Gibson / Baldwin "Night at the Net" Charity Event

Press release
Source: Rogers & Cowan

The July 25, 2005, charity event sponsored by Gibson Guitar and Baldwin Piano in conjunction with the 79th Annual Mercedes-Benz Cup Tennis Tournament to feature tennis pros Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, the Bryan brothers, and Pam Shriver; and, celebrities Jon Lovitz, Gavin Rossdale, Dr. Phil, Randy Jackson, Steve Harvey, Kool & The Gang, Angie Stone, and Kem.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 23, 2005) - For the fourth consecutive year, Gibson Guitar and Baldwin Piano are the title sponsors of the Gibson/Baldwin Night at the Net, an annual pro-celebrity tennis event that opens the prestigious 79th Annual Mercedes-Benz Cup tennis tournament, presented by Countrywide, at UCLA. Proceeds from the event will benefit the MusiCares(r) Foundation, a charitable affiliate of The Recording Academy(r), which focuses on health and human services for the music community. Fifty-nine ATP career singles titles winner Andre Agassi, No. 8 ranked Andy Roddick, No. 5 ranked ATP doubles champs The Bryan Bros., and tennis great Pam Shriver (joining in as chair umpire) will be part of this high-profile, star-studded event that will take place on Monday, July 25, in Straus Stadium at the Los Angeles Tennis Center at UCLA. Actor/comedian Jon Lovitz, musician/actor Gavin Rossdale, and talk show host Dr. Phil will be picking up their tennis rackets to battle it out on the court with the tennis pros. Musician/"American Idol" judge Randy Jackson will serve as host and actor/comedian Steve Harvey will be a line judge. R&B/funk collective Kool & The Gang, R&B/neo-soul artist Angie Stone, and jazz/R&B artist KEM will perform, with other celebrities and musical performances to be announced shortly.

"The Gibson/Baldwin Night at the Net pro-celebrity tennis match is an exciting evening where sports, comic relief, and music intersect to benefit the health and human services work of our MusiCares Foundation," said Neil Portnow, President of The Recording Academy and MusiCares. "We are especially thankful for the continued support and contributions from our good friends at Gibson/Baldwin, Mercedes-Benz, and the Southern California Tennis Association."

"We are proud once again to sponsor the Gibson/Baldwin Night at the Net event to benefit the MusiCares Foundation," said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. "As part of the music community, Gibson Guitar is always dedicated to helping enrich the lives of others through programs like this one, and we are happy to partner with Mercedes-Benz and MusiCares on such a worthwhile and entertaining event."

"The Mercedes-Benz Cup, presented by Countrywide, is again delighted to collaborate with Gibson/Baldwin and MusiCares to help raise funds for their worthwhile charitable causes," said Bob Kramer, Mercedes-Benz Cup Tournament Director. "The Southern California Tennis Association and UCLA are extremely proud to be involved with such wonderful organizations - and to provide another tremendous entertainment gala to help kick off the 79th Annual Mercedes-Benz Cup tennis fund-raiser at UCLA."

"It's heartwarming to see artists and athletes contributing their time and talents to benefit MusiCares' Emergency Financial Assistance program, which provides confidential help to those in our music community who need help the most," said Les Bider, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MusiCares. "We are grateful to all of the participants for their dedication and commitment to helping those in need."

Past celebrity players and performers have included Tom Arnold, Boris Becker, Clint Black, Michael Chang, Billy Crystal, Kelsey Grammer, Lleyton Hewitt, Dustin Hoffman, Greg Kinnear, John McEnroe, Dr. Phil McGraw, Dennis Miller, Matthew Perry, Pete Sampras, David Spade, Robin Williams, Wilson Phillips, and Shelly Wright.

In 2002 Gibson/Baldwin joined on as the title sponsor. Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins and banjos. Gibson's digital guitar represents the biggest advance in electric guitar design in over 70 years. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, Mich., and headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.'s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Valley Arts, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Slingerland, Maestro, Baldwin, Hamilton and Wurlitzer. For more information on Gibson Guitar, go to www.gibson.com.

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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Media R.S.V.P. for Gibson/Baldwin Night at the Net:
Heather Lewandoski
Rogers & Cowan
310.854.8147

Tickets for Gibson/Baldwin Night at the Net:
For VIP, Box and/or Preferred Seating:
Dana Tomarken
MusiCares
310.392.3777

MEDIA CONTACTS:

The Recording Academy: Barb Dehgan, 310.392.3777
Gibson/Baldwin: Maureen O'Connor/Eileen Thompson, Rogers & Cowan, 310.854.8816/37