JB Off-Screen | 2003 | Grace Center | DAVID CROSBY & GRAHAM NASH TO HEADLINE AN OCTOBER 4TH BENEFIT CONCERT FOR GRACE CENTER, HONORING THEIR WORK WITH SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Los Angeles, CA, September 17, 2003 - On Saturday, October 4th, music legends David Crosby and Graham Nash will headline an all-star benefit event honoring the work of the Pasadena-based Grace Center, a non-profit organization serving women and children afflicted by domestic violence. This rare, intimate acoustic show will also feature singer-songwriters Paula Cole, Julia Fordham and Judith Owen. The concert caps a gala fundraising dinner and auction chaired by Grace Center's Board President Marilyn Wells and husband John Wells, producer of award-winning series including ER, China Beach, and The West Wing. With a start time of 7PM at the Eastwood Scoring Stage and surrounding environs on the Warner Bros. Studios lot in Burbank, the evening will be hosted by television stars Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) and Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm In The Middle).

Founded in 1996 by Katrina Carter, Grace Center's mission is to empower women to break the cycle of family violence by providing non-shelter-based assistance to survivors of domestic violence and their children (95% of all spousal abuse cases involve women abused by male partners). Cutting across all economic and ethnic boundaries, domestic violence affects 28% of the population in the United States--this staggering greater-than-1-in-4 statistic also applies to the arena of teen dating. What's more, children from homes where domestic violence exists are physically and sexually abused and/or neglected at a rate of fifteen times the national average--over three million children are at risk of being harmed by parental violence annually. Among the many invaluable services provided by Grace Center are emergency response, crisis intervention & counseling, a wide array of support groups, and shelter/safe house, medical, legal and social service referrals.

"One of the things I believe makes our program special," says Marilyn Wells, who also started the clinical program at Grace Center, "is that we reach out to women early, to hopefully intervene before things take a tragic turn. We also work to get women and their children in therapy together, which really helps. We're honored to have such a wonderful assemblage of talent for our fundraiser this year, it will benefit us immeasurably in our efforts."

David Crosby has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice-for The Byrds, the groundbreaking folk-rock group he co-founded in the early '60s, and with his next band, Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN), for whom his classic compositions include "Guinnevere" and "Almost Cut My Hair." In recent years, Crosby has also toured and recorded with CPR, the jazz-rock trio he formed with his son James Raymond. Fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Graham Nash also had major success before CSN took off, as a founding member of British Invasion icons The Hollies, whose chart-toppers include "Carrie Anne" and "On A Carousel." He first sang with Crosby-and Stephen Stills--during an impromptu session in L.A in 1967. Soon after, the supergroup CSN was born, and with it, timeless hits from Nash including "Teach Your Children" and "Our House." Also an acclaimed photographer and digital imaging pioneer, Nash's 2002 Songs For Survivors was the first new album by a major artist to be introduced in 5.1 DVD-A in advance of its stereo release.

Recently, David Crosby and Graham Nash have toured extensively on two internationally acclaimed reunion outings with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Throughout their careers, they have also toured on and off as a duo -- one memorable 1971 concert was immortalized with the live album Another Stoney Evening, re-released last year in 5.1 on DTS Entertainment. Their performance at the 2003 Grace Center benefit provides a rare opportunity to experience all the inspiration and harmony of their legendary partnership in an intimate setting.

Singer-songwriter Paula Cole made a lasting imprint on the pop music landscape with her second album, 1996's now 2x-platinum This Fire. A sublime mix of literate, introspective lyrics, earthy sensuality and ethereal melodies, the disc delivered two unforgettable smash singles, "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone," and "I Don't Want To Wait," known the world over as the Dawson's Creek theme. The album earned a remarkable seven GRAMMY® nods, including one for Producer Of The Year, making Paula the first woman ever to be nominated for that honor - she went on to win a GRAMMY for Best New Artist. Cole's most recent album, the passionate and beautifully crafted Amen, further explores the talents of an artist that Entertainment Weekly called, "...a feisty poet with a soaring voice and a funky groove." An unfettered idealist who believes in the healing power of music, Cole's set on the Eastwood Scoring Stage will be a special treat.

Britain's Julia Fordham has been making beautiful music ever since her self-titled, 1988 major label debut. Its follow-up, Porcelain, is considered a classic of the singer-songwriter genre, and her third album, Swept, produced the hit "(Love Moves In) Mysterious Ways." Fordham's latest release, 2002's Concrete Love on Vanguard -- produced by Larry Klein of Joni Mitchell fame and featuring GRAMMY winner India Arie on the title track--drew critical raves for what Interview Magazine called a "lavish harmony of soul, pop, and R&B." Currently recording a new album slated for a spring 2004 release, Fordham will take a break to deliver her sultry, reflective and utterly distinctive vocals on behalf of Grace Center.

An eminently gifted and poetic musical storyteller, Welsh singer-songwriter Judith Owen has released three albums of original material, including 2003's critically acclaimed 12 Arrows. The L.A. Times has called her "whip smart and endearing," and folk-rock great Richard Thompson -- with whom she toured this year on his "1,000 Years Of Popular Music" show -- says, "She is one of the great talents of her generation, unique in a crowded profession." Experience her on October 4th.

Last year, at three different locations throughout the San Gabriel Valley, Grace Center assisted over 800 individuals from families affected by the devastating cycle of domestic violence. Current statistics on this national crisis include the following: A woman is beaten every 15 seconds; 1 in 4 pregnant women are beaten. To support Grace Center's life-saving work, and for more information about the October 4th Benefit Event, please call 626-355-4545 or log on to: www.grace-center.org

[ Grace Center | Top ]