Rock icons to honour Hall Of Fame newcomers Deep Purple and Cheap Trick

Geezer Butler
Geezer Butler (Image credit: Getty)

Geezer Butler, Corey Taylor and many other acts will perform at a benefit concert to celebrate Deep Purple and Cheap Trick’s enrolment into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

The Adopt The Arts benefit at Hollywood’s Fonda Theatre on May 12 will also showcase performances from former Guns N’ Roses members Matt Sorum and Gilby Clarke, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, The Cult’s Billy Duffy, Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones and Hole’s Courtney Love.

The event will raise funds to promote arts education in US public schools.

Deep Purple and Cheap Trick will be inducted into the 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on April 8 (Friday).

Concert host and former GNR drummer Matt Sorum says: “This isn’t just about your kid who may or may not be in public school – this is about our community. A lot of entertainers and wealthy people in the entertainment industry don’t know what is happening in America’s public schools.

“Adopt The Arts is shedding light on the reality of public education and providing an opportunity for people to invest in their community.”

Tickets cost $40 for general admission and up to $4500 for a meet-and-greet and VIP table. They can be purchased via the event website.

Meanwhile, Deep Purple have been embroiled in a row after original band members were excluded from performing at the awards ceremony – leaving Ritchie Blackmore planning to skip it altogether.

The band are back in the studio recording the follow-up to 2013’s Now What.

Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.