st Century Leaders, a non-profit organization that plans to raise $3 million over three years through its “Whatever It Takes” celebrity-designed merchandise. So far, the organization has raised almost $1.5 million to fund “charitable projects in developing countries, and contribute to the protection of the environment and other causes”.

21st Century Leaders was founded by Charlotte di Vita, MBE, a goodwill ambassador for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. The 39 year old founded her first charity, Trade plus Aid, in 1992, which has raised over $5 million and helped communities in 21 developing countries to become self-supporting. A desire to do more led di Vita to start Whatever It Takes, a unique charity art project where celebrities donate their own artwork, which is then transferred onto “merchandise with a meaning”.

“It’s 15 minutes of their time to do an artwork,” said di Vita. “And it’s not just for a one-off sale or auction – I can use it to create employment and royalties that will help the charities for years to come.”

Proceeds from the products are distributed to a charity of the designer’s choice, and the dinner plates (which retail for $20) will benefit Oxfam, Save the Children, CARE International, UNHCR, and Anti-Slavery International. Other products available include mugs featuring the designs of Claudia Schiffer, Ewan McGregor, and Nicole Kidman (also retailing for $20), T-shirts designed by the Kaiser Chiefs ($80), shoes designed by Ozzy Osbourne ($80), and wristbands by Joss Stone, Green Day, and Paul McCartney ($6).

All merchandise is available from www.whateverittakes.org.

Beckham Party Raises £2m

Wed, 24 May 2006 21:34:00 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Media darlings Victoria and David Beckham invited their celebrity friends and acquaintances to a ‘Full Length and Fabulous’ charity party last weekend, and raised £2m for UNICEF in the process.

Conceived as a party to usher in the soccer World Cup, the event boasted a guest list that included Robbie Williams, Diddy, Kate Moss, Sarah Ferguson, top football players and others.

Guests bid on items ranging from a £300,000 limited edition Bentley car to a meal cooked by Ozzy Osbourne—the latter was snapped up by a businessman for £62,000.

David Beckham’s teammate in the England soccer team, Wayne Rooney, paid £150,000 for his girlfriend to spend a weekend with Diddy at the rap star’s luxurious house in New York.

Ozzy Headlines Prince Charles Charity Gig

Sun, 21 May 2006 10:44:28 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

An all-star music concert was held in London yesterday to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Prince’s Trust charity.

Leading the line-up was veteran rocker Ozzy Osbourne, and other music acts included the Bee Gees, Lionel Richie, Annie Lennox, Ronan Keating, Pink and Embrace. Illusionist David Blaine also appeared.

Thanks to the Prince’s position, the 2000-strong audience was able to enjoy the concert in a unique setting: the grounds of the Tower of London.

The Prince’s Trust helps disadvantaged children reach their potential.

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