ANNOUNCING “All The WOO In The World” A star-studded benefit concert to celebrate the life of legendary P-Funk pioneer Bernie Worrell in NYC on April 4, 2016

All The WOO In The World is being produced by The Black Rock Coalition and will feature confirmed appearances by Bootsy Collins and filmmaker Jonathan Demme with performances by George Clinton, Living Colour, Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads, Nona Hendryx, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Meryl Streep, Rick Springfield, Bill Laswell with The Last Poets (Abiodun Oyewole, Umar Bin Hassan, Babatunde & special guests), Paul Shaffer and the World’s Most Dangerous Band, Fred Schneider of the B-52’s, and the Black Rock Coalition Orchestra. The festivities will take place on April 4, 2016 at Webster Hall in New York City.

The goal is to raise funds for Worrell’s health and living expenses as he fights Stage 4 lung cancer and prostate and liver cancer. The effort is led by Nona Hendryx (founding member of Labelle and R&B Hall of Fame inductee), the Black Rock Coalition (a 30-year nonprofit arts support organization for which Worrell serves on the Board of Directors), and Sweet Relief (a medical-expense organization dedicated to veteran artists in need).

All The WOO In The World will honor Worrell’s contributions as one of the most influential keyboardists in modern popular culture while simultaneously raising supplemental funds to cover costs created by his illness. “Just about everything that you hear from keyboardists today has Bernie’s DNA on it. Everything. This musical thank you is long overdue and should finally put Bernie Worrell’s musical legacy where it belongs—in the stratosphere with the other all-time greats. As far as I'm concerned, Bernie Worrell is on par with Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Mozart and Beethoven,” says Earl Douglas, Executive Director of the New York Chapter of the Black Rock Coalition.

This sentiment is shared by Nona Hendryx, whose years on the road as an outspoken, politically-aware artist during the Civil Rights Movement and whose work with Artists Against Apartheid, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, and the BRC have shown her the power of community. "I didn't want the words of praise and appreciation for my friend 'Ba-nard' to be shared by his peers during a memorial, when he couldn't hear or feel them. My desire and intention is to celebrate Bernie and help him financially,” says Hendryx.

Bernie Worrell was born April 19, 1944 in Long Branch, New Jersey. A musical prodigy, he began formal piano lessons by age three and wrote a concerto at age eight. Worrell then went on to study at Juilliard and the New England Conservatory of Music. As a keyboardist and composer, he is best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic—co-writing some of their biggest hits including “Flashlight,” “Up For The Downstroke,” and “Mothership Connection” among others. In addition to his prolific solo career, Worrell became an in-demand live and studio musician, working with such esteemed artists as Talking Heads, Jonathan Demme, Bill Laswell, Keith Richards, the Pretenders, Jack Bruce, The CBS Orchestra with Paul Shaffer, Deee-Lite and Bootsy's New Rubber Band.

Worrell has also been among the most-sampled musicians ever—with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Digital Underground, De La Soul, DMX and countless others having acknowledged his timeless grooves by building tunes around his signature riffs. In 1997, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.

His impact is evident in the fact that so many high-caliber artists have agreed to drop everything to be there with and for Bernie to help raise money for his fight against cancer. Perhaps it’s because Bernie himself has always had a selfless stance toward creating music, “I don’t like the whole spotlight. I like to play with people because it’s about sharing and listening and creating that way. We play off each other. It’s not just all about me. That’s what makes it so beautiful.”

In true WOO community spirit, the events will feature one-of-a-kind collaborations, special performances, rare appearances, and a whole lot of the amazing music that Worrell has created, touched, or inspired in his 50+ year career. The mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, will also give a proclamation to Worrell in recognition of his contributions as a shining son of New Jersey.

Artists will be donating their time so all proceeds will go directly towards Worrell’s care.

‘All The WOO In The World: A Celebration of Bernie Worrell’ will be at New York’s Webster Hall, on Monday, April 4th, 2016, with appearances expected by Bootsy Collins and Jonathan Demme with performances by George Clinton, Rick Springfield, Meryl Streep, Bill Laswell, Paul Shaffer and The World’s Most Dangerous Band, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, and more guests to be announced. Webster Hall is at 125 East 11th Street in New York City. Doors are at 6PM, VIP Meet & Greet is at 7PM, and show time is at 8PM; general admission tickets are $50 in advance and $60 day of show; VIP tickets are $100 and include a meet & greet, funktastic gift bag, and special seating. Info: (212) 353-1600;
www.websterhall.com.
Artists are subject to change.

For more information, please contact the following:
Black Rock Coalition President, LaRonda Davis: ldavis@blackrockcoalition.org
Black Rock Coalition Director Of Operations-NY, Darrell McNeill: dmcneill@blackrockcoalition.org
Details and updates available at www.blackrockcoalition.org.