New Artists Added to Line-Up -- Today's News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Additional Performers Added to Rock Hall Benefit Concert Line-up

CARY, N.C. (September 10, 2008) — Organizers of the visitRaleigh.com Benefit Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum (“Rock Hall”) and the John Entwistle Foundation, scheduled for September 19-20 at the beautiful Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, N.C., today announced five new musicians that have been added to the two-day classic rock concert bill.

Pete Hopkins has been selected as the visitRaleigh.com National Band Search winner from among 792 entries nationwide and will open the show on September 19. Hopkins, who lives in L.A., has been a featured artist on VH-1’s “Rock Across America” and was a Top Ten Finalist on NBC’s “Star of Tomorrow” television series in 2006. Earlier this year he was named a finalist in the acclaimed Independent Music Awards competition and his live performances at the famed Viper Room in L.A., among other places, have received outstanding reviews from national music critics.

Hopkins was named a Top Ten finalist in the visitRaleigh.com National Band Search by music fans who voted online. Then a panel of music industry experts, musicians, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and John Entwistle Foundation executive staff and board members met to select the eventual winner.

Benefit Concert Chairman Rick French also announced three more additions to the White Sox All-Star Band line-up on September 19th. Renowned Tower of Power lead singer Tom Bowes, Concert for Bangladesh Revisited lead singer and lead guitarist Tommy Williams, and Jimi Hendrix tribute vocalist and guitarist Randy Hansen will join Eric Bazilian of The Hooters, Alan White of Yes and many other special guests in a not to be missed performance the opening night of the show.

French also announced that 16-year-old singer/songwriter Michelle Blanchard has been selected to perform two songs with former members of the John Entwistle Band on the evening of September 20th. Michelle is a volunteer musician at the John Entwistle Foundation’s “Check-Out Music” program at the Health Park Children’s Cancer Hospital in Fort Meyers, Fla. and is currently writing and recording songs for her first CD. “Michelle was selected to perform because she epitomizes the youthful spirit of rock ‘n roll and how music can help shape the lives of young people from all walks of life,” said Steve Luongo, executive director of the John Entwistle Foundation and musical director for the benefit concert.

The current line-up for the show and the anticipated order of performers are:

September 19 (6-11 p.m.)

• Pete Hopkins (the visitRaleigh.com National Band Search winner)
• Rick Derringer (The McCoys, Johnny Winter Band)
• The White Sox All-Star Band (featuring members of The Hooters, Yes, Tower of Power and George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh Revisited, along with other special guests)
• Dave Mason (Traffic, Fleetwood Mac)

September 20 (Noon - 11 p.m.)

• Grand Society
• Parmalee
• Supagroup
• The Connells
• Arrogance
• Moonalice (featuring former members of Jefferson Airplane, Phil Lesh & Friends, Bob Dylan’s Never Ending Tour Band and other special guests)
• Jefferson Starship with a special guest appearance by Tom Constanten of the Grateful Dead
• Dennis DeYoung (formerly of Styx)
• Former members of The John Entwistle Band with a special guest appearance by 16-year-old rocker Michelle Blanchard
• Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple, Rainbow)
• Buck Dharma (Blue Oyster Cult)
• Mark Farner (formerly of the original Grand Funk Railroad)
• Jack Bruce (Cream)
• And other very special guests

Rick,

Sounds like alot of great music over 2 days & you still put at the end of the release "and some very special guests"...hmmmmmmmm. Who is gonna pop in & add to the splendor?

C'mon are any of the folowing one of the surprises?

Robert Plant
Eric Clapton
Pete Townsend
Roger Daltrey

yes or no ..i'll buty you a beer or a shot or whatnot

I plead the 5th. We shall see.

ahahahaaaahhaa ..I am buying the fifth.......and the sixth , 7th, etc... it will be a blast!!!

cheers!

Rick,
I am and never have been a doubter of this concert. It's already a great lineup and I know it is going to be a wonderful two nights. However, a few of us who thought we were doing friends and family favors buy buying as many tickets as possible when they first went on sale are out a few hundred bucks. I have found 2 friends willing to go but have numerous extra tickets that I can't unload. People on craigslist are listing them well under face, and I have done the same and am getting no bites. Can't you just release one of these "very special guests" now that the ticket resellers have no chance of cleaning up on this wonderful event? All the tickets are in fans hands and we want to have no worries about this show! I have a gut feeling that one or two of the members of the Who will show up saturday night just because of the affiliation with Entwistle, Rock Hall, and everything else, but let the world know brother! See you all Friday!

Tscavvy, thanks for the politically correct way you posed this question, without stepping on the toes of the event promoters but advocating for the many, like myself, that have been unable to sell extra tickets now only a week before the show. I also bought extra tickets thinking the announcement of headliners would draw enthusiasm with friends/family. Nobody biting at this juncture. Would love to see some excitement and more talk about this show in the upcoming week. I live in Greensboro and absolutely no press in any of the newspapers or entertainment publications that would make this event more visible to the general public, especially outside of the Raligh/Durham area.

Yes, a big name headliner would help.

Thanks

Sorry, guys. I am sympathetic but we didn't in any way encourage anyone to buy more tickets than they could use themselves. Getting into the reselling game is risky and we wish no one had done that and it is exactly for that reason that we rolled out the names the way we did -- to try and discourage anyone from buying more than they needed.

As for announcing anyone else I can't do it. If we do we risk them not coming as that is one of the many stipulations to them showing up and jamming. So everyone should assume this is the line-up and anyone else that shows is a nice bonus. But in no way are we announcing anyone else or even saying anyone else will be here, regardless of the speculation that is out there.

I noticed the post by rockfan stated there was no press in Greensboro. I originally heard about the show on the Alan Handleman show during Rick's announcement on May 30th. I emailed Alan over a month ago and asked him to have Rick back on, but he did not reply. I was wondering if he invited you back Rick and I missed it, or if he just blew-off my request.

Mark Farner and I are doing radio call-ins in the Triad market on Tuesday. The thing about out of market media is they are never going to cover a concert event the same way someone such as 96 Rock or 850 The Buzz will here locally, so the mentions have been more sporadic. But we have promotions set for the Triad, Greenville and Fayetteville markets this throughout the week. As far as Alan H goes, we have been in talks for Marty Balin and I to do something with him mid-week.

Thanks for posting the lineup like this Rick - very helpful!