MUSIC NEWS : Rolling Live Studios and Mike Garson Wow the World with “A Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day!”

Rolling Live Studios and Mike Garson 
Wow the World with 
“A Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day!”

Concert Event of the Year Raises over $40,000
for Save the Children
 
Masterpiece Concert Stream Featured Duran Duran, Trent Reznor, YUNGBLUD, Boy George, Taylor Momsen, Peter Frampton, Andra Day, and More Along with Dozens of Bowie Alumni Band Members

On January 9th, 2021, a star-studded lineup of vocal and musical talent joined forces for “A Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day!”, the streaming concert event of the year. The visionary team behind the show raised the bar for streaming events to come, bringing together a long list of acclaimed talent to pay homage to David Bowie in cinematic fashion on the weekend of what would have been the rock legend’s 74th birthday and the fifth anniversary of his passing. 

Produced by Mike Garson, David Bowie’s pianist and longest-standing band member, along with Stacey Sher and Kerry Brown together with Rolling Live Studios, the concert was a stirring visual and musical masterpiece. Through the magic of technology — and, of course, music — artists from around the world took the stage with Garson at The Bourbon Room in Hollywood to perform for fans watching from across the globe. Rolling Live Studios oversaw all areas of production, debuting the second version of their artist streaming platform at the event with partners StreamlabsHYFI, and Ultimate Ears Pro

The evening kicked off with Grammy award-winning British music icons Duran Duran, who delivered a rendition of Bowie’s “Five Years” that Billboard deemed “spine-tingling” and Rolling Stone hailed a “blazing cover.” The band also released the song as a single to coincide with the concert. From Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor’s take on “Fantastic Voyage” with award-winning musician Atticus Ross to UK chart-topping sensation YUNGBLUD’s show-stopping delivery of “Life on Mars?”, the show left audience members and media alike raving, with stellar reviews in NME, Billboard, Variety, The GuardianThe Independent, and beyond.

A Bowie Celebration donated $2 per ticket purchase to the Save the Children, a charity that was so important to Bowie that he chose it as the beneficiary for his sold-out 50th Birthday Concert held at Madison Square Garden in 1997. Ticket sales for “A Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day!” rivaled that legendary show, raising over $40,000 for the organization.

“Save the Children is delighted to have been a part of this remarkable event that celebrated David Bowie’s legacy both as an iconic artist and passionate philanthropist,” said Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children. “We are profoundly grateful to the incredible artists who put this concert together and are especially thankful to David Bowie for all that he did throughout his life to support Save the Children’s efforts to make the world a better place for children everywhere.” 

The full list of talent featured in the out-of-this world event included Culture Club frontman Boy George, Taylor Momsen (Pretty Reckless), and Ground Control supergroup with Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction), Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), and Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction), six-time Ivor Novello Award winner Gary Barlow (Take That), William Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), Grammy Award-winning guitar legend Peter Frampton, three-time Grammy nominee Andra Day, vocal sensation Adam Lambert, Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman, Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction), Kind Heaven Orchestra vocalist Etty Lau Farrell, Grammy-winning singer Macy Gray, Ian Astbury (The Cult), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), actor/musician Michael C. Hall, Mott the Hoople icon Ian Hunter, singer-songwriter and virtuoso guitarist Anna Calvi, How to Destroy Angels vocalist Mariqueen Maandig Reznor, Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie, Lenny Kravitz), Bernard Fowler (Rolling Stones), Corey Glover (Living Colour), Tony-winner Lena Hall, vocal phenom Judith Hill (Grammy winner for 20 Feet From Stardom), Charlie Sexton (David Bowie, Bob Dylan), Grammy nominee Catherine Russell and more.

They joined career-spanning Bowie Band alumni including Grammy Award-winning saxophone phenom David Sanborn, Bowie’s longtime record producer and musician Tony Visconti, Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman, Bowie’s final touring band of Mike Garson, Gail Ann Dorsey, Earl Slick, Sterling Campbell, Gerry Leonard and Catherine Russell along with Zack Alford, Carlos Alomar, Kevin Armstrong, Everett Bradley, Matt Chamberlain, Ava Cherry, Alan Childs, Robin Clark, Richard Cottle, Greg Errico, Mark Guiliana, Emm Gryner, Omar Hakim, Stan Harrison, Henry Hey, Clare Hirst, Erdal Kızılçay, Emir Ksasan, Tim Lefebvre, Tony Levin, Geoff MacCormack, Martha Mooke, Andy Newmark, Holly Palmer, Mark Plati, Carmine Rojas, Pablo Rosario, and Charlie Sexton.

In addition, Award-winning comedian and After Life star Ricky Gervais, child internet drumming sensation Nandi Bushell, Guatemalan singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno and vocalist Simon Westbrook made special appearances along with The Section Quartet and more. 

Even after the show has drawn to a close, A Bowie Celebration encourages people to continue to support Save the Children. To learn about the organization, donate, and find ways to help, visit www.savethechildren.org

To learn more about A Bowie Celebration, visit Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Mike Garson 
Universally respected for his impressive skills as a pianist, Mike Garson is a respected composer, performer and educator, as well. He is perhaps best known for his relationship with David Bowie which began in 1972 for Bowie’s first performances in the United States. Garson made his mark on dozens of Bowie albums and travelled thousands of miles with him on his world tours. In 2006, Mike accompanied Bowie for his final public American performance.

In more recent years, Garson has headlined his critically acclaimed concert production “A Bowie Celebration” touring the world with fellow alumni band members of Bowie’s bands along with world-class vocalists. He is also the subject of the international bestselling biography of his life, “Bowie’s Piano Man – The Life of Mike Garson” by Clifford Slapper.

Garson is as comfortable in jazz, classical, pop and the rock arena and is considered one of the world’s best improvisers who has also composed thousands of pieces in every imaginable style. He continues to be called into duty as the secret weapon behind billboard-topping, Grammy lauded albums, tours and longstanding artist success.

About Rolling Live Studios 
Rolling Live Studios takes virtual live events to the next level. Since its inception, Rolling Live Studios has produced over 75 live virtual events and helped raise over $16 million in donations for an array of charities. Recent credits include Jeffery Katzenberg’s Virtual “Evening Before,” Chrysalis Night In – Virtual Gala, Richard and Demi Weitz’s RW Quarantunes, The Elizabeth Taylor’s AIDS Foundation Virtual pre-show and and multiple livestreams for The Recording Academy. Rolling Live Studios was founded by Kerry Brown, who has managed and produced multi-platinum artists (The Smashing Pumpkins, Miley Cyrus, Cheap Trick, among others), feature films, television, and video games (Blow, Along Came Polly, Scream, The Academy Awards, and more). Kerry produced the live multimedia show BLACKOUT, a collaboration between PepsiCo and the NFL to celebrate the Superbowl, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday party, among other live events.

About Save the Children
Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we’ve changed the lives of more than 1 billion children. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share. 

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