Classic Rock Cares was the name given to a series of concerts and events that raised money for the John Entwistle Foundation. This page summarises what the archived material said about it. All details are historical.
How the project began
The archive says that AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams and drummer Steve Luongo, formerly of the John Entwistle Band, met at a hurricane-relief concert organised by the foundation in 2005. They played together over the following year. In 2007 guitarist Mark Hitt and AC/DC singer Brian Johnson joined them in the studio, and the group wrote and recorded original songs. One of those tracks, titled “Chain Gang On The Road”, was presented on the site as a sample of the new material that would sit alongside AC/DC favourites in live sets.
In spring 2007, Williams and Johnson agreed to take part in a fundraising tour carrying the Classic Rock Cares name. Its proceeds were intended for the foundation’s central aim of providing instruments and music tuition to children in need.
The 2009 art and memorabilia show
A press notice dated 16 June 2009 announced an exhibition at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers, Florida, scheduled to open on 17 July and run for a weekend. According to the notice:
- The display centred on artwork and personal items belonging to John Entwistle, who was also a keen illustrator of rock musicians in pen and ink. Several pieces had been given to the foundation by his estate.
- Visitors would see handwritten lyrics, tour itineraries and other papers, along with a collection of signed items and concert posters from other classic rock acts.
- Video presentations were planned throughout the gallery and live music outside.
- Steve Luongo, described as the foundation’s executive director and Entwistle’s drummer and producer for fifteen years, was due to perform at a VIP evening that closed the weekend.
The notice also said the foundation had opened two music therapy rooms in Florida hospitals, named after Cliff Williams and Brian Johnson.
Reading this page
The exhibition and tour dates have long passed. Valuations and sales offers that appeared in the original announcement are not repeated here. For background on the man behind the foundation, see the biography, and for another summary of the tour, see the tour press release page.