Bulletins

A new version of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" featuring Jon Bon Jovi and exiled Iranian singer Andy Madadian, which is making the rounds as an online video, is meant to send "a musical message of worldwide solidarity" to the Iranian people in the wake of the country's controversial recent election, according to co-producer Don Was.

Was tells Billboard.com that the session, which took place June 24 in Los Angeles, was spurred by a conversation he had with Madadian about "whether there was something we could do just to send out a little message of solidarity, remembering the '60s, believing music can change things." When they arrived to record the song, they found Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora and John Shanks, who's producing their next album, sitting outside and having lunch.

"They asked what we were doing, I told them, and Jon said, 'Look, man, if you do it right now we'll do it with you,' " Was recalls. "So we did." Maladian -- who's lived in the U.S. since the Iranian revolution of 1979 -- and Bon Jovi duet on the song, with both men singing the first verse in Farsi. Sambora plays a guitar solo, with Was on bass, Patrick Leonard on keyboards and Jeff Rothchild on drums.

"We just cut it," Was says, "and the video is the session. It took about four hours and just fell into place nicely." The video, which features footage and still photos from the session, went up on Was' portion of My Damn Channel on Saturday and was quickly disseminated via MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and other sites. At the end of the video Maladian and Bon Jovi stand next to each other, with the latter holding a sing saying "We are one" in Farsi.

"It is not for sale," Was says. "It wasn't intended to be on the Billboard charts, wasn't meant to be a hit record or even pressed on a CD. It's intended to be downloaded and shared by the Iranian people. The whole idea was to get it into Iran and tell them...to carry on, that the world is watching and we're with you."

Billboard.com

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BON JOVI IS #1 TOURING ACT IN THE WORLD ON BILLBOARD CHART (New York, NY – Dec. 11, 2008) – Twenty five years into their chart-topping career, BON JOVI is 2008’s top touring act in the world, coming in at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Tour chart, which is based on data reported to Billboard Boxscore from Nov. 14, 2007 through Nov. 11, 2008. The Top Tour news was released on Billboard.com today, and a special editorial section spotlighting Bon Jovi’s achievements will appear in Billboard’s annual Year In Music & Touring Issue, on stands Friday, December 12. “The foundation of our success was and is touring,” says Jon Bon Jovi. “Whether it was a night club or a stadium we played each show like it was our biggest show. Our fans have been the reason why a second generation now share in this great honor. We thank you all.” The band that has famously “seen a million faces and rocked them all,” in fact played to twice as many on this tour – over two million fans attended the 100 sold out dates on the Lost Highway World Tour, promoted by AEG Live. Bon Jovi has set the bar for more than two decades as one of the most successful rock bands in the world. Globally, they have sold more than 120 million albums and performed more than 2,600 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 34 million fans. The LOST HIGHWAY album was released in June 2007 and debuted at #1 around the world. The band's 2005 album, HAVE A NICE DAY, featured the Grammy-Award winning song, "Who Says You Can't Go Home," and also fueled one of the top-selling tours of 2005. For more information visit www.bonjovi.com

Joint Official Statement from
Live Earth Founder Kevin Wall, The Office of the Honorable Al Gore and
Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Chairman IPCC
Regarding
Live Earth India

Friday, November 28, 2008
Everyone involved with Live Earth India, from our U.S.- and India-based staff, artists and crew to our India-based broadcast, production, non-profit and marketing communications partners, is stunned and saddened by the tragic events of the past few days in our host city Mumbai. We always felt very welcomed and safe as we spent more time on the ground in Mumbai to finalize plans for Live Earth India, scheduled for December 7.

Due to circumstances far beyond our control, we are saddened to announce that Live Earth India has been cancelled. We will continue to work for solutions to the climate crisis for the good of the people of India and around the world. But for now, our thoughts and our prayers are with the victims of this terrible attack, with the bereaved, with the people of Mumbai and with everyone in India. For updated information, please visit www.LiveEarth.org

Jon Bon Jovi And The Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation Honored With Humanitarian Award
RAY WADDELL

At the Billboard Touring Conference and Awards, Billboard's Humanitarian Award recognizes the philanthropic efforts of a touring professional. Few charitable endeavors could be deemed more "humanitarian" than providing an affordable home for a family in need, which is why Jon Bon Jovi and the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation have been chosen as the 2008 Humanitarian Award honorees at this year's conference, taking place Nov. 19-20 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.

Bon Jovi's mission to provide affordable housing to those in need began even before he and the ownership group of the Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul decided to establish the nonprofit Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation in October 2006. The effort is ongoing; just last month, 51 units of housing, developed in partnership with HelpUSA, were announced for Newark, N.J. This project will bring the number of affordable housing units that Bon Jovi and the foundation have been involved with since 2005 to 140.

"Jon's leadership and vision has been amazing, and he truly has leveraged his celebrity status to the benefit of many homeless and low-income individuals finding themselves in an economic crisis involving housing," foundation director Mimi Box says. "Although our mission is broad-helping people in economic distress-our funding priorities have been directed toward those experiencing a lack of affordable housing for themselves and their families. We have met an incredibly large number of folks who just need a little help to stabilize their living situation."

Using an oft-heard but heartfelt phrase in philanthropy, Box quotes Bon Jovi as saying the foundation's goal is to offer "a hand up, not a handout."

Bon Jovi's passion for the foundation is "enormous," according to Jack Rovner, the band's co-manager at Vector Management, and his approach is creative. "Jon's model of combining corporate, private and government monies has yielded over 100 homes in the last three years," Rovner says. "Being part of that has been enormously gratifying, and to find new ways and new projects to initiate it is absolutely a great feeling."

Asked why this particular cause resonates with him, Bon Jovi says, "When you look at the number of families and children that on any given night in our country do not have a place to call home, it strikes a chord-no pun intended-with me. Homelessness hits more people than you can imagine: 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year."

Homelessness "is an issue we can address without the help of science," Bon Jovi adds. "One of the causes of homelessness is lack of safe, decent and affordable housing-[which] is a crisis we can tackle, but it will take money, patience and perseverance. So, I've found the challenge which has spoken to me, and I'm trying to make a difference in the lives of these people who want to help themselves but just need a little help."

Bon Jovi says he is "extremely pleased" with the foundation's growth. "And in efforts like this, no one can do it alone," he adds. "Support from all sectors in the communities in which we have built has enabled us to accomplish so much in the first two years of our foundation's existence. Without support from the private sector as well as the many individuals throughout the country that support our mission, we would not have been able to work with our nonprofit partners [Project H.O.M.E., Habitat for Humanity, HelpUSA and others] in providing over 140 units of affordable housing. It has also afforded us the opportunity to be a voice for the low-income and formerly homeless populations who, in some cases for the first time, are achieving the American dream of home ownership for their families. There is a great need in our country for affordable housing, especially in today's economic environment."

Companies including Saturn, ICAP, Kenneth Cole, Coty, Comcast, Condé Nast and SAP have been big believers in the foundation's mission and have supported it financially and with volunteer labor, Box says.

Bon Jovi's star power and dedication to the cause have also "exponentially increased" local support and facilitated involvement with such partners as Project H.O.M.E., HelpUSA and Habitat for Humanity.

Bon Jovi has seen plenty of packed houses in his career, including 99 of them on the band's 2007-08 Lost Highway tour, a finalist for the top tour and top draw awards this year. But it seems a different kind of full house can be highly rewarding as well.

"I've seen what a miraculous thing it is to hand someone the keys to a new home," Bon Jovi says, "not only a beautiful home that they can be proud to own, but a home that they have invested their own time, sweat and resources in."

Longtime band manager and tour director Paul Korzilius knows firsthand Bon Jovi's dedication to this cause. "Throughout my long association with Jon I've always been amazed and impressed by his commitment to the community," he says. "This foundation has allowed it to be a bit more formalized, but this is not a newfound passion, it is lifelong passion. I've seen it every day for over 20 years."

Previous Humanitarian Award winners include Clear Channel Entertainment for Hurricane Relief (2004), Dave Matthews Band's Bama Rags foundation (2005), Music Rising (2006) and Kevin Wall/Live Earth (2007). -Ray Waddell

Bon Jovi's Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation and Widespread Panic will be honored with special awards at the 2008 Billboard Touring Awards on Nov. 20 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.

Additionally, Widespread Panic will play the intimate Fillmore at Irving Plaza in New York on Nov. 19 in a special benefit concert for the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation. Registrants for the Nov. 19-20 Billboard Touring Conference will be able to take part in a pre-sale on Oct. 16 for the "evening with" Panic show; the general public on-sale is Oct. 18.

Bon Jovi's Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation will be honored with the Humanitarian Award, which recognizes the philanthropic efforts of a touring professional. Jon Bon Jovi's mission to provide affordable housing to those in need has spread across the country and internationally, and began even before he and the ownership group of the Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul decided to structure the nonprofit Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation in October 2006. Most recently, 51 units of housing in partnership with HelpUSA were announced for Newark, N.J., bringing the number to 140 of affordable housing units Bon Jovi and the Foundation have been involved with since 2005.

"Jon's leadership and vision has been amazing, and he truly has leveraged his celebrity status to the benefit of many homeless and low-income individuals finding themselves in an economic crisis involving housing," says Mimi Box, director of the PSCF. "Although our mission is broad - helping people in economic distress - our funding priorities have been directed toward those experiencing a lack of affordable housing for themselves and their families. We have met an incredibly large number of folks who just need a little help to stabilize their living situation - as Jon says: 'a hand up, not a hand out'."

Previous Humanitarian Award winners include Clear Channel Entertainment (2004), Dave Matthews Band (2005), Music Rising (2006), and Kevin Wall/Live Earth (2007). "Few efforts are more 'humanitarian' than helping provide shelter for people in need. We're proud to recognize the efforts of Jon Bon Jovi and the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation with the 2008 Humanitarian Award," says Ray Waddell, Billboard's executive director of content and programming, touring and live entertainment.

Also at the Billboard Touring Awards, Widespread Panic will receive the first-ever Road Warrior award. This honor was conceived to recognize work ethic, steadfast dedication to touring year after year, and a commitment to the art and craft of live performance.

"The Road Warrior award acknowledges a band that might not always grace the top of the Billboard Boxscore charts, but whose professionalism, on-stage charisma and ability to sell tickets over a long period of time provide a huge boost to the overall touring industry," says Waddell. "As promoters, venue managers and, of course, fans from coast to coast know, Widespread Panic more than meets all these criteria."

The Bill Graham Memorial Foundation was formed in November of 1991 following the death of the legendary rock impresario Bill Graham. The Foundation awards grants primarily in the areas of music, the arts and education, while also supporting social work, environmental protection, and spiritual and compassionate projects in communities.

"We're thrilled to give our conference attendees an opportunity to not only see one of the great live bands ever in this intimate setting, but to also support a wonderful cause in the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation," says Waddell.

The Billboard Touring Awards honors the most successful tours, artists and professionals of the year, primarily determined by the Billboard Boxscore charts. Also this year, the Allman Brothers Band will receive the Legend Of Live award (Billboard.com, Oct. 1).