Gun violence: Artists like Billie Eilish, Sheryl Crow to protest with live events

Los Angeles: With a common aim to end cases of gun violence in the US, musicians like Billie Eilish, Peter Gabriel, and Sheryl Crow have decided to stage protests through a series of live events.

According to reports, alongside these artists, Nile Rodgers, Bootsy Collins, Sofi Tukker, Rufus Wainwright, Bush, and many others have joined a coalition of musicians called Artist for Action to Prevent Gun Violence (AAPGV).

The organisation is a union of like-minded musicians that is designed to inspire people to volunteer, donate and vote to end the epidemic of gun violence plaguing the country for a long time, which has recently even seen an upscale trend leading to shootouts in malls, shops, and schools.

“As a community of Artists, we need to band together to make common sense change,” said Billie Eilish.

“This needs to stop,” said Peter Gabriel. “So many needless deaths. So much suffering. It just needs a little common sense.”

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

Presented by AFA (Artist For Artist), the first concert is designed to raise awareness, as well as to pay tribute to those killed in the shootout at the elementary school.

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

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

Directed by Rick Korn and executive produced by Sheryl Crow, the film is the story of Barden, a professional musician whose life changed instantly when his son Daniel was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary. The film will be released this December with another concert that will be part of the Artist For Action series.

With inputs from IANS