March 6, 2002 — The four sold-out concerts in Southern California billed as the "Concerts For Artist Rights" brought in more than $2.7 million for the Recording Artists Coalition. Monies raised from the shows -- held February 26 on the eve of the Grammy Awards and featuring an array of diverse music artists who joined in solidarity -- will be used for the ongoing legal needs of the RAC to effectively represent themselves in matters that pertain to the creative and financial livelihood of musicians and future generations of recording artists.

Thousands of fans at the concerts experienced powerful sets, surprise guests and compelling duets.

At the Forum, THE EAGLES, BILLY JOEL, JOHN FOGERTY, STEVIE NICKS and SHERYL CROW comprised the heavyweight line-up. DON HENLEY dueted with NICKS -- who was introduced onstage by TOM HANKS -- on their classic collaboration "Leather and Lace." NICKS was also joined by TOM PETTY for their smash "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" and PETTY's "I Need To Know." In a unique case of musical interaction, NATALIE MAINES of the DIXIE CHICKS went onstage with SHERYL CROW for "Abilene" (a duet from Sheryl's forthcoming album) before both went across town where CROW joined the DIXIE CHICKS at their Universal Amphitheatre set on a cover of Bob Dylan's "Mississippi."

CROW, an active RAC member, told the Los Angeles Times, "It's a new frontier. We (musicians) are having to grow up and be adults and handle these things ourselves. It's not in the nature of artists to join groups and concentrate on issues or the business side of our work." As BILLY JOEL pointed out to the New York Times, "...I perceive the concerts as about artist empowerment."

NO DOUBT, THE OFFSPRING and WEEZER pumped up the Long Beach Arena crowd, with some members of THE OFFSPRING joining NO DOUBT onstage for a cover of Blondie's "Call Me." THE OFFSPRING's frontman BRIAN "DEXTER" HOLLAND told the Los Angeles Times: "The seven year clause is clearly discriminatory," referring to one of RAC's primary missions: to repeal California Labor Code Section 2855 subdivision B because it unfairly excludes recording artists from the same protection of law afforded all others (which limits personal service contracts to seven years).

Over at the Universal Amphitheatre, an amazing line-up of major country figures enlivened the audience. DIXIE CHICKS not only dueted with the aforementioned SHERYL CROW, but invited EARL SCRUGGS onstage for a spirited "Foggy Mountain Breakdown." Rounding out the bill were DWIGHT YOAKAM, TRISHA YEARWOOD, EMMYLOU HARRIS and PATTY GRIFFIN.

More musical fireworks went off at the Wiltern when BECK, MIKE NESS and EDDIE VEDDER all kicked the night off with a rendition of the classic "Monday Morning" and closed the show with a cover of the Rolling Stones' gem "Sweet Virginia." Other highlights included: RADIOHEAD's THOM YORKE singing with BECK on a cover of the Velvet Underground's "I'm Set Free"; VEDDER alternating vocals with NESS on the latter's "Ball and Chain," with musical accompaniment from PEARL JAM's MIKE MCCREADY; and BECK dueting with VEDDER on the Everly Brothers' "Sleepless Nights."