Look To The Stars News: KT Tunstall

Annie Lennox Sings For World AIDS Day

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

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.

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.

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

Give Landmines The Boot With Charity Auction

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A British charity for victims of landmines has launched their annual online celebrity shoe auction.

The Mines Advisory Group has gathered footwear from over 50 celebrities for the auction, which will raise vital funds for their projects and draw attention to the part of the body most vulnerable to landmines.

The auction was launched by model Kelly Knox, the glamorous winner of BBC 3’s best disabled model competition, at Merchant Taylor’s Hall in London.

“We are extremely honored to have Kelly launch our shoe auction this year,” said MAG’s Chief Executive Lou McGrath OBE. “Despite being born without a left forearm, Kelly has proven disability is not a deterrent to success. She should be an inspiration to the many thousands of people who have been cruelly maimed by the thousands of landmines still threatening lives and communities worldwide.”

Celebrities who have donated their soles to the cause include Judi Dench, Geri Halliwell, Chrissie Hynde, Beverley Knight, Ian McKellen, Shirley Bassey, Russell Brand, Jarvis Cocker, Heather Mills, Joanna Lumley, Susan Sarandon, Pete Townshend, KT Tunstall, Chris Martin, Rolf Harris, and many others.

The auction ends on December 4 and can be accessed via the MAG eBay site.

British charity auction site Buy Once Give Twice also currently has some exciting opportunities for philanthropic bargain hunters.

Rays of Sunshine – a charity that grants wishes to seriously and terminally ill children in the UK – have a whole bunch of VIP tickets up for grabs on the site right now, including concert experiences with Coldplay, Madness, and the Kaiser Cheifs. There is also a Fender guitar signed by Sting up for grabs, as well as a Chelsea football shirt signed by the whole team, and the chance to hang out with Emma Thompson on the set of the new Nanny McPhee movie.

But you better be quick, this auction ends tomorrow, November 26.

Keep Your Feet Dry With Celebrity Designed Boots

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

As winter starts to wrap it’s icy fingers around the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to start pulling your seasonal clothes out of the bottom of the drawers and closets. And if you want something a little different to go splashing through the puddles and snow this year, why not check out the celebrity boot sale currently on eBay.

Jay-Z, John Mayer, KT Tunstall, Amy Winehouse, Noel Gallagher, James Blunt, Katie Melua, The Arctic Monkeys, Kate Moss and a host of other stars decorated boots at this year’s Glastonbury Festival in the UK, and now the footwear will raise money for Water Aid, an organization that provides clean water, sanitation and hygiene education in Africa and other parts of the developing world.

“We are really excited about the Water Aid Celebrity Boot auction on eBay,“ said Naomi Irving, corporate development manager at Water Aid. “We’re so grateful to all the celebrities involved who have signed a pair of Hunter for Water Aid wellies [boots], including KT Tunstall, The Fratellis and Noel Gallagher.“

The auction runs until November 20, and can be accessed through eBay.

KT Tunstall is also currently involved in a campaign to help ensure homelessness is eradicated in Scotland by 2012.

The “Hometime” campaign has been launched by Shelter Scotland to ensure homeless targets are met and asks people to name which song reminds them of home. The list of songs will then be handed over to politicians later this month.

More information about the campaign can be found at the Shelter Scotland website.

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.

“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.”

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.

Models Support Human Rights Cotton Campaign

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:15:44 -0000

Written by Regina Walton

Over 20 top models have volunteered to be photographed in cotton shirts made by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). Some of the models, photographed in EJF’s ‘Pick Your Cotton Carefully’ campaign t-shirts, include Irina Lazareanu, Coco Rocha, Catherine McNeil, Caroline Trentini, Siri Tollerød, and Behati Prinsloo. The most recent 19 models were photographed by Eric Guillerman.

The organic cotton t-shirts were designed by Luella, Christian Lacroix, Betty Jackson and Katharine Hamnett. All shirts are designed around the theme of “childhood, lost innocence and hope” and represent more than one million children worldwide who are forced to work in the cotton industry. The shirts are only $60 and are shipped worldwide for $10. All profits from the sale of the t-shirt are used to support EJF’s work.

The EJF’s goal is to clean up the cotton industry because “over two-thirds of the world’s cotton is grown in developing countries and the former Soviet Union. Valued at over $30 billion every year, global cotton production should be improving lives. But this ‘white gold’ too often brings misery. Although some progress is being made, the unsustainable, inequitable and abusive conditions under which much of the world’s cotton is produced, continues.” Other supporters of the ‘Pick Your Cotton Carefully’ campaign include Lily Cole, Erin O’Connor, KT Tunstall, and Peaches Geldof.

To buy a shirt, visit the EJF Shop, and to become a regular giver to the EJF, be sure to check out the EJF website.

Celebrities Kept Busy With Charity Initiatives

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:34:57 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Philanthropic celebrities have been more than busy lately, helping charities through a series of unique and exciting initiatives and events.

Although the current Hollywood writers’ strike is keeping the 2008 Academy Awards up in the air, model Heidi Klum has announced she will press ahead with her plans to donate the red dress she intends to wear at the Oscar ceremony to charity.

The donation is part of the Red Dress Program, an initiative between Diet Coke and the National Institutes of Health’s The Heart Truth to raise awareness of heart disease in women.

“Heidi Klum’s participation helps make this program even bigger, and gives consumers a great way to become involved and learn more about a crucial women’s health issue,” said Caren Pasquale Seckler, Group Director for Coca-Cola North America. “Through the Diet Coke Red Dress Program, we’re asking consumers to help us support women’s heart health and giving them the chance to win a one-of-a-kind red dress worn to the Oscars by Heidi Klum.”

The dress will be made available as part of a contest at www.mycokerewards.com, and for every sweepstakes entry, Diet Coke will donate $1 (up to a total of $250,000) in support of women’s heart health research and awareness.

Klum will also hit the catwalk on February 1 during The Red Dress Collection Fashion Show at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. The show will feature a range of dresses created by top fashion designers to show their support of the Heart Truth campaign.

Comedian Stephen Colbert has also recently made a donation to charity, with $171,525 being gifted to the Yellow Ribbon Fund, a charity that assists injured service members and their families.

The mock talk show host raised the money through the sale of his “WristStrong” bracelets, which were made available as part of his “Wrist Awareness” campaign started when he broke his wrist last June.

The tongue-in-cheek campaign saw celebrities such as Katie Couric, Brian Williams, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wearing the bracelets. It followed the sale of the cast from Colbert’s broken wrist, which raised $17,000 for the Yellow Ribbon Fund.

Another well-known figure to make a donation to charity lately was Hip Hop mogul Russell Simmons, who gifted $300,000 to the Diamond Empowerment Fund last week.

Simmons established the Fund in 2007 to provide resources for education programs designed to motivate Africans in countries where diamonds are mined. The donation comes from money raised from the Simmons Jewelry Green Initiative, a collection of bracelets made from green malachite and rough diamonds. Beyoncé Knowles, Vanessa Hudgens, and Mischa Barton are all reported to be owners of the bracelets.

In a completely different sort of initiative, singer KT Tunstall and Blur bassist Alex James are among celebrities teaming up to write an upcoming children’s book for charity.

The musicians will join a host of stars recruited by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children for the initiative. Each celebrity will write ten lines of the story before passing it on to the next person to continue.

The final product will be revealed in a one-off reading session before being auctioned off later in the year.

And finally, British television personality Jonathan Ross has challenged comedian Jimmy Carr to a celebrity doubles tennis match that will see the entertainers paired up with 1997 US Open finalist Greg Rusedski and 1987 Wimbledon winner Pat Cash.

The match – which will take place at London’s Albert Hall on March 14 – is part of Sport Relief 2008, a fundraising initiative from Comic Relief. Money raised will go towards helping vulnerable people living in the UK and the world’s poorest countries.

Alicia Keys - As I Am

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:02:56 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Pop star and philanthropist Alicia Keys has written a personal message for fans – “Don’t Forget Africa”.

The message, published in the December issue of Seventeen magazine, urges fans to support Keep A Child Alive, the charity Keys co-founded in 2002 to raise support and money for children affected by AIDS in Africa.

“Keep A Child Alive funds the testing and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda,” said the 26-year-old singer in her message. “One hundred percent of the donations go to clinics and orphanages in Africa and India. By visiting www.keepachildalive.org, and by starting a chapter in your high school or college, you can help save lives. You don’t want to grow up and say ‘How could millions of people be allowed to die from this illness when all the tools were there to prevent it?’”

HIV/AIDS has become a true pandemic on the African continent, and in the last 25 years it has left 28 million dead and 15 million orphaned. It has wiped out whole communities, it threatens economic infrastructure, and continues to ravage families. It is an issue close to the Grammy winner’s heart.

“AIDS is 25,” she said in 2006. “As am I. And when I think that AIDS has been around my entire life, a mix of sadness, compassion and anger overcomes me. While the statistics on AIDS are staggering, especially in Africa, we cannot allow their magnitude to immobilize us into inactivity. Rather, we must harness our sadness and anger into action!”

Born as Alicia J. Augello-Cook in Harlem, New York, the singer got her nickname of Keys as a seven year old, when she showed a natural talent on the piano. But life in the Bronx was tough, and Keys describes herself as an “only child, a lonely child”, living in an area “cluttered with crime, dark alleys, drug dealers, pimps, prostitutes, and X-rated movies”.

“My father just wasn’t there, and didn’t live close by,” said the singer. “And since my mother worked so hard, I was on my own a lot.”

She took solace in her piano and music, and in 2001, at the age of just 19, Alicia Keys released her debut album, “Songs In A Minor”. Five Grammy Awards (and over 12 million album sales) later, Keys returned with “The Diary of Alicia Keys” in 2003, “Unplugged” in 2005, and “As I Am” in 2007.

It has been a meteoric rise for the young singer, but unlike many in the industry who acquire such heady fame at such a young age, Keys has managed not just to keep both feet on the ground, but also to use her fame to help those less fortunate. She co-founded Keep A Child Alive after visiting countries such as Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, and is also a spokesperson for Frum Tha Ground Up, a charity dedicated to inspiring and motivating American youths to achieve success on all levels.

“Keep striving for your dreams and your vision,” she said on the Frum Tha Ground Up website. Even when you feel that nobody else feels what you’re going through and all you see is negative, just keep on keeping on. There comes a point and time when you are no longer a victim of your circumstance, and you can’t blame your parents or anybody else for whatever’s going on in your life. It’s only you… you can be whatever you wanna be, you just have to believe it. Say this is who I am, and you will grow into the person you want to become.”

Keys’ positive outlook on life has flowed like a river through her songs, and has been reflected in her appearances at the New Jersey Live Earth concert, the Philadelphia Live 8 concert, as well as several concerts to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. In December 2007, she also appeared at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Norway to honor Al Gore, alongside Kylie Minogue, Annie Lennox, Melissa Etheridge, and KT Tunstall.

But the AIDS pandemic in Africa is her greatest concern, and she has appeared at many events and concerts to raise awareness of the issue. She even recorded a duet of Peter Gabriel’s “Don’t Give Up” with Bono for World AIDS Day 2006, with all proceeds going to Keep A Child Alive.

“We must come together – individuals, governments, corporations, philanthropists and artists – as one and fight for the rights of children and families suffering unnecessarily from this dreadful disease,” she told guests at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto in 2006. “We must never give up until AIDS treatment and realistic prevention messages go hand in hand across the world; until we realize that keeping mothers alive is critical to the well being of the world’s children; and until we can stand together and say, “We did not sit idly by and watch an entire continent perish.”

As well as being a singer and philanthropist, Alicia Keys is a role model and actively pursues issues she feels moved about. She urges her fans to “be generous, be courageous, be cool, be volunteers, be heartfelt, be global, be respectful, be child friendly, be compassionate, and be human.”

She has faced adversity and come out with a desire to help others, using her own experiences to illustrate the importance of positive thinking.

“Life is adversity, something that is trying to get in your way or hold you down. Obstacles are gonna come every day. Don’t get it twisted, don’t think because you have your mother and father and a ‘traditional family’ that you won’t face adversity. It’s not just facing adversity, because we all do that, it’s how you overcome it that defines who you are.”

For more information on Alicia Keys, visit www.aliciakeys.net.

Musicians Offer A Second Serve For Charity

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:49:53 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

An eclectic gathering of veteran rockers and new artists are featured on a new CD released this month to help fight world hunger and poverty.

Serve2 is a collection of rare and previously unreleased tracks released by Hard Rock International to benefit World Hunger Year (WHY), a leading organization in the fight against hunger and poverty.

The CD, which follows a similar release earlier in 2007, features live, studio, acoustic, and electric performances by some of rock’s biggest selling artists, as well as Grammy winners and critically acclaimed musicians. Hard Rock is well known for its commitment to music, but philanthropy is the company’s soul, and this is witnessed in their involvement in projects such as this.

“We are honored to be partnering once again with Hard Rock and such great musicians for this effort,” said WHY Chief Executive and founder, Bill Ayres. “The generosity and time committed to Serve2 has been tremendous, and we are overwhelmed by the support for the cause.”

WHY was formed in 1975 by Ayres, a radio talk-show host, and singer/songwriter Harry Chapin. Chapin’s daughter, Jen, who features on Serve2, said that her father “saw hunger and poverty as an insult to America”. Many of his concerts were benefit performances for the 82 charities he was known to support, and the sales of all his concert merchandise were donated directly to WHY. At the time of his death in 1981, it was discovered that Chapin had donated almost all of his personal fortune to charity. Today, WHY is an international non-profit organization that connects grass roots charities to funding expertise and publicity.

Serve2 is available both in CD format and digitally, with bonus tracks available on the digital version. The full tracklist includes:

1. Bruce Springsteen – The Ghost of Tom Joad (live in Dublin)

2. KT Tunstall – Heal Over (live at Gaia Music, London)

3. Bob Dylan – The Ballad of Hollis Brown (live at Carnegie Hall, 1963)

4. Joss Stone – Big Ol’ Game

5. Jackson Browne – Casino Nation (live in Melbourne)

6. Citizen Cope feat. Alice Smith – 107 Degrees

7. Brandi Carlile – The Times They Are A-Changing (live in Boston)

8. Marc Broussard – Bring It On Home To Me

9. The Hold Steady – Arms and Hearts

10. OAR – Dareh Meyod (live in Madison Square Garden)

11. Natasha Bedingfield – Lay Down

12. Mat Kearney – Nothing Left To Lose (acoustic version)

13. Ghosts – Stay The Night

14. Andrew WK – This Is My World

Digital bonus tracks include:

1) Toby Lightman – Better (live at Joe’s Pub)

2) Sons of William – Bell Bottom Blues (Eric Clapton cover)

3) Hellogoodbye – Baby It’s Fact (live in New York)

4) Josh Rouse – Start Again

5) Jen Chapin – You Haven’t Done Nothing (Stevie Wonder cover)

6) Eli Cook – Man Child

7) Griffin House – Love To Begin

Also available as part of Hard Rock’s commitment to WHY is a 21st Signature Series T shirt, sweatshirt, and commemorative pin, inspired by Bruce Springsteen, which features a drawing of one of The Boss’ favorite guitars.

The Serve2 CD, the clothing, and the pin are available at Hard Rock stores around the world, as well as at www.hardrock.com and www.worldhungeryear.org. The digital format CD, including the bonus tracks, is also available through these websites, as well as through most major online retail stores. 100% of all proceeds go to WHY.

KT Tunstall - Globally Cool

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:25:48 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

She is Scottish, she is a rock star, she has sold millions of albums all around the world, and yet she does not own a car or even a television. Her new recording studio has been built using 100% reclaimed wood, sheep’s wool insulation, and solar panels, and her house is the same. When it comes to being environmentally friendly, singer/songwriter KT Tunstall is almost as revolutionary as her music.

September saw the release of Tunstall’s third album, Drastic Fantastic, which quickly climbed to the top of the charts in many countries. It has already outsold her 2006 release, “Acoustic Extravaganza”, and is set to reach the lofty levels of 2005’s “Eye To The Telescope”.

But music is only one of Tunstall’s passions, the other being the state of the environment. When not performing or recording, Tunstall is usually found hard at work supporting ecological causes. In 2005, she planted 6000 trees in Scotland to offset the environmental cost of her first CD. And July 2007 saw her perform an extremely energetic set at the Live Earth concert held at Giant’s Stadium in New Jersey.

“I feel responsible because I am making money out of it,” said the 32 year old singer, whose hits include Suddenly I See and Black Horse And The Cherry Tree. “I use bio-diesel fuel on my buses and carbon-neutralize the audience’s journey to the gigs. With this next album, a portion of the money is going towards investing in renewable energy sources in developing countries.”

Tunstall has recently involved herself with Global Cool, a ten year campaign which plans to inspire one billion people to each reduce their personal CO2 emissions by one tonne. She joins a long list of celebrities involved with the initiative, including Stephen Fry, Josh Hartnett, Tony Blair, Prince Charles, Pink, the Kaiser Chiefs, Orlando Bloom, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

“Stop completely twatting your planet,” she said on the Global Cool website. “We haven’t got anywhere else to live.”

The start of September also saw Tunstall return to her roots when she went busking in Glasgow. But this time it was for charity, with a street side performance in front of the Buchanan Galleries shopping centre that raised $550 for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.

“Music is a really special way of helping disabled children,” said Tunstall. “I have a deaf brother who loves playing drums because he can really feel it and gets a lot out of it. I had heard of Nordoff-Robbins and they asked if I would be interested in raising a little money for them when I was in town. It was so different to when I first busked. In between every single song, I felt like I had to say the money wasn’t for me.”

More information on KT Tunstall’s new album and ecological beliefs can be found at www.kttunstall.com, and to work out your own personal CO2 usage and what you can do to lower it, visit www.globalcool.org.

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.

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