THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 21, 1995 TAG: 9502210322
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SCOTT HARPER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
Bruce Hornsby, the Grammy-winning musician from Williamsburg, will perform a benefit concert this spring in Norfolk for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, organizers announced Monday.
The singer-songwriter also will play two days earlier in Richmond for another of his favored charities, the Virginia Special Olympics.
Reached at his Williamsburg home Monday, Hornsby joked that he hasn't ``done a gig all year where I made any money,'' noting two other recent benefits - one for Gloria Steinem's Voters for Choice group, and another with Willie Nelson in Texas for public broadcasting.
``But I'm not too busy to help out these other folks around here, who I've worked with before,'' Hornsby said. ``I respect what they do. I'm on their side. So I'm looking forward to this.''
The events are expected to generate more than $100,000.
At both shows, Hornsby will play solo - rare performances that have even the artist a little nervous. ``It's a challenge, musically,'' he said. ``To do it right, it's a real test.''
An avid environmentalist, Hornsby has donated royalties from the sale of a single titled ``Look Out Any Window'' to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The song is about the plight of watermen and the decline of fisheries in the Bay.
Jeniffer Maloney, a spokeswoman for the foundation in Richmond, said she and others have been trying for years to persuade Hornsby to play a benefit.
The foundation is especially pleased with his decision, she said, because the concert will be held just after the 25th anniversary of Earth Day this April.
``We were looking for something to focus our efforts on and get people involved, so this couldn't be better for us,'' she said.
Hornsby also is a member of an honorary advisory board to the Virginia Special Olympics and has volunteered for the winter and state games that the organization holds each year for handicapped children.
Tickets for both shows - scheduled for May 4 at Richmond's Carpenter Center and May 6 at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk - should go on sale March 4 through TicketMaster, according to organizers. ILLUSTRATION: Bruce Hornsby
by CNB