STYX Donates Proceeds from ROCK TO THE RESCUE to NC LGBT Charities

STYX--Tommy Shaw (vocals, guitars), James "JY" Young (vocals, guitars), Lawrence Gowan (vocals, keyboards), Todd Sucherman (drums) and Ricky Phillips (bass), along with the occasional surprise appearance by original bassist Chuck Panozzo-and special guest, DON FELDER (formerly of the Eagles), has chosen not to cancel their concert in Cary, North Carolina tonight, May 18 at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre.

They will, however, be donating proceeds from the night to various local charities. Tickets to the show are available at www.boothamphitheatre.com.

While they condemn the law in North Carolina that reinforces discrimination against LGBT citizens, especially because Chuck Panozzo has been an openly gay man since the late '90s, they do not want let down their fans in the state. As part of the event, as it is at all of STYX's shows, a raffle will be held by the band's own Rock To The Rescue for one lucky fan to win a guitar signed by the members of STYX as well as DON FELDER. Funds raised as a result of the raffle, as well as ticket sales and donations taken at the venue, will benefit Girls Rock Camp Foundation, as well as local LGBT charities such as Equality NC (the oldest LGBT rights action group in the U.S.) and The LGBT Center of Raleigh.

As James "JY" Young explains, "Ever since original bass player Chuck Panozzo let the world know that he was gay at the turn of the century, we've been incredibly enlightened in regard to LGBT social issues. STYX's music has always been inclusive for everyone and this is just us doing our small part to continue to be a band that excludes no one from our fan base or our concerts. As humbled stewards of the universal language that music is, we intend to project peace, love and non-exclusion as we always have."

"Our nation was founded on liberty and justice for all and should remain the core essence of freedom for all people," declares DON FELDER. "I look forward to seeing fans from all walks of life, race, religion and sexual orientation in North Carolina. I am proud that we are able to do our part to contribute to organizations fighting for equality."

"We're so grateful for the generous support of STYX and Don Felder," says Matt Hirschy, Director of Advancement for Equality NC. "Our work, at the forefront of repealing HB2, simply couldn't be done without continued investment from amazing artists and entertainers from around the country- and their fans right here in North Carolina pitching in to help."

"Over the past six weeks since HB2 passed (in a special one day session), the LGBT Center of Raleigh has been working diligently to educate and advocate for our community," continues James Miller, Executive Director of The LGBT Center of Raleigh. "As one of the few direct service organizations in the state serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, we take our job extremely seriously because in many cases, it really is LIFE OR DEATH for our community. We are grateful for the amazing reaction from the music world, helping to elevate awareness about equality and justice."

Rock to the Rescue is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by the band and spearheaded by Tommy Shaw's daughter, Hannah, whose mission is to build strong, healthy communities through the support of grassroots organizations across the country. They research local nonprofit organizations and pick one to see if they are interested in volunteering to help the band sell tickets for a drawing to win a signed STYX guitar at each of the shows. They give these organizations a percentage of the sales as their way of supporting their local cause and thanking them for supporting the band's cause. Rock To The Rescue was founded on the principle that our communities are stronger when we work together in mutual aid. Having played thousands of shows in the last 15 years, STYX has been strongly connected with communities across the country. With local fans and community members making an effort to join in support of STYX, it is important to the band to actively participate in these communities as well. What makes Rock to the Rescue unique is that they work on a grassroots level with small groups, giving real support to real individuals who are creating positive changes in their communities. Rock to the Rescue is building initiatives in the areas of music education, health and well-being, disaster relief and aid, and animal welfare and rescue.

Rock to the Rescue originally started in 2001 as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and is the brainchild of STYX singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw and REO Speedwagon singer/keyboardist/guitarist Kevin Cronin. The two musicians brought together bands and artists such as Bad Company, Journey, Survivor, Kansas, Lynyrd Skynyrd and many others to be part of "Volunteers For America" concert events in Dallas and Atlanta that ultimately raised over $775,000 for victims of 9/11, as well as the Port Authority police department in New York City.

In 2014, Rock To The Rescue raised $10,000 for the Philadelphia Fire Department Local #22 Widows Fund at the "Soundtrack of Summer" show (with Foreigner and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder) in Camden, NJ on July 3, as a thank you to the local fire department for cooling down STYX's burning crew bus the day before. And in 2013, Rock To The Rescue hosted a sold-out concert with STYX, REO Speedwagon, Ted Nugent, Survivor, Richard Marx and Larry The Cable Guy, in Bloomington, IL at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum that raised $450,000 for victims of the horrible storms in Illinois. Also in 2013, Rock To The Rescue presented the Boston One Fund with a check for $108,000 for victims of the Boston marathon bombings as a result of funds raised during the "The Midwest Rock 'N Roll Express" tour with STYX, REO Speedwagon and Ted Nugent.

On November 19, 2015, Rock To The Rescue donated $25,000 to The Sweet Stuff Foundation to help victims of the Paris terrorist attacks. In honor of the musicians and crew who lost their lives in the attack at The Bataclan music venue in Paris where Eagles of Death Metal were performing, from that date through December 31, 2015, Sweet Stuff dedicated all money received directly to the surviving families of those who passed away, including that of the band's merchandise manager, Nick Alexander. The Sweet Stuff Foundation was founded by Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, who is also a key recording member of Eagles of Death Metal.

For more information, visit www.styxworld.com or follow STYX on Facebook: www.facebook.com/styxtheband, Twitter: www.twitter.com/styxtheband, Instagram: www.instagram.com/STYXtheBand, and YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/styxtheband.

To post a comment, you must register and login.