Look To The Stars News: Beth Orton

British Bands To Play For Youth Music Charity

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0000

British band The Enemy and singing sensation Little Boots are to play gigs as part of a forthcoming exhibition project by photographer Rankin for children’s music charity Youth Music.

Youth Music is the UK’s largest children’s music charity, set up in 1999 to promote and support music making opportunities and to provide advice to children from birth – 18 with the least access, including some of the UK’s most disadvantaged young people. Youth Music works alongside the formal and community-based sectors to support music-making and training.

The acts are set to play at London’s Phillips de Pury Gallery on November 12 and 13, and are part of a week-long series of music and art events.

Photographer Rankin has asked a host of top musicians and acts – such as Blur’s Alex James, Alanis Morissette, Beth Orton, Kylie Minogue, Keane, Jarvis Cocker, Kasabian and REM’s Michael Stipe – to customise a picture of themselves for the exhibition, titled Destroy.

Tickets will go on sale on September 28 from here.

Annie Lennox To Play Unplugged In South Africa

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Annie Lennox will play a special unplugged concert in South Africa next month for charity.

The singer will perform at the Teatro theatre in Montecasino on July 8 to raise funds and awareness for her SING Foundation.

“Audiences will see the star up close and personal, accompanied by nothing other than her piano and her stories,” said Penny Stein, spokeswoman for the event.

SING was launched in 2007 to raise money for the Treatment Action Campaign through the sales of an all-star single that featured the voices of Madonna, Céline Dion, Dido, Faith Hill, Joss Stone, Pink, Melissa Etheridge, Fergie, Bonnie Raitt, KT Tunstall, Shakira, Beth Orton, Sarah McLachlan, Anastacia, the Sugababes, KD Lang, Martha Wainwright, Angélique Kidjo, Beverley Knight, Shingai Shoniwa, Gladys Knight, and Isobel Campbell.

Tickets are available here and include a pre-show cocktail party with a special performance by the Soweto Gospel Choir.

Annie Lennox SINGS In Norway

Tue, 19 May 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Singer Annie Lennox was in Norway last week to host a special event that aimed to raise money and awareness for the SING Campaign against AIDS.

The singer performed in Oslo on May 15 at an event in which guests were required to make a minimum donation of NOK 1,000 to the SING Campaign in order to redeem an invite.

SING was launched to raise money for the Treatment Action Campaign through the sales of an all-star single that featured the voices of Madonna, Céline Dion, Dido, Faith Hill, Joss Stone, Pink, Melissa Etheridge, Fergie, Bonnie Raitt, KT Tunstall, Shakira, Beth Orton, Sarah McLachlan, Anastacia, the Sugababes, KD Lang, Martha Wainwright, Angélique Kidjo, Beverley Knight, Shingai Shoniwa, Gladys Knight, and Isobel Campbell.

“One third of pregnant women in South Africa are HIV positive,” said the 53-year-old in a recent CNN interview. “We can prevent their children being born with the virus if we let the women have access to treatment. If you do not allow that to happen, you’re going to have future generations simply being wiped out.”

More information about the campaign, visit the Sing Campaign website.

Annie Lennox Raises Awareness Of SING Campaign

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Singer Annie Lennox has just released her new Greatest Hits collection in the US and has used the occasion to raise awareness of a new campaign being run by SING, an initiative she established to bring attention to AIDS/HIV in Africa.

Over the next few weeks and months, SING will be telling the stories of four women in Africa who are currently living their lives and raising their families whilst dealing with the effects of HIV/AIDS.

After personally witnessing Nelson Mandela describe the African HIV pandemic as a genocide, with women and children becoming the frontline victims, Annie Lennox set out to try and do something about it.

The singer launched the SING Campaign in 2007 when she released a special fundraising single called Sing, which featured a 23-member choir of female celebrities, including Madonna, Céline Dion, Dido, Faith Hill, Joss Stone, Pink, Melissa Etheridge, Fergie, Bonnie Raitt, KT Tunstall, Shakira, Beth Orton, Sarah McLachlan, Anastacia, the Sugababes, KD Lang, Martha Wainwright, Angélique Kidjo, Beverley Knight, Shingai Shoniwa, Gladys Knight, and Isobel Campbell. Proceeds from the single went to the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), an organization that that provides much needed support in the continent’s struggle against the deadly virus.

The money raised by SING helps prevent the spread of HIV in South Africa, and also supports those currently living with HIV.

“[The focus of the SING Campaign] is really on women,” Lennox told CNN last week. “I understand what it is for a woman to want to protect their children and give them the best they can.”

To follow the new campaign being run by SING, visit their website. A video announcing the new campaign for 2009 can be viewed here.

Stars Sing Praises For Annie Lennox

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

December 1 marked the first anniversary of Annie Lennox’s SING Campaign, and some of the stars involved have paid tribute to her work.

“Congratulations for all the hard work that Sing has done in the last year, good luck and much love for the next year to come,” said Anastacia. "Happy First birthday Sing! "

“Congratulations on all the success of the foundation,” added Gladys Knight. “We all must do our part to make a difference. Thank you so much for stepping up to the plate.”

“Happy anniversary ‘SING’!” said Joss Stone. “Well done to everyone on the team and a special well done to Annie for sticking her neck out for the things that she believes in! I am inspired and proud to be part of this.”

Bonnie Raitt also wrote a note of support: “Thanks for all the wonderful work you’ve done this year with the Sing campaign. I’m so proud to have joined together with so many wonderful singers to help Annie raise awareness and support for the terrible problem of HIV/AIDS especially for women in Africa. I’ve loved Annie’s music for years and hope we can work miracles with her beautiful song and Sister Choir.”

A special first birthday film for the campaign – featuring Lennox – can be found at YouTube.

Annie Lennox Sings For World AIDS Day

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Today, December 1, is World AIDS Day – and also the first anniversary of Annie Lennox’s SING Campaign, and the star has launched a host of new additions to the SING website to celebrate.

Among the additions are a new Timeline that plots the progress of the campaign since its launch, and an Advent calendar which will unlock a new window every day through December that features either SING video’s, SING Image’s or a special video message from Lennox. There is also a new Widget that can be downloaded for Facebook, Bebo, MySpace and other sites, as well as a special SING Campaign YouTube site. Lennox is also writing a column in today’s issue of Britain’s The Sun newspaper about her work with SING.

To watch a special video celebrating the first anniversary of the SING campaign, click here.

Annie Lennox Sings Praises For Charity Work

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Annie Lennox has written an update about her SING campaign, an initiative she launched last year to raise money for AIDS treatment projects.

“December 1st will be World Aids day, and will also be the 1st anniversary of the launch of SING,” she wrote in her latest blog. “I think it’s essential that anyone who supports the campaign gets a clearly outlined list of everything we’ve done so far, so that you can get a better understanding of our accomplishments.”

The campaign was launched to raise money for the Treatment Action Campaign through the sales of an all-star single that featured the voices of Madonna, Céline Dion, Dido, Faith Hill, Joss Stone, Pink, Melissa Etheridge, Fergie, Bonnie Raitt, KT Tunstall, Shakira, Beth Orton, Sarah McLachlan, Anastacia, the Sugababes, KD Lang, Martha Wainwright, Angélique Kidjo, Beverley Knight, Shingai Shoniwa, Gladys Knight, and Isobel Campbell.

“One of the reasons SING supports the Treatment Action Campaign is because it is a “grassroots” organization, run by the people “for” the people," wrote Lennox. "Once you can start to empower people with information, education and collective solidarity, you can begin to implement effective changes at a community level. Now that there is a new health minister in South Africa, there can be a window of opportunity to take some significant steps towards saving and sustaining lives. In a few weeks I will be having a meeting with the CEO of TAC, where we’ll have the chance to discuss what needs to be done, and how we can go about instilling and supporting positive action asap.

“Meanwhile thank you for supporting SING… as I’ve said before, we’re in for the long haul, and I aim to make a difference!”

It has also been announced that Lennox is to receive a Special Achievement Award at the 2008 German Sustainability Awards for her commitment to a sustainable future, in particular her commitment in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The ceremony will take place in Düsseldorf on December 5.

Annie Lennox And Friends Sing For Africa

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:59:52 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Momentum is building behind Annie Lennox’s Sing Campaign, and the singer is now offering fans the chance to download the song that started it all for free in an initiative to raise awareness of the HIV/AIDS problem in South Africa.

US residents will be able to download the song from Amazon MP3 until March 17 and support the Treatment Action Campaign, an orgainization that provides much needed support in the country’s struggle against the deadly virus.

The single, which was made available in the UK through the Body Shop, has sold out in countries such as Ireland and cities such as London. The entire UK has sold half of its stock in only two days, an unprecedented occurrence in the music industry, especially in relation to a charity single.

Lennox was joined by a choir of 23 well-known female performers for the song, which was originally released on her Songs of Mass Destruction album in 2007. The former Eurythmics lead singer believed that a group of female voices would make the message of the song stronger, so she enlisted the talents of Madonna, Céline Dion, Dido, Faith Hill, Joss Stone, Pink, Melissa Etheridge, Fergie, Bonnie Raitt, KT Tunstall, Shakira, Beth Orton, Sarah McLachlan, Anastacia, the Sugababes, KD Lang, Martha Wainwright, Angélique Kidjo, Beverley Knight, Shingai Shoniwa, Gladys Knight, and Isobel Campbell in the recording.

“Because I had written a song called ‘Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves’ in the 80s, which became a fairly well-known feminist anthem really, [I thought] perhaps it would be possible to try to attempt to write another kind of anthemic song for women,” said Lennox. “So I started to write a song and it ended up being called ‘Sing’. I sort of melded the song in with an HIV activist song written by a group of activists living in Khayelitsa in South Africa.”

The Sing Campaign, which Lennox launched in 2007, has also just set up a new video on YouTube, in which the public can leave comments in support of the campaign.

More information about the campaign, visit the Sing Campaign website.

It's A Long Way Down For Charity

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:09:46 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

What was quite possibly the party of the year was held in London on November 8, in celebration of the adventure of a lifetime.

The Long Way Down charity dinner and auction was held to mark the successful completion of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s 15,000 mile motorcycle ride from the most northern point in Scotland to the most southern point of South Africa, an adventure that is now the subject of a television series being shown on BBC2 on Sunday nights, and an action-packed book. A host of celebrities, including Elle Macpherson, James Nesbitt, and Scottish singer Sharleen Spiteri dusted off their best clothes for the event, which included performances by The Magic Numbers and Beth Orton.

The evening raised over $621,000 for the Long Way Down team’s charity partners, including Riders For Health, an organization that has worked for over 15 years to develop delivery systems for healthcare in Africa, as well as CHAS, a Scottish charity committed to providing children’s hospice services, and UNICEF.

“I’ve been involved with CHAS for many years,” said McGregor during the auction event. “It’s the most extraordinary place. 20% of the money raised tonight will go to CHAS, to help the children. They will be very grateful, as will I.”

The top selling item of the evening was a replica of the BMW R1200 motorcycle the pair rode during their journey. The bike, which was painted half in McGregor’s color scheme and half in Boorman’s, sold for an unbelievable $103,000. This was followed by one of the Nissan Nivara support vehicles that completed the trip, which was snapped up for $87,000. Other items included an African holiday for four people which reached $27,000, and a one-of-a-kind Gary Hutchins Edbanger guitar, sold for $18,000. In fact, the guitar proved to be so popular that the company that produced it agreed to make two more, both of which reached the same price.

Several celebrities also donated their own items to the auction, including Jay Kay from British pop group Jamiroquai, whose mountain bike fetched $12,000, slightly more than his personal hovercraft, which reached $10,000. Actor Simon Pegg sold the Nike shoes he wore in his latest movie, “Run Fat Boy Run”, for $3000.

The Long Way Down team is committed to raising as much money as possible for children affected by HIV, poverty, and conflict in Africa, and visited several sites in Libya, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Rwanda where UNICEF works during the adventure. Both McGregor and Boorman hope that the auction will go a long way in achieving that goal.

“We have started a partnership with UNICEF that will continue for a long long time,” said McGregor, who paid $20,000 for six fashion dresses for his wife during the auction. “The people that we met who work for UNICEF, and the children they help, really touched us to our core. I have often thought that where I would say ‘I don’t know what we can do’, UNICEF says ’Here’s what we can do’.”

More information on the epic journey can be found at www.longwaydown.com.

Jude Law to Make Film in Afghanistan For World Peace Day

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:37:25 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British actor Jude Law is to film a new documentary for the BBC in Afghanistan, as part of the lead up to World Peace Day on September 21.

The 35 year old star of “Cold Mountain” and “The Road To Perdition” will join documentary maker and humanitarian Jeremy Gilley in a film about the effects of war on Afghan children, and the efforts of UNICEF to provide aid. The pair will also record the preparations made by UNICEF in the war-torn country to celebrate this year’s World Peace Day.

“This is a historic project, rooted in film,” said Law. “I’m immensely proud to be a part of it.”

World Peace Day has been held annually since 2001, when the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted September 21 as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. The initiative came from an idea by Jeremy Gilley, who founded his non-profit organization, Peace One Day, in 1999. Since then he has amassed an impressive list of supporters, including Chris Martin, Sir Richard Branson, Angelina Jolie, Alan Rickman, and Michael Douglas.

As well as the documentary, Gilley is also organizing a charity concert event at the Royal Albert Hall on World Peace Day 2007. Annie Lennox will join James Morrison, Beth Orton, and Corinne Bailey Rae for a night of music and performances benefiting Peace One Day. The show will also contain video messages from Jude Law and David Beckham.

“This process is about creating an annual moment of global unity,” said Law, regarding the work of Peace One Day and the upcoming concert. “It can only work if we all become involved, and it’s essential that we do”.

Concert tickets can be purchased online at www.peaceoneday.org.

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