John Fogerty, Spoon, Kevin Bacon and video appearances by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr added
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Grammy Award-winner® John Fogerty and Spoon added to the star-filled lineup of artists taking part in 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.
The concert event and broadcast premiere will also include very special video appearances by the remaining members of The Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Golden Globe® and Screen Actors Guild® Award-winner Kevin Bacon will join as the special guest host of this star-filled event.
Also announced today is the all-star house band featuring: Greg Phillinganes (Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton) on keyboards, drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp), bassist Lee Sklar (James Taylor), Felicia Collins and Sid McGinnis (Paul Shaffer CBS Orchestra) on guitars, along with keyboardist Boh Cooper, percussionist Taku Hirano, and backing vocals Jory Steinberg, and Trya Juliette.
In addition to the newly announced performers, the concert will feature a lineup of music stars, including: 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.
A new block of tickets in all price ranges starting at $99 are on sale now through Ticketmaster Charge By Phone (1-866-858-0008), www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster Outlets or 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.
“The addition of these artists adds even greater depth and excitement to an already incomparable lineup,” said Blackbird’s Keith Wortman. “On just one night, on one stage, we will experience a night of music that we’ll never forget.”
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.
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).