Look To The Stars News: Music Rising

Jack Johnson To Be Honored With Humanitarian Award

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Jack Johnson will receive the 2010 Humanitarian Award at this year’s Billboard Touring Awards, taking place tonight in New York.

“Jack Johnson, and his wife Kim, have spent the last seven years effecting change in their home state of Hawaii and worldwide through involvement in many social and environmental issues,” says Billboard magazine. "Their Kokua Hawaii Foundation and Kokua Festival support environmental education in Hawaii’s schools and communities. Johnson’s 2008 tour set a new precedent in the music industry by taking an eco-friendly approach to all aspects of production. In conjunction with that tour, Johnson launched the All At Once Campaign and gave 100% of his tour profits to local non-profit partners through his newly established Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation. In 2010, Johnson’s world tour in support of new album “To The Sea” continues to lead the way in sustainable touring efforts to reduce its environmental impact in significant ways. As in 2008, Johnson will once again donate 100% of his tour profits to charity.

“The Johnsons created and produce the Kokua Festival, which now in its sixth year. The Festival raises funds for the Kokua Hawaii Foundation programs and also serves as an international environmental education event that puts into practice some of the most sophisticated and advanced green practices in the live music industry. The Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation has made over $750,000 in donations to date ,and as part of the 2010 world tour, will offer direct and matching donations to All At Once partner non-profits.

The Edge Creates iTunes Playlist For Charity

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0000

One of the music industry’s greatest guitarists has recorded a special iTunes Podcast Playlist for his charity.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005, U2’s The Edge knew something had to be done to preserve the rich musical heritage of the region. Along with producer Bob Ezrin and Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, he co-founded Music Rising, a charity dedicated to replacing the instruments that had been lost or destroyed in the storm. Now more than ever, Music Rising is committed to keeping the region’s unique musical culture alive through its continued support of education and the musical community.

In a new exclusive iTunes Podcast Playlist, the Edge shares some of his favorite songs from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, reminding us that much of today’s music originated from a musical culture that we must fight to preserve for future generations.

Bill Clinton’s iPod Nets Over $2,200 For Charity

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:00:00 +0000

An 8GB red iPod Nano signed by former President Bill Clinton has been auctioned off for $2,246. Proceeds benefit Music Rising, and will help replace instruments lost by musicians, schools, and churches as a result of the hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast Region in 2005.

U2’s The Edge created Music Rising with the support of many industry insiders in order to “help rebuild the musical heart and culture of the Gulf Region by replacing the musical instruments and gear that were lost in the Inundation in 2005.” The campaign has raised money through the sale of memorabilia and concert events. To date, Music Rising has assisted over 2,700 musicians and almost 50,000 students and parishioners in continuing pursuing their musical passions.

The organization’s latest charity effort partners Music Rising with celebrities and other public figures to auction autographed iPods; the players are filled with music selected by the participant and sold through the website Tonic.com. Clinton, himself a saxophonist, created a playlist featuring eleven songs including Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Carly Simon’s “I Get Along Without You Very Well,” Joan Baez’s “Winds of the Old Days,” and Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl”

Celebrities Sign iPods For Charity Auction

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Tonic.com has announced the launch of a new charity auction series. Leading celebrities from the worlds of music, film, television, and fashion have contributed an autographed iPod loaded with their personal playlist to be auctioned off, with all proceeds benefiting Music Rising, a campaign founded in 2005 to replace lost or destroyed instruments of musicians in the Gulf Coast Region after the hurricane disasters.

Over seventy celebrities will participate in the auction series including U2’s The Edge, former President Bill Clinton, Madonna, Beyoncé Knowles, Cher, Donna Karan, Warren Buffett, Christy Turlington, Britney Spears, Michael Stipe, Gwen Stefani, Mariah Carey, Stevie Nicks, Michael Buble, Ben Affleck, Ellen DeGeneres, Estelle, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Scarlett Johansson, Peter Wentz, Randy Jackson, will.i.am, Kevin Bacon, Gisele Bundchen, Marc Jacobs, Ed Burns, Samantha Ronson, Nick Lachey, Petra Nemcova, Mandy Moore and many others.

Each celebrity was given a new iPod which they each autographed and Tonic pre-loaded with a playlist of ten to twenty of the celebrities’ favorite songs. Beginning February 12 between one and five separate iPod auctions will simultaneously launch every week on eBay; playlists will be revealed to the public on both tonic.com and eBay when auctions are launched.

Icons Of Music Rock On For Charity

Mon, 26 May 2008 11:12:57 +0000

The second annual Music Rising Icons Of Music auction will be held on 31 May at NYC’s Hard Rock Café, and is to broadcast live by the Auction Network.

Music Rising is a charity founded by U2’s The Edge, producer Bob Ezrin, and Gibson Guitars CEO Henry Juszkiewicz to help replace musical instruments that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The auction will feature over 400 exciting lots, including one of The Edge’s famous 1976 Gibson Explorers (with an estimated price of $80,000), a Fender Stratocaster previously owned by David Gilmour, a snare drum signed by John Lennon, and Eric Clapton’s Roland G-505 guitar used on his Behind The Sun album and on tour with Roger Waters.

The evening will also feature a very special performance from four-time Grammy Award winner Aaron Neville, who has helped bring major attention to some of the charity work being done in New Orleans today. Neville lost everything in the storms of Katrina and brings a unique personal experience to Music Rising, giving guests a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness his great musicianship when he brings the spirit of New Orleans to the auction.

Music Memorabilia Charity Auction Raises $2.4 Million

Tue, 01 May 2007 17:48:03 +0000

An auction of music memorabilia from celebrities including Jimi Hendrix, The Edge, Bono and Paul McCartney has raised $2.4 million, much of which will go to a charity for musicians.

Music Rising, whose founders include U2 guitarist The Edge, replaces musical equipment lost or destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The Edge donated his favourite guitar, a 1975 Gibson Les Paul that has been played on every U2 tour to date. Like many of the items sold, the guitar’s forecast sale price of $60,000 to $80,000 was greatly exceeded by the eventual winning bid of $288,000.

Green Day and U2 single to benefit Music Rising

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:13:32 +0000

Two of the biggest bands in history are to release a joint single to benefit the rebuilding of New Orleans. Green Day and U2 got together for dinner in February to try and think of a project suitable for this cause. Seven months later, the bands met again in London at the studios in Abbey Road made famous by The Beatles, and tried a cover of ‘The Saints Are Coming’, originally recorded by The Skids in 1978.

On September 25th, Green Day and U2 gave the song its first live show at the reopening of the Louisiana Superdome, to support the New Orleans Saints’ first home game in the NFL since the Katrina disaster.

The Saints themselves had said they would like to play U2’s hit song ‘Beautiful Day’ before each match. So, U2 themselves performed the song to end the night’s pre-game show. “It’s a good song,” the Edge said. “I hope … for New Orleans it’s like the past is laid to rest and from now on, OK, we have a lot of problems to get over but now the party starts so ‘Beautiful Day’ is probably a fitting song.”

The Edge's Music Rising

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 17:32:20 +0000

U2 guitarist The Edge and producer Bob Ezrin, who has worked with the likes of Pink Floyd and The Darkness, have teamed up to help musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Together with Gibson Guitars, the Guitar Center and charity MusiCares, the pair formed Music Rising in November 2005. The new charity’s primary goal is to replace every instrument lost to professional musicians in the Gulf Coast.

“New Orleans is a crucible for great music,” says the Edge. “The idea that it would be just a place of history for music is awful to me. Coming from Dublin in the Seventies, when music was something you had to search out, I’d never dreamt that somewhere like New Orleans could exist. Music was coming out of the walls. It seemed not just a form of escapism, but like it was weaved into everybody’s life.”