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U2 The Edge - Guitar Icons Auction to Benefit Music Rising



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"We're very excited about the positive impact that this can have," The Edge, 60, tells PEOPLE of the upcoming Guitar Icons: A Musical Instrument Auction to Benefit Music Rising, which will take place on Dec. 11 starting at 10 a.m. PT.

The Irish rocker ( David Evans) and Ezrin founded Music Rising together in 2005 after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the New Orleans area,
destroying local musicians' precious instruments and putting thousands out of work.

He explains that the financial impact for self-employed musicians is "pretty intense" and that there are few programs designed to help them, which is why Music Rising has dedicated itself to providing aid to musicians and music students both in the Gulf Region and across the United States.



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U2's The Edge Launches Guitar Icons Auction to Benefit Music Rising: 'We're Very Excited'

The auction will benefit Music Rising, an organization started by The Edge and music producer Bob Ezrin to help out self-employed musicians and music students in New Orleans

RACHEL DESANTIS 

December 07, 2021 11:00 AM



If you've ever dreamed of rocking out like U2 or strumming the same guitar strings Paul McCartney once played, you're in luck.

Thanks to a charity auction organized by The Edge and legendary music producer Bob Ezrin, the co-founders of the organization Music Rising, dozens of instruments played by the likes of The Edge, Bono, McCartney, Elton John and more are all up for sale — for a good cause.

"We're very excited about the positive impact that this can have," The Edge, 60, tells PEOPLE of the upcoming Guitar Icons: A Musical Instrument Auction to Benefit Music Rising, which will take place on Dec. 11 starting at 10 a.m. PT.

The Irish rocker (né David Evans) and Ezrin founded Music Rising together in 2005 after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the New Orleans area, destroying local musicians' precious instruments and putting thousands out of work.

He explains that the financial impact for self-employed musicians is "pretty intense" and that there are few programs designed to help them, which is why Music Rising has dedicated itself to providing aid to musicians and music students both in the Gulf Region and across the United States.



The Edge Louis van Baar

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The struggle for self-employed musicians was only worsened by the COVID pandemic, and many were left "very vulnerable," having to survive week-to-week on an average income of $26,000, he says. With that in mind, he and Ezrin developed plans for the auction more than a year ago, "when the worst of the pandemic had really become obvious to us."

"We've very excited about the prospect of raising a lot of money, which would go to help these musicians to get back to work," he says. "Replace maybe the equipment they've had to sell to put food on the table, to encourage them to not change their occupations, which I'm sure would be a possible way out for them."

The auction will take place at Van Eaton Galleries in Sherman Oaks, California starting at 10 a.m. PT on Dec. 11, and will also stream live via various auction platforms all available here.

Some of the many instruments for sale include The Edge's 2005 limited edition Gibson Les Paul Music Rising guitar, Paul McCartney's tour and studio-played left-handed "Wings" Yamaha BB-1200 electric bass guitar, Bono's custom Gibson ES-175 electric guitar, and Elton John's signed and concert-played Yamaha Motif-8 keyboard.
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