The Roots, Talib Kweli, Living Colour, and more will pay tribute to Prince for an annual benefit concert at Carnegie Hall on March 7, the New York Times reports.
For the ninth edition of the yearly series, which has previously raised more than $700,000 to support music education for underpriveleged children, selections from Prince’s song catalog will be covered and reinterpreted by more than 20 artists, including also Madeleine Peyroux, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Booker T., DeVotchka, and Mike Scott of the Waterboys.
“Prince is one of the most prolific songwriters in my collection,” event organizer Michael Dorf said in a statement. “And he makes my Top 10 when I think about the artists who have truly shaped modern music.”
The upcoming Purple Rainstorm will benefit several organizations, such as the Church Street School for Music & Art, Young Audiences New York, Little Kids Rock, and the American Symphony Orchestra‘s Music Notes program. Past installments of this showcase have honored the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan, among others. Tickets range from $48 for a side balcony seat to $10,000 for a VIP package that comes with a backstage pass, a chance to join the performers onstage during the encore, and access to the after party at City Winery, the concert venue-cum-wine cellar founded by Dorf.
No word yet on whether Prince will help his disciples funk through a few tunes, like in 2009 when then-honorees R.E.M. teamed up with Patti Smith, but the former Revolution leader is already more supportive of this tribute than the nixed Le Petit Prince project. Just remember, audience members: Prince takes the whole “no cell phone” thing really seriously.
