Seven Musicians Who Are Raising Money Right Now to Benefit Others

Many popular musicians are in a unique position to amplify support for important causes. When they rally around something, others follow suit, raising further awareness and fundraising efforts.

A lot has been going on in the world lately. Natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey have displaced thousands from their homes. Hate groups have made people feel unsafe just being themselves. Mental health has also become a growing issue in society today.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, recently wrote about some of the most memorable benefit concerts in recent history. Now, it’s time to look at current events happening over the next few days and months. Here are seven artists who are currently raising awareness and money for important causes.

1.       Green Day: On Tuesday, Green Day did an hour-long live stream on Facebook raising money for Americares, an organization that gives help to areas affected by natural disasters. So far, the band has raised more than $140,000 for the organization’s Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. People can still donate to the organization through the archived stream, which will remain up for the next week.

2.       Bun B: Houston rapper Bun B and Scooter Braun (manager  to Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande)  have teamed up to create the ‘Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Harvey Relief’ telethon. Airing September 12 on CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox, the telethon will feature appearances from musicians Blake Shelton, Barbra Streisand, George Strait and Houston, Texas native, Beyonce. Organizations that will receive money from the telethon include the United Way of Greater Houston, Habitat for Humanity, Save the Children, Direct Relief, Feeding Texas and the Mayor’s Fund for Hurricane Harvey Relief.

3.       Beyoncé: Aside from her appearance in the telethon, Beyonce has already raised a lot of money for Houston. Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, the singer has been working with Bread of Life and the Greater Houston Community Foundation to help with relief efforts. Donations to her organization can be made through her website.

4.       Solange: Like her sister Beyonce, Solange is also spearheading an effort to raise money for relief in Houston. The singer has announced a benefit show in Boston for September 28 with support from Sun Ra Arkestra.

5.       Dave Matthews Band: Following the riots in Charlottesville, Virginia, Dave Matthews has organized a free concert for the city’s citizens. The star-studded event will take place on September 24 at Scott Stadium at the University of Virginia and feature performances from Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande, Pharrell Williams, Chris Stapleton, The Roots, Cage The Elephant, Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes and more. Donations made by concert goers will go to the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation to help families affected by events of August 11 and 12.

6.        Metallica: Over the last few years, more and more people have been fighting for better mental health awareness, and in particular suicide prevention. The music world has already been rocked twice this year from the deaths of Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington. With World Suicide Prevention Day occurring this Sunday, a massive radio campaign, titled “I’m Listening,” is being organized by Entercom to “break the stigma attached to discussing mental health.” Artists involved in the campaign are Metallica, Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic, Bleachers’ Jack Antonoff, Disturbed’s David Draiman, Logic, Halsey and more. The campaign includes a two-hour special airing on Sunday.

7.       Chance the Rapper: Chance the Rapper’s generosity shows that there does not need to be a national event for someone to want to affect change. The rapper has been showing himself to be a proponent of the public school system over the last few months and has now donated more than two million dollars for the Chicago Public Schools’ art programs through SocialWorks. Chance the Rapper has also announced that he will be organizing a new event, the Twilight Awards, which will recognize “teachers, parents, principals and students that convey leadership.”

Whether it’s raising money for those who no longer have homes because of the hurricane, giving back to those effected by hate, helping those who may be suffering in their personal lives or making sure all kids have a decent education, these artists are using their fan bases right now to help others who need it. When musicians use their popularity for good, more good can happen in the world.

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Support artists who support helping others by finding music from these artists and more at Vinyl Bay 777. As Long Island’s top new independent record shop, we have thousands of titles to choose from in an array of genres. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more. Drop by our Plainview location or shop online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.