www.FarmAid.org
by Mike Devlin
www.vancouversun.com
Mother Nature has a cruel way of reminding us that musicians really do matter.
When there’s an international tragedy, all manner of people in the public eye — actors, news anchors, politicians — do what they can, sometimes out of the spotlight. But for decades, the long road out of hell, be it 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, has been the home turf of musicians.
Friday’s star-studded Hope for Haiti and Canada for Haiti concerts proved as much. Let us not forget regular folks, who ponied up a reported $61 million US (for the U.S. telecast) and $17 million (for the Canadian telethon) for the cause. Without them, these events simply don’t happen.
But the money raised had plenty to do with the stars on screen, who forced us to tune in and urged us to donate.
In celebration of others who have mined similar territory in the past — and that includes Mozart, who staged a benefit concert in 1785 — here’s a primer on some of the greatest benefit concerts in history.
Farm Aid (1985-present)
It’s hard not to like Farm Aid, on the basis of its board of directors alone (that would be Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews). The annual event, which benefits U.S. farmers and their families, was first staged in 1985 with an utterly astounding group of all-stars, from Bob Dylan to Loretta Lynn. It has gone dark only twice in the decades since, earning its reputation as one of the best in the benefit business.
Live Aid (1985)
For many, the most notable benefit concert of all-time is Live Aid, a one-day, two-city juggernaut broadcast live on television to an estimated worldwide audience of 400 million. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure created Live Aid to fight famine in Ethiopia, a cause that drew some heavy hitters from the wings, including Phil Collins (who appeared in both Philadelphia and London), Queen, U2, The Who, Madonna, a reunited Black Sabbath and the surviving members of Led Zeppelin.
America: A Tribute to Heroes (2001)
Organized by George Clooney (who was also behind Hope for Haiti) just 10 days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, A Tribute to Heroes was full of still-fresh anger and emotion. As a result, most of the musical selections performed during the telethon took on a solemn tone, including those by Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Willie Nelson and U2.
Concert for Bangladesh (1971)
Ravi Shankar and George Harrison of the Beatles staged this concert for Bangladesh refugees, one of the first biggie benefit concerts to be expanded into a successful soundtrack and concert film. Spread over two concerts at Madison Square Garden, it featured performances by big-time acts of the era, including two Beatles (Harrison and Ringo Starr), two certified legends (Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan) and a host of others. It wasn’t a huge source of revenue, but the Concert for Bangladesh was an important first step in the history of all-star benefits.
(more…)
