Rising Above Adversity With Music
In times of desperation and devastation, oftentimes, music is the only outlet from which to escape despair.
On Saturday, May 31, Hard Rock Café New York in Times Square will be rockin' for a great cause.
The second annual Icons of Music Sale II will be held in honor of Music Rising, a campaign that replaces musical instruments lost or destroyed by hurricanes in the Gulf region.
An astounding collection of music memorabilia from many of music's greatest legends will be auctioned off and the proceeds will go to Music Rising.
Photos: Top 10 Celebrity Do-Gooders
Co-founded by U2's the Edge, legendary producer Bob Ezrin and Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, Music Rising "aids musicians of the Gulf Coast Region in regaining their livelihood after the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita."
Since its inception in 2005, the campaign has since launched a second phase dedicated to the aid of schools and churches.
For four-time Grammy Award winner Aaron Neville, the cause is personal. He and his family lost everything in the storms of Katrina.
Using his fame for a good cause, Neville brought a lot of attention to some of the charity work being done in New Orleans today. Therefore, in support of the Music Rising campaign he will perform during the Icons of Music Sale II evening session.
Photos: Star-Studded Support
The pre-show video highlights will include fascinating and historic stories behind items on auction from legendary icons, such as U2, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, among others.
Rock aficionados can bid for the late Kurt Cobain's bass guitar with home photos of him playing guitar (est. $40,000/60,000), a Jim Morrison handwritten poem (est. $4,000/6,000), a Miles Davis stage played trumpet (est. $10,000/20,000), a Jimi Hendrix signed receipt (est. $2,000/3,000), Slash's first stage played Gibson Les Paul Guitar with Velvet Revolver at The Roxy on May 9th, 2004 (est. $20,000/30,000), a Bob Dylan handwritten set list (est. $2,000/4,000), Beatles four D.A. Millings suits from Madame Tussaud's ($60,000/80,000), a Patti Smith hand drawn self portrait (est. $1,000/2,000), a Johnny Cash owned and played guitar (est. $10,000/20,000), an MTV Award presented to Nirvana for "Smells Like Team Spirit" (est. $4,000/6,000), Kurt Cobain stage worn jacket from MTV performance (est. $6,000/8,000), Paul McCartney's Christmas card to Adam Ant (est. $1,000/2,000), Bono stage played guitar (est. $80,000 and up), Madonna's original signed contract with Vogue (est. $800/1,200), Duran Duran meet and greet backstage V.I.P. experience package (est. $5,000/10,000) a Janis Joplin handwritten love letter to boyfriend (est. $1,000/2,000) and Jim Hendrix's Wah Wah Pedal (est. $1,000/2,000).
Additional collectors items to be auctioned off include a leather jacket worn by the Edge on the Zoo TV Tour in 1992 (est. $6,000/8,000), a Jimmy Page 2008 Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard Reissue in a "lemon burst" finish personalized to the winning bidder ( est. $4,000/6,000), Bono's Bullet leather jacket worn on the Vertigo Tour 2005 (est. $6,000/8,000) and Pete Townshend's 1967Monterey Pop Festival concert used Maestro fuzz pedal (est. $2,000/4,000). Festival concert used Maestro fuzz pedal (est. $2,000/4,000)
"No one could ever come close to repaying the debt to those who have established this form of music that we all take totally for granted, this hybrid of European melody and African-American rhythm that's given us jazz and R&B and rock 'n' roll," said the Edge.
"There's something powerful about musicians giving instruments they own to an auction to aid musicians who are going through a particularly difficult time."
By Melissa Castellanos