CAUSE Concerts

We read an interesting article on MSN regarding Cause Concerts. We have provided an excerpt for you to read, click the link below to read the entire article: http://liveearth.msn.com/green/historyconcerts

By Alan LightSpecial to MSN

It's easy to be cynical about stadium-sized benefit concerts. In fact, at this point in pop history, it's probably reasonable to be skeptical, wary or dismissive, because there have been so many all-star charity events and we still haven't actually fed the world or saved the rainforest.

But there remains some mysterious power that these shows have over our imagination. Maybe it's the sheer ability to harness so many egos and leverage so many record sales — regardless of the cause or the reason — that makes it impossible to look away. And in the end, massive benefits still raise massive amounts of cash, no matter how familiar the process becomes.
All of these issues surfaced again with the announcement of the Live Earth shows, to be held across the globe on July 7. This time, of course, environmental awareness is the catalyst for performances by the likes of the Police, Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beastie Boys, Dave Matthews and Bon Jovi.

But, what lessons can be learned from the predecessors of Live Earth — the parade of rock extravaganzas that have sought to change the world during the past few decades?

BONO : Live EARTH
As we focus on the Live Earth effort to bring together artists and activists around the world, here's a look at some other celebrities who are using their fame and fortune in the service of a range of social missions.

BONO: (as seen with former President Bill Clinton): The year after Irish rock band U2 appeared at Live Aid, lead singer Bono told Rolling Stone that his motivation to become involved with social and political causes began when he attended "The Secret Policeman's Ball," one of the 1979 benefit events produced for Amnesty International by Monty Python's John Cleese and producer Martin Lewis. U2's catalog has long incorporated songs with powerful political and social themes, but Bono himself has carried his mission much further. Since 1999 he has focused on aid for Africa through a campaign for Third World debt relief, tabling any personal political preferences to reach out to world leaders from every point on the ideological compass. Honored as Time magazine's "Person of the Year" for 2005 (shared with Bill and Melinda Gates), Bono is harnessing celebrity power and retail marketing through the highly visible Product (RED) initiative.