Putting a twist on its annual gala to benefit City of Hope, the organizers behind Songs of Hope — which include co-chairs Doug Davis (The Davis Firm), Evan Lamberg (president, North America/Universal Music Publishing Group), David Renzer and Steve Schnur (worldwide executive and president, Music for Electronic Arts) — brought together fundraising’s dynamic duo, the father-daughter team of Richard and Demi Weitz, whose RWQuarantunes became a pandemic phenomenon, with the music industry’s charity of choice. The virtual event held on Sept. 30 raised $780,000 to support City of Hope’s mission to eliminate cancer and diabetes.
In addition to virtual performances by Duran Duran, Jac Ross and Rob Thomas, and appearances by Jimmy Jam, Benny Blanco, Aloe Blacc, The-Dream, Carole Bayer Sager, Diane Warren, Jennifer Holliday, Desmond Child, Todd Phillips and Deborah Cox, the program honored Brandi Carlile, Smokey Robinson, Clive Davis, Gracie Abrams and Blake Slatkin, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Daniel Nigro, Pop Smoke, and Loretta Erhunmwunsee, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Thoracic Surgery at City of Hope.
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