Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert Announcement

Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Celebration

Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday CelebrationIn honor of what would have been John Lennon’s 75th birthday, Blackbird Presents in partnership with AMC today announced Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert, an all-star concert event celebrating the music and message of the legendary music icon. The one-night-only concert event taping will be held at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, December 5th at 7:30pm ET, and air exclusively on AMC on Saturday, December 19th at 9:00pm ET/PT.

This once-in-a-lifetime concert, produced by Blackbird Presents, will bring together fans, friends and music royalty to honor Lennon’s musical legacy. The event will feature performances by: Aloe Blacc, Eric Church, Sheryl Crow, Brandon Flowers (The Killers), Peter Frampton, JUANES, Kris Kristofferson, Pat Monahan (Train), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Willie Nelson, The Roots, Chris Stapleton, and Steven Tyler. Additional performers will be announced at a later date.

GRAMMY® and EMMY® Award winners Greg Phillinganes (“Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life: An All-Star GRAMMY Salute”) and Don Was (“The Night That Changed America: A GRAMMY Salute to the Beatles”) will serve as music directors for this extraordinary concert event. DGA® Award winner Gregg Gelfand (“The Night That Changed America: A GRAMMY Salute to the Beatles”) is the director.

“It’s beautiful to see so many wonderful and talented musicians come together for this special show to celebrate John’s birthday,” said Yoko Ono. “John’s art continues to give hope, light and happiness to generations of people everywhere. His belief that each of us can change the world continues to inspire the human race to believe in themselves, and his influence is everlasting in everyone’s hearts as we all share in the possibilities and power of music.”

“It would be impossible to quantify the immense impact John Lennon continues to have on modern culture,” said Keith Wortman of Blackbird Presents. “His music and lyrics continue to shape the lives of musicians and millions of fans around the world. I can’t think of any better way to celebrate his 75th birthday than to honor his legacy with this extraordinary event. It’s going to be an unforgettable evening.”

“We are proud to be associated with this special event, and to bring Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert to AMC viewers,” said Joel Stillerman, president of original programming and development, AMC and SundanceTV. “We are continuing to explore unique opportunities in non-fiction programming and special events that can live alongside our original productions and movies, and we know this remarkable event will do just that and attract Lennon fans and music lovers of all ages.”

Tickets are available to the general public on Tuesday, November 17th at 9:00am ET through Ticketmaster Charge By Phone (1-866-858-0008), www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster Outlets. Tickets are available in person beginning Wednesday, November 18th at the Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and The Beacon Theatre box offices.

A portion of proceeds from the concert will be donated to Robin Hood. Robin Hood, New York’s largest poverty-fighting organization, creates and funds over 200 of the most effective programs, to help 1.8 million New Yorkers learn and earn their way out of poverty. For more information, please visit www.robinhood.org.

Keith Wortman of Blackbird Presents is the creator and executive producer of the show. Overseeing the project from AMC are Eliot Goldberg, senior vice president of non-fiction and alternative programming for AMC and SundanceTV, and Marco Bresaz, vice president of non-fiction and alternative programming for AMC and SundanceTV. Imagine: John Lennon 75th Birthday Concert will be filmed and recorded for multi-platform distribution throughout traditional and digital media (worldwide music, digital, and broadcast).

Get all the details about the show here