On May 9, 2008, the Grammy Foundation and the MusiCares MAP Fund hosted a dinner and concert to celebrate world-renowned rock stars Alice Cooper and Slash and their committment to overcoming addiction and recognizing their accomplishments with the foundation.
Rock stars like Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains, as well as Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum from Velvet Revolver were there to support their friends and their accomplishments in sobriety as well as helping other addicts overcome addiction.
The Aerosmith frontman presented Alice Cooper with the Stevie Ray Vaughn Award, and later he and Slash, who recevied the MusiCares From the Heart award, performed with Camp Freddy, the supergroup composed of Chris Chaney, Billy Morrison, Matt Sorum and Donovan Leitch, leaving the lucky audience cheering at their feet at a once in a lifetime collaboration between legends.
The MusiCares MAP Fund provides assistance to members of the music community who struggle with drug and alcohol addiction and helps to provide treatment to those who cannot afford it. MusiCares' work includes a broad range of services, including financial and medical, in order to positively and directly impact the well-being of members of the music community.
Such a collection of distinguished and preeminent musicians supporting addiction recovery and treatment for their fellow artists serves as an example of the importance of giving back to the community and sends a strong message to both fans and aspiring musicians that drugs and alcohol are not synonymous with the rock and roll spirit. To the contrary, it begs the question if such a phenomenal joining of musical forces would even be possible if each of those men had not accepted the gift of sobriety.
For more information about the MusiCares MAP Fund visit http://www.grammy.com/Musicares/.
