Look To The Stars News: Ringo Starr

Hard Rock Serves Up John Lennon For Charity

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Last week, Look To The Stars brought you the news that Yoko Ono had donated John Lennon’s Give Peace A Chance to charity. Now we can reveal that she has also donated another of the singer’s songs to another charity campaign.

The World Hunger Year (WHY), along with Hard Rock Cafe, has released Serve4, the latest in their series of albums designed to fight hunger around the world. Yoko Ono has donated John Lennon’s Gimme Some Truth to the album.

“This is a beautiful step towards world peace,” she said. “By imagining there’s no hunger, like what John sang in his song, we express our strong desire to bring a world in which children will never again suffer from hunger or poverty. Let’s come together and help spread this message around the world. John would have loved the fact that so many illustrious and good meaning partners and organizations have stood up to make this effort together.”

It is the second time Ono has donated one of Lennon’s songs to Hard Rock’s Imagine There’s No Hunger campaign and Serve CDs.

100% of net proceeds from Hard Rock’s campaign will directly benefit WHY and its grassroots partners around the globe, that have developed ways to feed children worldwide who are victims of poverty and also teach them farming and entrepreneurial skills for the future. Proceeds will be donated directly to WHY to benefit local charities, including the Common Ground Foundation and Pathfinder Academy both located in Kenya, the Pattanarak Foundation located in Thailand, City of Joy located in India, the Yéle Haiti Foundation located in Haiti, Hope North located in Uganda, Roots and Shoots located in China, Project Bona Fide located in Nicaragua and Sentabale located in Lesotho.

“Hard Rock has been a longtime supporter of WHY, and I’ve seen firsthand how the organization helps to make a difference around the world,” said Hamish Dodds, President and CEO, Hard Rock International, and Global Ambassador for WHY. “We are proud to continue to support WHY’s life-saving efforts, in hopes that one day, we will have a world without hunger and poverty.”

The track list of Serve4 is as follows:

John Lennon “Gimme Some Truth”
O.A.R. “Lay Down”
Brandi Carlile “If There Was No You”
Starsailor “Listen Up”
Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint “The River In Reverse”
Earth, Wind & Fire / Chicago “You”
Eric Hutchinson “OK, It’s Alright With Me”
The Low Anthem “Home I’ll Never Be”
Arno Carstens “Heartbreak Monday”
Brett Dennen “Heaven”
Toby Lightman “One Day”
moe. “Wicked Awesome”
The Raveonettes “Oh I Buried You Today”
Uncle Kracker “Smile”

In addition to SERVE4, beginning November 9th, Hard Rock locations around the globe will offer IMAGINE THERE’S NO HUNGER merchandise, including a limited-edition bracelet and pin to benefit WHY.

A charity event held in New York to launch the CD last week attracted a plethora of famous supporters, including Ringo Starr.

“You get so many invites every day to do stuff,” said Starr. “When I read the statistics of this, it just blew me away. So I thought, why not? How hard is it to do something? Because it is of some value, you give your name to great causes.”

The 14-track Serve4 is available as a download card at Hard Rock locations and at hardrock.com and as a download with five bonus tracks at Amazon ($8.99 or 99 cents a track). Cafe patrons who add a $1 donation to a meal tab receive an Imagine bracelet.

Beatlemania Returns For Charity

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Beatlemania has hit the headlines once again this week, with the release of the Fab Four’s remastered CD collection, their Rock Band video game, and a popular British presenter’s efforts to re-record their hits for charity.

A whole new generation of fans are currently being exposed to the music of John, Paul, George and Ringo through the release of Rock Star, and a number of limited edition Xbox 360 consoles are available to benefit Doctors Without Borders. The consoles are available at eBay.

Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971 working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe. Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, personally selected the charity as the beneficiary of these proceeds.

According to eBay: "Starting Sept. 9, Xbox 360 will also give its more than 20 million Xbox LIVE members the opportunity to give to charity and support the Beatles’ eternal message of peace and love. “All You Need Is Love,” the Beatle’s iconic anthem of peace, will be released exclusively on Xbox 360 as a downloadable song for the game through Xbox LIVE with Apple Corps Ltd, MTV Games, Harmonix and Microsoft, with proceeds benefiting Doctors Without Borders. Good deeds never go unnoticed: purchasing and downloading the “All You Need Is Love” track for 160 Microsoft Points for charity will also register you for the “The Beatles: Rock Band” Download & Win* for a chance to win one of the limited edition “The Beatles: Rock Band” Xbox 360 consoles and a Rickenbacker 325 replica guitar controller."

In other Beatles news this week, British TV and radio presenter Sir Terry Wogan has been busy in a recording studio with Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and the Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman laying down tracks of classic Fab Four songs for the upcoming Bandaged Together album to benefit Children in Need.

The project has been organised by a group of Terry Wogan fans known as The TOGs (Terry’s Old Geezers and Gals).

“Last year, thanks to the TOGs, we raised about £3 million for Children In Need,” said Sir Terry. “We had Bandaged One which sold an awful lot and made hundreds of thousands of pounds for the charity. The idea this year is Bandaged Two and we are hoping to raise even more money.”

The album – which will feature Sir Terry’s take on All You Need Is Love – will be released next month.

Beatles Launch Game With Charity Download

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were in California earlier this week to launch the new Xbox The Beatles:Rock Band game. During the event, the musicians announced that one of the songs from the game, All You Need Is Love, will be released exclusively as a download through Xbox Live, with proceeds to benefit Doctors Without Borders.

McCartney and Starr joined Yoko Ono – widow of John Lennon – and Olivia Harrison, widow of George Harrison, in unveiling the game at Microsoft’s 2009 E3 Media and Business Summit.

All You Need Is Love will be released exclusively as a downloadable song on September 9, with all proceeds benefiting Doctors Without Borders. Also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, this international humanitarian aid organisation provides emergency medical aid in more than 80 countries. Established in 1971, Doctors Without Borders provides aid “to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need and reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols.” The organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

Find out more about the work of the organization at its official website.

Beatles Day 2009 To Benefit Charity Appeals

Wed, 13 May 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Fans of the Fab Four around the world will have the chance to celebrate their favorite band during Beatles Day 09 and raise money for the Imagine Appeal for the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and the Marina Dalglish Appeal for a radiotherapy centre in Liverpool.

Officially launched by Julia Baird – John Lennon’s sister – and Ricky Tomlinson, the event will take place on July 10 in places as diverse as China, Russia, New Zealand and of course Liverpool.

This year will mark the second time the event will be held, with last year’s homage to John, Paul, George and Ringo – which gained support from Pink, Russell Brand and the Sugababes – raising over £45,000. Liverpool will once again host a concert as part of the event, and there will be loads of merchandise and happenings available.

July 10 was chosen as the date as it is the anniversary of the Beatles triumphant return to Liverpool from the States and the premiere of the film ‘Hard Day’s Night’ in 1964. The streets were lined with thousands of adoring fans, and organizers hope to re-create the same sort of Beatlemania this year.

“It’s 24 hours when people can show their love for the Beatles and celebrate the legacy of their music,” said Chas Cole, Summer Pops promoter. "The concert at the Echo Arena will be a great way to finish, but BEATLES DAY is really a chance for the ordinary people of Liverpool and other towns and cities all over the world to take part in Beatles related fundraising activities and events. The most important thing is to have fun whilst raising money.

“Liverpool will be the centre of events on 10th July. It would be a great time to visit and let the people show you what makes this city truly great; its heritage, humor, boundless enthusiasm under pressure and above all, its ability to not take itself too seriously. BEATLES DAY here we come!”

The Imagine Appeal is a fundraising campaign launched in 2005 with the help of Yoko Ono to raise money for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital – the largest children’s hospital in Europe. Since 1914, the hospital has led the way in the care of sick children and now treats more than 200,000 young patients every year. And with patrons such as Wayne Rooney, the Imagine Appeal aims to make the work of the hospital easier.

To find out more about this event, visit the official website.

Remaining Beatles Reunite At Benefit Concert

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reunited for a special benefit concert in New York on Saturday, April 4.

The pair came together on stage to perform With A Little Help From My Friends, playing together for the first time since George Harrison’s tribute show in 2002. They played three songs together in total on Saturday, Including I Saw Her Standing There.

“At this point we would like to introduce somebody to you who you know, you’ve heard his name,” Sir Paul said as he introduced his former bandmate. “He’s going to come out here and play you a little song this joyful night. Ladies and gentlemen: Billy Shears!!”

Proceeds from the show – which also featured Sheryl Crow, Moby, Donovan, Ben Harper and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder – went to the David Lynch Foundation, set up by filmmaker David Lynch to provide funds for in-school “Quiet Time” programs utilizing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique. In the past year, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars for thousands of students, teachers, and parents to learn to meditate. The Foundation also provides funds for independent research institutions to assess the effects of the program on creativity, intelligence, brain functioning, academic performance, ADHD and other learning disorders, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. The filmmaker attributes much of his creativity to the practice.

“It gives me great pleasure to be part of this evening,” said Starr. “I feel the aims of this charity are wonderful.”

Join The Shining Stars At Shane's Inspiration Gala

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A charity that aims to eliminate bias against children with disabilities by creating accessible playgrounds and programs that integrate children of all abilities is to hold a star-studded gala this Saturday, March 14.

Hosted by Joe Mantegna, the Our Shining Stars gala will benefit Shane’s Inspiration, a charity established in 1997 after founders Catherine Curry-Williams and Scott Williams lost their son, Shane Alexander, to Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Type I: Werdnig-Hoffman Disease) only a few weeks after his birth.

Expected to attend the gala are Dakota Fanning, Slash, and former NBA Star and current NASCAR racer Derek Strong. Guests will be treated to cocktails, dinner, Rockstar Photobooth, entertainment from comedian Chris Fonseca and a special auction featuring a donated one-of-a-kind collaborative painting. Paraplegic artist Tommy Hollenstein – who paints with the wheels of his wheelchair – created the painting with the collaboration and signatures of sixteen rock stars, including Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh (The Eagles), Slash, and members of Incubus, Santana, The Cars, The Knack, and The Cult.

To date, Shane’s Inspiration has created 22 Universally Accessible Playgrounds in Los Angeles and around the world. It received the first “Heroes for Health Award” by Good Housekeeping Magazine and General Electric, and has been lauded by People Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, L.A. Parent Magazine, L.A. Business Council and numerous others.

The gala will take place at the Beverly Wilshire on Saturday, March 14, starting at 7pm. More information can be found here.

Surviving Beatles Reunite For Charity Concert

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

As reported by Look To The Stars back in January, Paul McCartney is to headline a charity concert to benefit filmmaker David Lynch’s meditation charity. We can now announce the music icon will be joined by his former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr.

After initially not confirming that the two stars would share the stage together, a UK spokesperson has now announced that the pair will definitely perform at least one song together – making it a reunion of the surviving members of The Beatles. They last performed together in public at a tribute show for George Harrison in 2002.

Proceeds from the show will go to the David Lynch Foundation, set up by the filmmaker to provide funds for in-school “Quiet Time” programs utilizing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique. In the past year, the Foundation has provided millions of dollars for thousands of students, teachers, and parents to learn to meditate. The Foundation also provides funds for independent research institutions to assess the effects of the program on creativity, intelligence, brain functioning, academic performance, ADHD and other learning disorders, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. The filmmaker attributes much of his creativity to the practice.

“It gives me great pleasure to be part of this evening,” said Starr. “I feel the aims of this charity are wonderful.”

Tickets for the show – which also features Sheryl Crow, Moby, Donovan, Ben Harper and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and will take place at the Radio City Music Hall in New York on April 4 – go on sale on Monday.

Roger Daltrey Rocks Village With Charity Gig

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Roger Daltrey rocked a field of fans at a small charity gig last week.

Frontman for The Who, Daltrey played to 400 people who packed themselves into a huge tent at West Well Farm in the sleepy English village of Tingewick – about 20 miles from Oxford – to raise money for some local charities, including MacMillan Cancer Support, Florence Nightingale House, and the Oxford Kidney Unit.

The singer performed for 75 minutes in a lineup of musicians that included members of Deep Purple, Ringo Starr’s son, Zac, and famed session musician Robbie McIntosh.

The annual event – known as the Party in the Paddock and held every year since 2006 – has raised over US$100,000 for charity.

Stars Keep In Time For Charity

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A new series of designer watches featuring memorabilia from rock stars and celebrities is raising money for charity.

California-based Nixon Watches has launched their 2008 LTD collection of watches which incorporates guitar frets, concert ticket stubs, and other items into quality timepieces. The brainchild of No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont, the collection features watches designed by musicians such as Ringo Starr, Nikki Sixx, members of Fall Out Boy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Angels and Airwaves, and screen stars Jack Black and Joy Bryant. Proceeds from the watches will benefit the Tony Hawk Foundation, a children’s aid charity that seeks to foster lasting improvements in society, and the MusiCares MAP Fund to help musicians recovering from addiction.

According to the Nixon website, the collection ranges in price from $350 to $1,500, and is available from Barneys New York in Beverly Hills.

Grammy Auction Has Something For Everybody

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Another incredible Grammy auction benefiting MusiCares is currently running on eBay, giving bidders the opportunity to pick up some very special memorabilia for a good cause.

The 51st annual Grammy Awards will take place in February next year, and to celebrate there are all sorts of exciting items on offer. Maybe you fancy books signed by Ringo Starr, John Legend, Tom Jones, Tony Bennett, Nelly Furtado, Little Richard, or Carole King, or postcards signed by Rihanna. Or perhaps you would be more interested in grabbing a guitar signed by Stevie Wonder, Coldplay, or the Eagles’ Joe Walsh. Or, if strumming chords seems too hard and you want to hear real musicians play, you might want to make a bid on tickets to see Bette Midler, America, or 3 Doors Down. Whatever your taste, the auction has something for you.

So head over to the eBay Grammys Auction now to find yourself a once-in-a-lifetime bargain to raise money for MusiCares, an organization that works to help those in need in the music industry, and the Grammy Foundation, which works with industries, cultural communities and the public to raise awareness of music and arts education.

The auction runs until July 31.

Eric Clapton - Standing At The Crossroads Of Addiction

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:00:16 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Although regarded by many as one of the best rock and blues guitarists to ever live, Eric Clapton is a man who has suffered for his art. But the succession of addictions and the tragic personal dramas have not stopped the legend from becoming one of the most successful performers in the world today, and have fueled his desire to help those who face the same problems in their daily struggle to survive.

Clapton was born in 1945, in Surrey, England. He was raised by his grandmother and grew up believing his mother was actually his older sister – she was only 16 when he was born. He eventually found out the truth when he was 9 years old, and he took it hard. He became shy and lonely, and took solace in the only thing he could find stability in – blues music.

A proficiency with the guitar led the young teenager to join a band called The Yardbirds in 1963, and the group started to attract a large cult following when they took over the Rolling Stones’ residency at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. Clapton played on The Yardbirds first hit record, “For Your Love”, before leaving the band in 1965 due to their pop-orientated musical direction.

Before he left, however, Clapton started his long association with benefit concerts by joining Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page for a series of 12 gigs in support of Action For Research Into Multiple Sclerosis, a cause he has continued to support over the years.

A brief stint in “John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers” was followed by Clapton’s first shot at the big time – he formed “Cream” with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. A string of hits – such as “Sunshine of Your Love”, “White Room”, and “Crossroads” – was unleashed on a music scene where the likes of Jimi Hendrix and The Who were creating a psychedelic stir. Drugs fueled the industry, and Clapton started to feel their attractive lure. It was a relationship that was destined for disaster.

Cream disbanded in 1968, and Clapton spent his time in bands such as “Blind Faith” and “Derek And The Dominos”. He also found a solid friendship with George Harrison, guitarist for The Beatles.

By the time Clapton kicked off his solo career in 1970, he was drinking heavily and was addicted to heroin. His personality became erratic and his live shows suffered as a result. He became reclusive, only leaving his house to secure more drugs and to perform at the occasional benefit concert – during George Harrison’s Concert For Bangladesh in 1972, Clapton passed out on stage.

If something was not done quickly, Clapton’s friends could see that he would go the same way as Hendrix and many other stars caught up in the drug culture. Pete Townshend, guitarist for The Who, organized a comeback for Clapton to help him beat his addictions in 1973. Although Clapton returned to his art for the rest of the decade, releasing some of his greatest hits, he would not truly kick his alcohol and drug habits until the mid-1980s. He contemplated taking his own life on several occasions, but was only stopped by the realization that if he were dead, he would not be able to drink anymore.

“I thought there was something otherworldly about the whole culture of drinking, that being drunk made me a member of some strange, mysterious club,” Clapton told The Today Show recently. “The stuff that happened to me as a child made me totally insular — I thought I could do all of this on my own. It wasn’t until I was quite a bit older that I finally did ask for help.”

Help came through the continuing support of friends such as Phil Collins, who reestablished a love of music and a sense of self-worth in the artist. In 1989, after two decades of struggling to take control of his inner demons, Clapton declared himself sober and released “Journeyman”, a critically acclaimed album that proved he was back at the top of his game.

Throughout the 1990s, Clapton worked quietly to help others who had fallen into the dark world of addiction. In 1998, he opened the doors to the Crossroads Centre, a facility located on the beautiful Caribbean island of Antigua, dedicated to helping those who suffer from chemical abuse.

“My vision was to create a centre of the highest caliber to treat people of the Caribbean and throughout the world,” he said. "The centre would be staffed with experienced and internationally recognized professionals. The cost of treatment would be held to the lowest possible level, ensuring affordability and accessibility. And most importantly, this non-profit centre would provide treatment scholarships for people of the Caribbean region and around the world.

“Crossroads is like no other treatment centre. It is the perfect place to begin the road of recovery and utilizes a combination of effective therapies to address addiction and recovery, while capturing the spiritual serenity that many have found unique to Antigua. Within the serene, healing atmosphere individuals participate in a structured 29-day residential 12 step based program that allows clients to experience a whole person wellness approach to recovery.”

Since the Crossroads Centre was opened, Clapton has held two sales of his own guitars to raise money for the non-profit venture – which generated a total of $12 million – and he has also organized two Crossroads Guitar Festivals, featuring stars such as Sheryl Crow and Vince Gill. To kick off 2008, Clapton joined Pete Townshend, Ringo Starr, and Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh at a gig held in a bar in Surrey, to raise money for various Alcoholics Anonymous groups.

As a human being, Clapton will never forget the struggle to beat his addictions, but he believes the only way to get through it all is to keep moving forward.

“In the last couple of years there’s been more action in my life, and drama, than I would have wished for. But I think I’ve learned something from it all. I can’t say tangibly what it is, except that I’m happy to be me and to have survived.”

For more information on how to help those who suffer from addictions, visit www.crossroadsantigua.org.

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