Tony Bennett Among Performers for 2012 MUSICARES Gala Honoring Paul McCartney, 2/10

Iconic artist and philanthropist Paul McCartney will be honored as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year at a special event celebrating his exceptional artistic achievements as well as his philanthropic work. Proceeds from the annual Person of the Year tribute — now in its 22nd year — provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical, and personal need.

Among the performers at the event will be the cast from the Beatles "LOVE"by Cirque du Soleil; multi-GRAMMY®-winning artists and current GRAMMY nominees Tony Bennett, Coldplay,Foo Fighters, and Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas; GRAMMY-winning artist Duane Eddy, multi-GRAMMY-winning artists Norah Jones, Alicia Keys and James Taylor; two-time GRAMMY-winning artists Diana Krall and Neil Young with Crazy Horse; two-time Latin GRAMMY-winning artist Sergio Mendes; and current GRAMMY nomineeKaty Perry.The evening will also feature a special performanceby 14-time GRAMMY-winning artistand 2012 MusiCares® Person of the Year Paul McCartney.Actor/comedian Eddie Izzard will be the evening's host. Attendees will include Neil Portnow, President/CEO of MusiCares®and The Recording Academy®; Scott Pascucci, MusiCares Foundation Board Chair; and Paul Caine, MusiCares Board Chair Emeritus. In addition, a host of celebrities, along with prominent music industry and entertainment executives, arescheduled to attend. Tribute co-chairs are John Eastman, Bob Iger, Sir George Martin, and Lorne Michaels. Tommy LiPuma is the evening's musical director in association with David Paich. Past MusiCares Person of the Yearhonorees include Tony Bennett, Bono, Natalie Cole, Phil Collins, David Crosby, Neil Diamond, Gloria Estefan, Aretha Franklin, Don Henley, Billy Joel, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Luciano Pavarotti, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, Sting, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder, and Neil Young.

The 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year gala will begin with a cocktail reception and silent auction, sponsored bythe Starkey Hearing Foundation,that will offer an exclusiveandunparalleled selection of luxury items, VIP experiences, and one-of-a-kindcelebrity memorabilia for bidding guests. The auction will be followed by a gala dinner sponsored byAEG Live, and a star-studded tribute concert sponsored byAcura/ELS Surround. Acura TL is the MusiCares "Vehicle of the Year." During the gala dinner, a live auction will feature an exciting array of items, including one of only two original Baldwin baby grand pianos painted by pop art icon Peter Max— signed by Max, McCartney, and Ringo Starr — that was a gift from the artist to Starr; as well as a customized Acura TL.This year's red-carpet press arrivals area will be sponsored by Kinect for Xbox 360and Dance Central 2. MusiCares would also like to thank Centerstaging –A SoundCheck LA Company, Classic Wines of California, Delta Airlines, Double Platinum, Gibson, Global Art, Heineken, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Jackson Limo, Korbel, Patron Spirits Company, Pepsi,and Sweetwater. 

MusiCares Person of the Year tribute is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week. The celebration culminates with the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. The telecast will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/PT. This event is completely sold out.

MusiCares offers programs and services to members of the music community including emergency financial assistancefor basic living expenses including rent, utilities and car payments; medical expenses including doctor, dentist and hospital bills; psychotherapy; and treatment for HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, hepatitis C, and other critical illnesses. MusiCares offers nationwide educational workshops covering a variety of subjects, including financial, legal, medical, and substance abuse issues, and programs in collaboration with healthcare professionals that provide services such as flu shots, hearing tests, and medical/dental screenings. The MusiCares MAP FundSM allows access to addiction recovery treatment and sober living resources for members of the music community. Staffed by qualified chemical dependency and intervention specialists, MusiCares Safe Harbor Rooms offer a support network to those in recovery while they are participating in the production of televised music shows and other major music events. MusiCares holds weekly addiction support groups for people to discuss how to best cope with the issues surrounding the recovery process. The MusiCares Sober Touring Network is a database of individuals across the United States who can take music people to recovery support meetings while on the road. For more information, please visit www.musicares.org. For real-time coverage and updates on this event, plus all MusiCares events during GRAMMY Week, like "MusiCares" on Facebook at www.facebook.com/musicaresand follow @MusiCares on Twitter at www.twitter.com/musicares.

The event will take place at Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall 1201 S. Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015.

Parking is available at West Hall Lot, off Cherry Street; cost: $12 (no valet available)

The gala takes place on February 10th, 2012. The Schedule for the event is as follows:

4:30 p.m. Media Check-In (at Gilbert Lindsay Plaza) *Note Earlier Check-In Time*
5:30 p.m. Red Carpet Arrivals, Cocktail Reception, and Silent Auction
7:30 p.m. Gala Dinner
9 p.m. Concert & Award Presentation

Established in 1989 by The Recording Academy, MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares' services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community. 

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