PRESS RELEASE July 24, 2012

Benefit Reception at Madison's Overture Center August 20th

Madison -- Legendary singer Bonnie Raitt and her special guest, civil rights icon Mavis Staples, will be performing live at Madison's Overture Center at 7:30 p.m. on August 20, 2012. Raitt has chosen the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) as the beneficiary of premium tickets combined with a special "meet and greet" reception backstage following her show.

Preferred Gold Circle seating tickets for the concert and the backstage reception costs $250 (reduced!) and are on sale only at www.GuacFund.org [3]. Say hello to Bonnie, take a picture, have dessert and coffee! Tickets for this special evening are partially tax-deductible.

Raitt, a nine-time Grammy winner and an inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is back on the road again after a two-year break premiering her new album "Slipstream." Her new album has been called "one of the best of her 40-year career" by American Songwriter Magazine. Her musical career has explored blues, folk, country, and rock. Some of her most well-known songs include "I Can't Make You Love Me," "Nick of Time," and "Something to Talk About."

Beyond her music, Bonnie is also known for her lifelong commitment to social justice. Some of her first performances in the 1970s were at rallies for women's, environmental, and anti-war efforts. She has also been a leading voice against the dangers of nukes and has urged Congress not to pass new loan guarantees that subsidize the nuclear industry. In the 1980s, she co-founded the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, which advocates to help rhythm and blues pioneers get fair compensation for their contributions to the field. She also created a Bonnie Raitt Guitar Project with the Boys and Girls Club of America in the 1990s to provide more music opportunities for young people in poverty.

"Bonnie Raitt understands that democracy can only be achieved when a free and independent media works to pull back the curtain on the power brokers and back room deals. That is the goal of our award-winning ALEC Exposed project, and we are terrifically honored to have our work recognized in this way," said CMD Director Lisa Graves.

General tickets are on sale at the Overture Center's website [4]. The Guacamole fund has worked with Bonnie and other members of the musicians' community for over 35 years for peace with justice, the environment and a non-nuclear future. More information is available at www.MusiciansUnited4SafeEnergy.org [5], www.NukeFree.org [6] and www.GuacFund.org [7].

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Please note: this piece has been changed to reflect a reduction in ticket prices.