Inside the City of Hope Gala: Stevie Nicks, Jackson Browne & More Honor Primary Wave’s Larry Mestel
Categoria: Musica
Nicks concluded the Spirit of Life gala with an acoustic rendition of "Landslide" and remarks about why "City of Hope has meant so much to me."
Por Billboard | 28/10/2026
On Tuesday (Oct. 27), City of Hope hosted its annual Spirit of Life gala at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. This year, the organization honored Primary Wave founder/CEO Larry Mestel , who spoke passionately about his support of the organization, even calling Dr. Leo Wang, one of the doctors working with City of Hope, as “the real rock star tonight,” before adding, in a self-deprecating tone: “He cures cancer in children, and I buy music catalogs,” which got a laugh from the crowd. It also featured performances by Melissa Etheridge — a breast cancer survivor herself — along with Jackson Browne and Stevie Nicks , all of whom have professional ties to Mestel and Primary Wave. There was also a virtual performance by Pete Townshend from his home, as he could not attend that night due to a medical reason. Related City of Hope to Auction Items From Bob Dylan & More as Part of Spirit of Life Gala Honoring Larry Mestel Kenny MacPherson, Veteran Music Publisher and Big Deal Music Co-Founder, Dies at 71 Diddy Moved From New Jersey Prison to Similar Facility in Pennsylvania “For a long time, when my team asked me what I wanted my legacy to be, I had an answer,” Mestel explained in his acceptance speech. “I wanted to build a respected and large independent music company, but when I got involved in City of Hope, I realized I was wrong. I still want to build that music company — but I want our company to have a philanthropic impact. I don’t want my kids to look back someday and simply say, ‘Our dad worked hard. He left a great business behind.’ I want them to say: ‘Our dad built something meaningful, but more importantly, he was a good person and made a positive impact while doing it.’ And that brings me to why tonight means so much to me.” Mestel paused, overcome by emotion before continuing: “Last year, I lost my sister to breast cancer and three months ago my uncle to Lymphoma. Losing them changed me a bit…it made cancer personal.” He added: “I don’t look at this award simply as an honor. I look at it as a call to action. We can be better. We all have to be better.” At another point in the night, Universal Music Publishing Group president of North America Evan Lamberg , who serves as chairman of the board for City of Hope’s music, film & entertainment industries division, acknowledged Mestel’s tribute to his sister and uncle, saying, “Your sister Marcy and Uncle Herve are looking down on you and smiling tonight.” Founded in 1913, City of Hope is one of the United States’ biggest cancer research and treatment facilities. Its Spirit of Life event is always well attended by the music industry, and it has become a tradition for the gala to select one entertainment executive each year for their support of the organization. This year, Spirit of Hope aimed to raise $10 million. Proceeds from the e