Billie Eilish, Peter Gabriel and more unite against gun violence

Billie Eilish, Peter Gabriel, Sheryl Crow, Nile Rodgers, Bootsy Collins, Sofi Tukker, Rufus Wainwright, Bush and many more have joined a coalition of musicians called Artist for Action to Prevent Gun Violence to inspire people to volunteer, to donate and vote to end the epidemic of gun violence sweeping the United States.

The organization will kick off with a series of live events, including a performance by Bush and special guests at New York’s Irving Plaza on September 22nd.

Led by musician Mark Barden, whose son was one of the 26 people murdered in the 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, the organization also includes the Pixies, LP, Old Crow Medicine Show, Halestorm, Rozzi, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Karen Fairchild of Little Big City and More.

The first concert will be presented by AFA (Artist For Artist) and is intended to raise awareness for Artist For Action To Prevent Gun Violence and the Sandy Hook Promise, a non-profit organization founded and directed by several family members whose loved ones are at Sandy Hook Elementary were killed school.

Tickets are currently on sale and available from Ticketmaster.com.

“After my son Daniel was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I put my career as a professional guitarist on hold to pursue gun violence prevention,” Barden said. “Please join me and hundreds of other artists, musicians, actors, athletes and people like you in finally ending this senseless violence.”

“This has to stop,” said Peter Gabriel. “So many unnecessary deaths. so much suffering It just takes a little common sense.”

Billie Eilish said, “As an artist community, we need to come together to make a change in common sense.”

The concert will be the first of a series of national events in New York City, which will include a December concert celebrating the release of the film that led directly to the formation of Artist for Action to Prevent Gun Violence: A Father’s Promise, as and a next summer at Central Park SummerStage around Gun Violence Awareness Month.

Directed by Rick Korn and executive producer Sheryl Crow, the film is about Barden, a professional musician whose life was changed when his son Daniel was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary. He co-founded the Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending school shootings and gun violence by identifying the warning signs of violence and showing how to get help. The film will be released in December this year with another concert as part of the Artist For Action series.

“As a father, I’m appalled by gun violence in America, and as a musician, I’m fortunate to speak out,” said Bush’s Gavin Rossdale. “This is a human rights crisis that has spiraled out of control. In 2023, there were more than 400 mass shootings across the US — from stores to soccer games to parades to schools. Every human being, especially children, deserves the right to be safe and to feel safe.”

According to the Gun Violence Archive, 2023 will likely be the deadliest year of gun violence on record, as the US now averages more than one mass shooting per day. Artist for Action’s mission is to prevent gun violence by forming a coalition of musicians to take action and help contain and eliminate the gun violence epidemic in America. The platform available here makes it easy for artists to engage fans, get involved with gun violence prevention and other life-enriching grassroots organizations in their communities, and take direct action.