FireAid, the massive benefit concert to help LA fire victims, came together quickly. Here’s how
FireAid, the massive benefit concert to help LA fire victims, came together quickly. Here’s how
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As the Los Angeles area continues its recovery from a series of debilitating wildfires, the benefit concert FireAid this week will raise millions for relief efforts. FireAid will take place in two Los Angeles venues and feature performers like Billie Eilish, Jelly Roll, Peso Pluma, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joni Mitchell, Sting and Anderson .Paak.
It all came together in a matter of days. Joel Gallen of Tenth Planet, who has produced many benefits, including “America: A Tribute to Heroes” after 9/11 and similar programs after Hurricane Katrina, Los Angeles Clippers executive Gillian Zucker and producers Irving and Shelli Azoff told The Associated Press exactly what it takes to make a show like this happen.
How FireAid came together. The fires began on Jan. 7, and by Jan. 10, the team behind FireAid — the Azoff family, in conjunction with Live Nation and AEG Presents — had announced a benefit concert for Jan. 30 at the Intuit Dome. It quickly grew in size, taking over the nearby Kia Forum as well.
Shelli Azoff was the catalyst. “When it became obvious that there was going to be a need, I think we were just trying to commiserate. ‘What can we do?’ And Shelli said we should do all we know how to do. We should do the show,” says Irving Azoff. “Gillian Zucker, the CEO of the Clippers organization and Shelli were on the phone a few minutes later. And here we are.”.
“Shelli Azoff reached out the morning of Jan. 9 about 48 hours after the fires started,” recalled Zucker. “They had already reached out to a few music artists in their circle about the idea of benefit concert and based on that positive response, wanted to know if Intuit Dome might be available.”.
