Tag: Charity (1-10 of 59)

Apr 2 2013 12:26 PM ET

Musicians without health care: Ailing members of School of Seven Bells and the Replacements shine a spotlight on needy artists

Benjamin-Curtis_510x317.jpg

Image Credit: Jason Merritt/FilmMagic

About a month ago, Benjamin Curtis (above)—half of acclaimed New York indie-pop duo School of Seven Bells and formerly of Texas rockers Secret Machines—was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that attacks the immune system.

The silver lining is that Curtis’ particular affliction is treatable. However, like many cancer treatments, it’s prohibitively expensive, especially for an indie musician without health insurance. That’s why his School of Seven Bells bandmate Alley Deheza has launched Support Benjamin Curtis, a website that will take donations to help pay for Curtis’ treatment.

“These next few months will be tough, but [Curtis] is the toughest person I know (even while here, he was trying to figure out a way to sample the MRI),” Deheza wrote on the site. “I wanted to share this with you all, because you guys are such a huge and important part of our lives. Send all of the light and love that you can his way. Every bit will count towards a strong and fast recovery.”

Health care is a burden for everybody, and it hits musicians particularly hard. READ FULL STORY »

Feb 21 2013 11:08 AM ET

One Direction release self-shot video for 'One Way Or Another': Watch it here

One-Direction

Image Credit: John Urbano

Fresh off their victory at the Brit Awards, British teen sensations One Direction have dropped a new video for their charity single “One Way Or Another,” a cover of the classic Blondie tune.

The track was released to support Comic Relief, a British charity that supports a number of causes in Africa and the U.K. As explained by the boys at the beginning of the clip, they decided to skip shooting a lavish video and instead record one themselves while on tour (with the money they saved also going to charity).

If you like the idea of One Direction but haven’t quite committed to them because they don’t do enough frolicking in airports, freestyle dancing in Times Square, hugging the Prime Minister, or leading an army of children in some sort of chicken dance, then you should reconsider — check out the video below:

READ FULL STORY »

Jan 2 2013 10:58 AM ET

Jon Stewart will host Bruce Springsteen tribute featuring Elton John, Mumford & Sons, Faith Hill, more

Jon-Stewart_510x317.jpg

Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

You know who’s great? Bruce Springsteen. You know who thinks so? Just about everybody — including MusiCares.

The charity, which helps out musicians with financial and medical assistance during times of need, has named the Boss their 2013 Person of the Year, and on Friday, February 8 (just two days before the Grammy Awards), Jon Stewart will host a tribute gala to Springsteen, his music, and his extensive charity work.

The lineup is an eclectic mix of Springsteen’s peers, collaborators, famous fans, and spiritual protégés, including Elton John, Mumford & Sons, Alabama Shakes, Faith Hill, John Legend, Eddie Vedder, Neil Young, Sting, Jim James, Mavis Staples, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Ben Harper, Tom Morello, Tim McGraw, Patti Smith, and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. The event, which will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, is already sold out.

Springsteen is well deserving of the award, as he has committed himself to giving back to a number of worthy groups over the course of his long career. His most recent work came as part of outreach in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, which badly battered the coastline of Springsteen’s home state of New Jersey.

Stewart, famously, is a longtime Springsteen fan and fellow New Jersey denizen; it’s not even the first time Stewart has formally paid tribute to Springsteen, as he spoke on Bruce’s behalf at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, and interviewed him for a lengthy Rolling Stone cover story last March. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 25 2012 01:41 PM ET

Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, No Doubt come together for EB charity auction

Eddie-Vedder.jpg

Want to help out a good cause and score some cool rock and roll swag? Then you should check out the auction currently being held to raise funds for Heal EB, an organization that raises funds and awareness for the rare skin disorder Epidermolysis Bullosa, a painful, often debilitating and even life-threatening disease that causes severe blistering with only the most minor contact.

Jill Vedder, wife of Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, is on the board of Heal EB, and she helped bring together a pretty cool collection items available for bid (most of which expire later today). Included in the collection are a ukulele signed by Vedder, an official Foo Fighters motorcycle jacket, an autographed No Doubt poster, and a collection of Heart memorabilia.

The full list of auction items is here. There was also a live auction last week, and Vedder showed up as a special guest to play some songs and meet some kids afflicted with EB. (Vedder has been everywhere lately, having played Neil Young’s annual Bridge School benefit concert last weekend, dropped in on Kings of Leon for a jam earlier in the month, and also found time to raise $1.7 million for the Obama campaign along the way.

If you’re a sports fan, there’s also a healthy collection of those items up for grabs too, including jerseys signed by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen, and baseballs signed by the likes of Bob Gibson, Andre Dawson, Roberto Alomar, Gaylord Perry, Lou Brock, and A.J. Burnett. And for the foot fetishists in the building, Gisele Bundchen also signed a pair of heels she wore at the Met Ball.

Read More on EW.com:
Eddie Vedder finds Romney’s comments ‘very upsetting’
Cameron Crowe on His Pearl Jam Obsession
Johnny Depp, Peter Jackson, and Eddie Vedder gave millions to help free the West Memphis Three, says ‘Paradise Lost’ director — EXCLUSIVE

Oct 13 2012 04:17 PM ET

Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti charity is kaput, went out in a blaze of impropriety

Wyclef-Jean.jpg

Image Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

In the wake of the massive earthquake that tore an already-troubled Haiti apart in 2010, Wyclef Jean—one of the island’s most successful sons—sprang into action to assist via his Yele Haiti charity.

But what we learned later was that the charity was run disastrously, and was the subject of a huge investigation regarding misuse of donated funds.

According to The New York Times, Yele Haiti essentially (and quietly) shut down last month, leaving a parade of upset creditors and angry would-be recipients in its wake.

The numbers reveal some pretty scathing stuff. Yele Haiti collected over $16 million in donations following the series of earthquakes the decimated the island’s capital city of Port-Au-Prince and ripped much of its already-tenuous infrastructure to shreds.

But the money rarely made it into the hands of those who needed it, instead going to salaries, travel, consultants fees, and eventually to the team dealing with the group’s building legal troubles.

It was merely the latest in a string of problematic economic decisions for the foundation. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 18 2012 11:30 AM ET

Check out the first song from 'For the Sender,' an album based on letters and featuring members of Switchfoot, Nickel Creek, and more

for-the-sender

A few years ago, singer/songwriter Alex Woodard offered a fair trade for his devoted fans: Anybody who pre-ordered his new album and sent him a letter about his or her story would get a free song written specifically about that narrative.

That album came and went, but the letters kept coming. Eventually, Woodard realized that people were sharing incredible stories with him, from tales of grief over lost loved ones to first-hand accounts of post-earthquake Haiti. He showed the letters to some of his musician friends who regularly came over for “family dinners,” and eventually they turned four different letters into 12 different songs.

The result is For the Sender, a book about the letters as well as the loss of Woodard’s beloved dog Kona. It comes with a the accompanying album of songs (plus an extra that Woodard wrote for the late pooch). The lovely results came courtesy of his multi-talented cast of friends, including members of Switchfoot, Nickel Creek, New Found Glory, and the Wallflowers.

The best part? Proceeds from each song will go to a charity of the letter-sender’s choice.

Check out the project’s trailer below. READ FULL STORY »

May 11 2012 11:58 AM ET

Justin Bieber releases Mother's Day single 'Turn To You': Listen here

justin-bieber-mother

Image Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, which means that card you haven’t dropped in the mail yet isn’t going to make it to your mom in time. There’s only one thing you can do to make it up to the woman who carried you for nine months: Record a special single and release it on iTunes as a charity event.

But that’s not going to look entirely original, since Justin Bieber already beat you to the punch. He just released “Turn To You,” a midtempo ballad that pays homage to his mother by breaking down her narrative, wherein she gets pregnant with Justin, gets her life together, finds Jesus, and later helps to nurture his nascent career.

All proceeds of the single’s sales go towards saving the Bethesda Center, an Ontario-based women’s shelter in danger of closing that also provided Bieber’s mother with assistance while she was pregnant. Give it a spin below. READ FULL STORY »

Feb 15 2012 10:31 AM ET

Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation to launch this month, with the support of Oprah

lady-gaga-thanksgiving-special

Image Credit: Shareif Ziyadat/ABC

Lady Gaga is taking the next step in her ongoing efforts to put an end to youth bullying: On Feb. 29, the chart-topping singer, alongside her mother Cynthia Germanotta, is launching the Born This Way Foundation at The Berkman Center at Harvard.

Through education, research, and advocacy efforts, the nonprofit foundation — which is in partnership with the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The California Endowment, and The Berkman Center — is aimed at teaching anti-bullying and mentoring youths in building self-confidence. (The mission statement on the foundation’s website reads, “This way, towards bravery, where youth are empowered. This way, towards a acceptance where humanity is embraced. This way, towards love where individuality is encouraged.”)
READ FULL STORY »

Feb 7 2012 10:57 AM ET

Jay-Z plays Carnegie Hall, brings Alicia Keys, Nas, and 'Glory' with him

keyes-jay-z

Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

“Allow to me to reintroduce myself,” a beaming, tuxedo-clad Jay-Z teased at the top of his charity show at Carnegie Hall in New York City last night.

He didn’t have to, of course, but when you’ve got an evergreen show-starter like “Public Service Announcement” on your hands, you use it.

The giddy new father was kicking off the first half of his two-night stand at the hallowed venue, the proceeds of which will benefit United Way of New York City and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.

Backed by a 36-piece orchestra, Jay swaggered across the stage with a bottle of champagne in his hand (“It’s tea,” he claimed) as images of Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects and other hometown signifiers splashed on the wall behind him.

READ FULL STORY »

Jan 31 2012 02:26 PM ET

Lana Del Rey did fine on 'SNL,' says Lana Del Rey

lana-del-rey-2

Image Credit: Andy Sheppard/Getty Images

Lana Del Rey is certainly no “gangster Nancy Sinatra” (or gangster anything, really), but the lady does know how to brush that dirt off her shoulder.

Her album Born to Die finally dropped today, yet many people are still having trouble getting past her much-maligned showing on Saturday Night Live, which 22.53 percent of you thought was SNL‘s worst musical outing of all time. (Ashlee Simpson “won” the poll with 54.85 percent.)

Del Rey, however, has no idea what you’re talking about.

“I actually felt good about it. I thought I looked beautiful and sang fine,” she told Rolling Stone, presumably with a straight face. “It felt OK.”

“The cast and crew said they loved it,” she added. “I know some people didn’t like it, but that’s just the way I perform, and my fans know that.”

READ FULL STORY »

Advertisement

TV Recaps

Powered by WordPress.com VIP
Which will you see this weekend?