Look To The Stars News: Live Earth

Macy Gray to Perform at Autism Benefit

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:03:00 +0000

American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, Macy Gray is a proud supporter of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), and as such, she will help celebrate CARD’s 20 year anniversary with an exclusive mini-concert at their Gala.

The Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Inc. (CARD), which strives to provide effective treatment to children with autism around the world, will celebrate in style on September 25 in Los Angeles with a gala benefit to include a cocktail hour, a silent auction, a seated dinner with performance by Grammy-Award Winner Macy Gray, and a post dinner party with live entertainment with DJ Crash.

Members of the gala committee include: Annette O’Toole, Antonio Sabato, Jr., Camryn Manheim, the Dixie Chicks, Joe Mantegna, Leeza Gibbons, Howie Mandel, Jane Kaczmarek, Kelsey Grammer and Lou Diamond Phillips, among others. 

Live Earth Run For Water To Be Televised On Bravo

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Live Earth, organizer of the Dow Live Earth Run for Water, and Bravo have announced a one-hour special offering audiences an inside look at the global event and its mission to help solve the world water crisis, which will air on Friday, April 23 at 7 p.m. (ET/PT) on Bravo.

Through discussions with impassioned advocate Peter Wentz and water crisis expert Alexandra Cousteau; discovery of solutions being implemented by NGO partners all over the world; and amazing musical performances from events taking place in the U.S., featuring Collective Soul (Chicago), Estelle (Minneapolis), Melissa Etheridge (Los Angeles), John Legend (New York), Rob Thomas (Atlanta) and The Roots (New York), the special will illustrate how the global water crisis affects people in every part of the world and how this issue can be solved through specific actions.

The Dow Live Earth Run For Water is the largest worldwide water initiative on record to help combat the global water crisis. Taking place in 150 cities across 50 countries around the world on Sunday April 18, the events consisted of a series of 6km run/walks (the average distance many women and children walk every day to get water), and culminated with water education villages and live musical performances aimed at raising awareness and funds to effectively address this critical issue.

Celebrities To Join Live Earth Run For Water This Weekend

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Melissa Etheridge, Pete Wentz and Jenny Fletcher will be on hand in LA at the largest global water initiative, The Dow Live Earth Run for Water, on April 18 in effort to raise awareness and funds that will help combat the global water crisis.

With close to one billion people lacking access to clean, safe drinking water, it’s time the world community comes together to help solve this crisis. The Dow Live Earth Run for Water, taking place in more than 100 cities around the world over 24 hours, is the largest worldwide water initiative on record to help combat the global water crisis. The Los Angeles event will kick-off at Exposition Park with a 6km run/walk, symbolic of the average distance many women and children walk every day to get water. After the race, participants will explore a water education village and experience a live musical performance by two-time GRAMMY Award-winner Melissa Etheridge.

If you’re not in LA, there will be events all over the world. John Legend and The Roots will be performing at the Live Earth Run For Water in New York, Rob Thomas will be in Atlanta, Estelle will be in Minneapolis, and Collective Soul and Sam Moore will be in Chicago.

Melissa Etheridge And Rob Thomas Join Live Earth Run For Water

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Live Earth has announced that two-time Grammy Award-winner and one-time Academy Award winner for Best Song for the Al Gore documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” Melissa Etheridge, and multi-platinum three-time Grammy Award-winner Rob Thomas, will perform live at the Los Angeles and Atlanta Dow Live Earth Run for Water events, respectively.

The largest worldwide water initiative on record to help combat the global water crisis, the Dow Live Earth Run for Water is a series of 6km run/walks (the average distance many women and children walk every day to get water), culminating with water education villages and live musical performances.

“I’m a long-time environmental advocate and believe strongly that it is our duty as a society and as individuals to preserve our planet and its resources,” said Melissa Etheridge. “I want to lend my name and time to this event because the global water crisis is an environmental issue that affects nearly one billion people on the planet and through this event we can raise awareness and money to help address it.”

World Cup To Begin With Charity Concert

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

A major charity concert event is being planned to kick off the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa next June.

The lineup will not be released until January, but the BBC has reported rumors that the Spice Girls may reform for the gig, to take place on 10 June at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg.

The show will be produced by Kevin Wall – who was behind the Live 8 and Live Earth concerts.

Jessica Biel To Run For Live Earth

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Live Earth has announced plans to implement the largest worldwide water initiative on record to help combat the global water crisis. The Dow Live Earth Run for Water – to take place April 18, 2010 – will consist of a series of 6 km run/walks (the average distance many women and children walk every day to secure water) taking place over the course of 24 hours in countries around the world, featuring concerts and water education activities aimed at igniting a tipping point to help solve the water crisis. Jessica Biel, Alexandra Cousteau, Peter Wentz, Angélique Kidjo and Jenny Fletcher will lend their names and their time in support of this important cause.

“The Dow Live Earth Run for Water will bring people together around the world, raising awareness about the sources and consequences of the water crisis, locally and globally,” said Alexandra Cousteau, global water advocate and founder of Blue Legacy International. “It captures perfectly the interconnectedness of life on our water planet and drives home the message that the water crisis is a global issue that isn’t going to be fixed by scientists or policymakers alone. It’s up to each of us.”

Water scarcity is an issue affecting countries, communities and families all over the world. One in eight people don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water. Eighty-eight percent of diarrheal cases worldwide are linked to inadequate and unsafe water. These cases result in 1.5 million deaths each year, mostly among children under five. In these areas, women and children are forced to walk 6 km (3.7 miles) each day to secure water that is likely unsuitable for drinking.

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.

Bid Now For Rock 'N' Roll History

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:41:00 +0000

Just hours remain in a charity auction that offers an item for connoisseurs of Rock and arbiters of Roll. The guitar played by Nigel Tufnel (AKA Christopher Guest) of Spinal Tap at the London leg of Live Earth is up for sale in a once-in-a-lifetime event.

The guitar was custom-made for Guest by Ernie Ball Music Man, designers of quality guitars.

“Chris has been a loyal fan of Music Man instruments for years, so when he called me up looking for something to play before billions of people on 7-7-07, we started brainstorming the global warming concept immediately,” said Sterling Ball of the Ernie Ball Company. “Incredibly enough, most of those initial ideas made it onto the guitar, which turned out to be absolutely beautiful.”

2007 - The Year The Stars Gave Back

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:11:14 +0000

2007 was a year of giving, both on grand and not-so-grand scales. Celebrities from all fields, be it movies, music, sport or general entertainment, showed compassion beyond the call of duty, and in most cases had a lot of fun doing it.

Without a doubt, one of the biggest events of the year was Live Earth in July, where stars new and old shone in all of the corners of the Earth to raise awareness of the plight of the planet. The shows were generally well-received, and led to organizer Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

But celebrities also participated in smaller, more personal acts of kindness in 2007. Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Melissa Gilbert, and Michael Douglas all donated their time to feed the hungry at the Los Angeles Mission, Fran Drescher launched the Cancer Schmancer Movement, and Ewan McGregor visited UNICEF projects during his epic motorcycle trip across Africa.

Alicia Keys - As I Am

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

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?’”

Corinne Bailey Rae - A Rising Star

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:25:00 +0000

If one word can be used to describe the rise to fame of English R&B singer Corinne Bailey Rae, it would be “meteoric”. In the space of two short years, from the release of her debut EP “Like A Star” in October 2005, to three Grammy Award nominations for her eponymous first album in 2007, the 28-year-old soul singer has made a lasting effect on people all over the world. And it’s not just fans who are benefiting from the star’s talents. Bailey Rae has quickly proven herself to be one of the most philanthropic and human-minded artists in the industry today.

Born in the English city of Leeds to a West Indian father and a Yorkshire mother, Bailey Rae found her love of music early.

“I started off singing in church,” said the singer, whose voice drips with shades of Billie Holiday. “People always think it must have been a gospel church… but it wasn’t gospel at all. It was just your regular brethren church, very middle class, where we would sing these harmonies every Sunday. It was always my favorite part of the service, the singing.”

It's Never Too Crowded For Charity

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:35:00 +0000

Half of the band is American, yet they originated in Australia, and the lead singer is a New Zealander. Veteran pop band Crowded House can truly be considered as one of the most international music groups ever to grace the airwaves. And even though they are currently halfway through a world tour to promote their latest album, they still find time to be part of a new collaborative CD to raise money for Oxfam.

“The Cake Sale” (CD /MP3) is a new record featuring a loose and expansive collective of musicians and writers, including Crowded House founding member Nick Seymore, who have combined to create a 9 song CD of previously unreleased recordings. Profits from the album, which also features Nina Persson from The Cardigans, Damien Rice, and Snow Patrol, will go to Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign, as well as to their overseas program work. It was released in Britain in September, where it has already raised almost $300,000, and was made available in the US on October 16.

Crowded House formed in 1984, as a result of the demise of an earlier band called Split Enz. Ex-Enz singer/songwriter Neil Finn, and drummer Paul Hester, joined bass player Nick Seymore to form the new band, then travelled to Los Angeles. There they were signed to Capital Records. Over the next 12 years, the band released four albums, and garnered a loyal fan base with a strong repertoire of hits on both sides of the Atlantic, including “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, “Weather With You”, and “Four Seasons In One Day”.

Al Gore Donates Peace Prize Money

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:02:00 +0000

Former Vice President Al Gore has announced plans to donate the money he will receive for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize to charity.

Gore will receive half of the total $1.56 million prize money for the award, which he shared this year with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for his work to call attention to the threat of global warming, and will reinvest it into the cause that is closest to his heart.

“My wife, Tipper, and I will donate 100% of the proceeds of the award to the Alliance For Climate Protection,” said Gore in an email. “I am deeply honored to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. This award is even more meaningful because I have the honor of sharing it with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s pre-eminent scientific body devoted to improving our understanding of the climate crisis, a group whose members have worked tirelessly and selflessly for many years. We face a true planetary emergency. The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity. It is also our greatest opportunity to lift global consciousness to a higher level.”

KT Tunstall - Globally Cool

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:25:00 +0000

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.

Lowes Fight For Eco Causes

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 07:58:00 +0000

Rob Lowe and his brother Chad Lowe have recently been travelling on independent missions to tackle environmental issues.

Rob Lowe testified in Washington last week to ask the American government to give tax credits to people who make their hybrid cars and trucks even more environmentally friendly.

By adding a plug-in feature, drivers of hybrids, which have both a gasoline motor and an electric one, can charge the battery pack for the electric motor at home. Rob has already converted his own Toyota Prius. ‘Like a lot of Americans, I’ve been watching as the climate changes and as we are in a war on terror where our oil addiction helps fund people that want to kill us. It’s gotten my attention," he says.

Live Earth Rocks the Planet

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 13:16:25 +0000

They came, they rocked, they conquered. 07/07/07 saw the Live Earth concerts take place on 7 continents, and the event will go down in history and in people’s hearts as one of the greatest spectacles ever staged.

The nine concerts held around the globe attracted hundreds of thousands of music lovers, and another 9 million internet streams – a world record internet audience. Many more are expected to watch replays over the next few weeks.
Concert-goers partied for a total of 22 hours at the events organized by Al Gore to raise awareness of climate change and environmental issues.

eBay Busy With Charity Auctions

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 09:27:49 +0000

Ebay Giving Works, the program set up by the internet giant dedicated to charity auctions, is busy this month with an influx of musicians selling items for good causes.

Country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw lead the charge by offering a brand new 2007 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon on the eBay site. All proceeds from the auction will go towards their Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation, the non-profit organization they founded in 2005 to provide funding for community based charities.

The winner of the auction will also receive a trip for two to Las Vegas, two tickets to Hill and McGraw’s Soul2Soul concert on August 4, backstage passes with an opportunity to meet the singers, and autographed photos.

Live Earth Offers An Evening With Spinal Tap

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 07:44:28 +0000

A dinner with a difference is for sale on Ebay. The organisers of Live Earth are auctioning a special meal with members of rock group Spinal Tap, as part of their lead-up to the Live Earth concerts on July 7.

The spoof heavy metal band has reformed to perform their new single, “Warmer Than Hell”, at the Live Earth event in London, and one lucky bidder and their guest will have the chance to accompany band members Nigel Tufnel, David St Hubbins, and Derek Smalls (the alter egos of comedians Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer) to an evening of culinary delights, fine wine… and interesting conversation.

Also attending the dinner will be film director Rob Reiner, creator of the 1984 “mockumentary” This Is Spinal Tap.

Madonna Pens Song For Live Earth

Thu, 24 May 2007 15:09:08 +0000

Madonna has written a song in support of the Live Earth concert series, at which she will be one of the growing number of big-name performers.

The single “Hey You” is a collaboration with Pharrell Williams, and will only be available for download; all proceeds will benefit the event. MSN initially offered the first million downloads for free, and pledged to donate 25c for each download.

Madonna will be performing in London as part of the global concert series, which will take place on July 7th.

Spinal Tap Reunite for Live Earth

Fri, 04 May 2007 21:33:04 +0000

Spinal Tap will reunite onstage this July at the Live Earth event in Wembley Stadium, London.

The legendary spoof heavy metal band, led by comedians Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, gained a following through their ‘mockumentary’ This is Spinal Tap, and have teamed up once again with director Rob Reiner to support the music extravaganza by creating a Live Earth-related short film.

The short film features characters Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls talking about their “charity” work, such as raising funds to help underprivileged ferrets, as well as updating fans on the career paths the musicians have taken.