AC/DC Singer Gives Pediatric Patients the Rock Star Treatment
SARASOTA – The new Brian Johnson Music Therapy Room in the pediatrics department at
Sarasota Memorial Hospital is being dedicated on Monday, Dec. 22, 2008. The musical equipment,
memorabilia and room enhancements were donated to Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Inc.
by the John Entwistle Foundation (JEF), which is named for the late bassist of The Who.
A press conference and panel discussion will be held at 1:00 p.m. in the auditorium on the first
floor of the hospital. Brian Johnson, along with drummer Steve Luongo, formerly of the John Entwistle
Band, and currently the head of the John Entwistle Foundation, will be at the press conference to answer
questions and explain the importance of this project. SMH President and CEO Gwen MacKenzie,
Healthcare Foundation President, CEO and Trustee Alex Quarles, and Jennifer Mayer, M.D., Medical
Director, All Children’s at Sarasota Memorial Hospital will also join the panel. At 2:00 p.m., the ribboncutting
will take place at the room located on the 5th floor in the pediatric department.
The primary mission of the John Entwistle Foundation is to provide free music education and
instruments to underserved children. This year the foundation has expanded its mission by including
children’s hospitals for the delivery of music and its therapeutic benefits. The room has been named in
honor of Brian Johnson, lead singer of AC/DC. In 2007 Johnson and AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams
joined forces with Luongo and guitarist Mark Hitt to record new material and tour to support the
foundation. The Cliff Williams room is located at The Children’s Cancer Hospital in Ft. Myers, FL.
John Entwistle rose to stardom during the “British Invasion” of the 1960s with the UK rock group,
The Who, and later formed the John Entwistle Band. During his life, he used his celebrity to help raise
millions of dollars to help others less fortunate. He especially enjoyed sharing his love of music with
younger musicians. John Entwistle died of a heart attack on June 27, 2002, the night before starting a world
tour with The Who. This music room will help his legacy live on.
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1515 S. OSPREY AVE., STE. B-4, SARASOTA, FL 34239-2918
TELEPHONE (941) 917-1286 FACSIMILE (941) 917-2270 WWW.SMHF.ORG
JOHN ENTWISTLE FOUNDATION (239) 482-6880 WWW.JOHNENTWISTLE.ORG
PO BOX 07135 FORT MYERS, FL 33919
Date Published: December 9, 2008
Media Contact: Kaye Chase / Alex Quarles
Phone: (941) 917-1286 |
