Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Van Morrison and Roger Daltrey will join music superstar Ed Sheeran to headline a once-in-a-generation private concert this week in the L.A. area to benefit UCLA Health and Teen Cancer America (TCA), the national non-profit founded by Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who.
The invite-only event, the fifth in a series that began a decade ago to raise awareness and funds for both programs, will include Judd Apatow serving as Master of Ceremonies and Howie Mandel serving as auctioneer for a rare collection of music memorabilia and art that will be auctioned off throughout the evening.
Included in the lot is a guitar donated by The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation that experts are saying may be the most valuable ever built for a charity event. The handcrafted guitar, inspired by the Holly classic song, “Learning The Game,” is signed by 75 of the greatest living musicians including Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Brian May, Paul McCartney, Donovan, Brian Wilson, Keith Richards, Dion, Peter Frampton, Graham Nash, Don Everly and Elvis Costello, just to name a few. Peter Bradley Jr. of The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation has spent the last 18 months traveling the world capturing the signatures and stories about how Holly inspired other artists, in preparation for donating the guitar to Teen Cancer America as part of a newly established partnership between the two organizations. It is expected to fetch north of $250,000 the evening of the event with some experts predicting it could approach the $1M mark.
Other auction items include a mechanically and electrically refurbished Bally Pinball Wizard Machine built in 1975 to coincide with the release of the movie/rock opera “Tommy.” It has been autographed for the event by most of the stars of the film, including Daltrey, Townsend, Elton John, Tina Turner, Jack Nicholson, and Ann-Margret. Additional auction items include a first off the production line, limited edition The Who motorized scooter and high-value art from famed contemporary street-artist RETNA. The auction is being conducted live, and online here, by Heritage Auctions.
