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.
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“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 evening will go to City of Hope’s work in CAR T cell therapy and other cellular immunotherapies designed to harness the body’s immune system to fight cancer with greater precision and effectiveness.
City of Hope is recognized in the medical field as a leader in cellular therapy and is considered one of the nation’s largest outpatient CAR T cell therapy programs. A share of the proceeds from the gala will also support City of Hope’s advanced breast cancer research and care initiatives.
Along with honoring Mestel for his commitment to City of Hope, the event also featured a fundraiser allowing attendees to pledge anywhere from $1,000 to $100,000. Members of the Primary Wave staff also matched some donations to further the goal. For those not in attendance, Fandiem Relic and Primary Wave provided materials for the “More Than Words” auction, which allows anyone to bid on rare items like handwritten lyrics from Sting, Natasha Bedingfield and Little Big Town. There will also be more musical memorabilia available through Julien’s Auctions, including pieces associated with Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Itzhak Perlman and Guns N’ Roses.
Nicks delivered a touching tribute to end the night when she performed her hit “Landslide” accompanied by an acoustic guitarist. She also spoke about her own connection to City of Hope and how it changed the lives of four cancer survivors she knows personally: her “best friend Robin,” a vocalist she works with, “an amazing producer” and “my brother.” “The City of Hope has meant so much to me because those four people I know who went through there loved it so much,” she said.
