THE 2ND ANNUAL BENEFIT 2 CELEBRATE LIFE!

Date: 
Saturday, March 9, 2013

Bobby Z and the American Heart Association present...

The 2nd Annual Benefit 2 Celebrate Life! concert

March 9, 2013 at First Avenue in Minneapolis 
featuring Maya Rudolph, Questlove and more…

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. - Robert Rivkin, better known as Bobby Z the former drummer for Prince & The Revolution, and his organization, My Purple Heart, will again partner with the American Heart Association to host the “2nd Annual Benefit 2 Celebrate Life! Bobby Z & Friends” on Saturday, March 9, 2013, at 8:00pm at First Avenue in Minneapolis, to raise heart-health awareness on the second anniversary of Bobby’s near-fatal heart attack. This unique event will star "Princess" featuring Maya Rudolph (of SNL fame) and Gretchen Lieberum, followed by a celebrity-filled concert including Questlove (of The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon), André Cymone, Dez Dickerson, Dr. Fink, Alexander O’Neal, Stokley (of Mint Condition), Nicholas David (Minnesota contestant from 2012 season of The Voice) and more surprise celebrity guest artists.

“The American Heart Association has been so honored by the great friend, volunteer and partner we have in Bobby Z,” said Kim Friend, executive director of the American Heart Association’s Twin Cities office. “We appreciate his generosity and the spotlight that his voice and passion have brought to heart disease awareness—the country’s No. 1 killer.

Bobby Z, best known as a drummer for Prince & The Revolution—which was featured in the GRAMMY and Oscar-winning film Purple Rain—was in critical condition in after three blocked arteries caused a heart attack in February 2011. Doctors were able to open his blockages with three stents which has allowed Z to make a full recovery. “Life is completely different now,” Z said. “Every moment has a new appreciation. I am so honored and thrilled to be able to give back and hope that my story will help raise awareness and save lives. This will be an intimate and fun show with music and stories.” A portion of the proceeds will benefit Z's “My Purple Heart” organization and the American Heart Association for continued heart-health education. 

General Admission is $65 and VIP Admission is $150. VIP Admission includes entry into the VIP Party starting at 6:00pm with hors d’oeuvres, a commemorative photo, and a chance to meet and mingle with Bobby Z and some of the performers. Doors open at 6:00pm for VIP and 7:00pm for General Admission. Concert begins at 8:00pm.

For more information visit  www.heart.org/BenefitConcert or www.mypurpleheart.org

THE 2ND ANNUAL BENEFIT 2 CELEBRATE LIFE!
Performer: 

BOBBY Z & FRIENDS

BOBBY Z & FRIENDS

Robert B. Rivkin, better known by the stage name Bobby Z., is an American musician and record producer, most known as being a member of Prince's band from 1978–1986, and as a member of The Revolution.

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PRINCESS (Maya Rudolph & Gretchen Lieberum)

Theo Wargo / Getty Images / NBC

Don't worry. We won't hurt U. We only want U 2 have some fun. We are a Prince cover band. We are awesome. One thing's for certain. We know what we want. And that's to please you, baby.

In the 1980s, few musicians matched the consistent brilliance and staggering fame of Prince. The Purple One earned legions of young fans back then, including one doting girl in California named Maya Rudolph — the same Maya Rudolph who would find fame herself as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and co-star of the film Bridesmaids. Now, Rudolph is fulfilling a bit of a childhood fantasy. Together with her college friend Gretchen Lieberum, she's formed a Prince cover band called — what else? — Princess. The duo had its television debut recently on NBC's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, with a little help from the show's house band, The Roots.

Rudolph discovered Prince at an impressionable age: She was 9 when an older cousin visited her family with a copy of the 1980 album Dirty Mind in tow. "I remember dancing in socks, on the rug and on the bed. It was just the jammiest, funkiest, most exciting, interesting. ... I'd just never really heard that before," Rudoloph tells NPR's Guy Raz. "I fell in love with Prince when I saw Purple Rain, the movie. That's really what cracked it wide open." Lieberum says her first exposure was similar: "I remember hearing 'When Doves Cry' for the first time and being like, 'What was that?!' " she says. " 'I'm scared and excited.' "

Rudolph and Lieberum met at the University of California at Santa Cruz, and, realizing their shared obsession, hatched the idea for Princess there. But Rudolph says that once she joined SNL, she barely had time for her family, let alone side projects. "There were definitely years where it was just really hard to be a parent and to continue my lifelong dream of being on Saturday Night Live and living in New York," Rudolph says, noting that her schedule there essentially amounted to six and a half days a week. "The show ends on Sunday at 1 in the morning and you're a zombie. But I loved it. I was completely devoted. It's just hard to be completely devoted when you have an infant." Rudolph left SNL in 2007, but stayed in contact with friends at NBC — including a producer who would end up working on Fallon and ultimately put her in contact with The Roots' bandleader, ?uestlove. [All Things Considered 12/22/12]

?UESTLOVE

?UESTLOVE

Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born on January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove or ?uestlove, is an American drummer, DJ, music journalist and record producer. He is best known as the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought) for the Grammy Award-winning band The Roots, which is now the in-house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. He has produced for artists such as Common, D'Angelo, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Jay-Z, Nikka Costa and more recently, Al Green, Amy Winehouse and John Legend. He is a member of the production teams the Soulquarians, The Randy Watson Experience and The Grand Wizzards.

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ANDRÉ CYMONE

ANDRÉ CYMONE

"I guess it's a little unexpected for me to be finding my voice after all this time," says Andre Cymone. "But it feels great." The veteran singer / songwriter / producer / multi-instrumentalist seems as surprised as anyone by his current return to musical action, and the release of his first new recordings in over 25 years. But there's no mistaking the personal passion, effortless charisma and seamless craftsmanship that fuels his new music, as demonstrated by his riveting single "America."

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DEZ DICKERSON

DEZ DICKERSON

Dez Dickerson is a guitarist / singer who was a member of Prince's band, The Revolution.

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DR. FINK

DR. FINK

From Berlin dance floors to British airwaves to Grammy Award winning stages in the States, Matt "Dr." Fink's signature sound occupies an irresistible place in music history. Cunningly clad in surgical scrubs as Prince's award-winning keyboardist in The Revolution, this player-turned-producer modestly shrugs when asked if aware of the impact his music has had on the artists and producers of today.

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With over thirty R.I.A.A. Diamond, Platinum and Gold Awards, MTV, Grammy and American Music Awards for the albums Dirty Mind, Controversy, 1999, Purple Rain, Around The World In A Day, Parade and Sign O' The Times - not to mention appearances on releases by The Time, The Jets, Ashanti, Vanity 6, Mavis Staples, Lipps Inc. and more - it's no wonder the "Dr." is in on speed dial with the likes of Timbaland, Timberlake, The Neptunes as well as Diddy. In 2009, as evidenced by his appearance on Diddy's Making The Band series, the good "Dr." continues to make house calls. He travels the globe working with artists such as Danity Kane (Bad Boy Records), Making The Band's Seven Auralius as well as Ken Lewis protégés Man On Earth. Back home in Minneapolis, he owns and operates StarVu Studios - a playground for all things unique and the birthplace of cutting-edge pop songs by hit-making artists from all over the world.

ALEXANDER O'NEAL

ALEXANDER O'NEAL

Reputedly the best pure singer to come from the '80s soul era' releasing a 'string of memorable hits' that are STILL broadcast as 'radio requests' and played at literally thousands of events around the world including: 'Fake' – 'Criticize' - 'If you were here tonight' - 'Saturday love' - 'Never knew love like this' - 'Sunshine' - 'Secret Lovers' + many more. His album Hearsay sold nearly a million copies in the UK alone, and to this day he still holds the record as the only performer to 'sell out' for SIX consecutive nights at Londons Wembley Arena. This soul legend STILL has an undying passion to perform...

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STOKLEY (Mint Condition)

STOKLEY (Mint Condition)

Stokley Williams is best known as the lead singer of the band Mint Condition.

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NICHOLAS DAVID

A Frame Forward Photography

Alternative Soul music from the heart - for the heart. Nicholas David Mrozinski is a vibrant, dynamic, and multi-talented singer/songwriter/pianist from Saint Paul, MN. For more than a decade, Nicholas has been making music that has been connecting with people, all around the world, on a deeply human level. Nicholas (Nicholas David) was most recently a finalist, and a fan favorite, as a member of Team CeeLo on NBC's Season 3 of The Voice.

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Nicholas’ music is fully integrated, incorporating many schools of music and thought. His powerful voice, enriching lyrics, and liquid piano playing truly set him apart and are the reason Skope Magazine calls him “an authentic artist of this millennium.” His one-of-a-kind sound is passionate, captivating, intelligent, diverse, genuine, fresh, and he truly 'feels' it. It's no wonder why his thriving Twin Cities music scene affectionately refers to him as "the feelin".

Nicholas truly is one of a kind, and a must see. He gives himself over to the music. It's almost like he channels it from somewhere else. His hugely passionate fans often speak of his live shows as some sort of new church or spiritual alternative that they actually want to be a part of. And those words mean a lot from everyday folks who are not openly spiritual or the church going type. With 5 studio albums, national radio play, amazing reviews, many great charity & collaborative efforts under his belt (all prior to his amazing run on The Voice) Nicholas is now back in the studio working on album number 6, stronger and more inspired than ever.

Nicholas' original music is available on iTunes under the name ‘Nicholas Mrozinski’, at www.thefeelin.com, and in other fine stores.

Special Guests / Opening Acts: 
Venue: 

First Avenue

Location

First Avenue
701 First Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55403-1327
United States
Phone: 612-332-1775
44° 58' 43.3416" N, 93° 16' 33.762" W

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