Singer A.J. McLean has launched the JNN Foundation, named for his alter ego “Johnny No-Name,” to focus on efforts to raise awareness, as well as funds, for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The superstar singer made the announcement Thursday at Hard Rock Live in his hometown of Orlando, FL, and kicked off the Foundation’s initial funding with a $1 million personal donation.
The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in America’s public schools by restoring music programs in cities across America, and raising awareness about the importance of music participation for our nation’s youth.
The press conference itself initiated the first fundraising efforts of the newly established JNN Foundation, as 500 fans were able to purchase tickets to the event at Hard Rock Live for a minimum $5.00 donation, with all proceeds benefiting the JNN Foundation. Also starting on May 24, hardrock.com, in association with eBay, will host a month’s worth of special auctions featuring autographed “Johnny No-Name” memorabilia. Items up for bid will include a suit and fedora-style hat worn by the singer at a recent Orlando performance, as well as an autographed leather Hard Rock Cafe jacket. Funds raised from these ventures will ultimately be directed to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation and the JDRF. For more information on the auction, visit http://www.hardrock.com.
A.J.’s previous appearances as “Johnny No-Name” included a nine-city U.S. mini tour that raised nearly $100,000 for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. Additionally, a benefit concert featuring the Brit alter ego at Hard Rock Live last December raised funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation along with “The Orlando Sentinel’s” Sentinel Santa Foundation.
Through partnerships with affiliates and advocates, as well as corporate and national sponsors, VH1 Save The Music conducts awareness campaigns, musical instrument drives, and fundraising events in conjunction with public schools to restore instrumental music programs. Since VH1 Save The Music was created in 1997, more than $17 million worth of musical instruments has been donated to 750 public schools in 43 cities, improving the lives of more than 250,000 children. The Foundation’s ten-year plan is to bring music participation to one million children in public schools.
Last year, VH1 Save The Music was honored with the Governors’ Award (a special Emmy Award) from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the George Foster Peabody Award for broadcast and cable excellence, and two 2000 Beacon Awards, presented by the Cable Television Public Affairs Association to honor excellence in public affairs throughout the cable industry. This year, VH1 Save The Music has been awarded a Golden Beacon, the Cable Television Public Affairs Association’s highest honor, and a 2001 Beacon Award for Best Educational Series or Campaign by a Cable Network, for the Foundation’s impact on education, as well as the 2001 Government Leadership in the Arts Award, a special recognition award for excellence in arts programs for youth, from Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors.
The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a 501(c)3 designated non-profit foundation. More than 90% of every dollar marked for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation finds its way into a child’s hand in the form of a musical instrument.
The national partner organizations of VH1 Save The Music include the National School Boards Association, U.S. Department of Education, Chief State School Officers Association, MENC-The National Association for Music Education, NAMM-International Music Products Association, the American Music Conference, and America’s Promise-The Alliance for Youth. The national sponsor of VH1 Save The Music is Subaru. Sheet music and method books are being provided through a generous grant from the Diane Warren Foundation and ASCAP foundation as part of their Music In Schools Program in conjunction with Warner Bros. Publications.
VH1 produces and programs a wide variety of music-based series, specials, live events and acquisition-based programming that keep viewers in touch with the music they love. VH1 is a registered trademark of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc. MTV Networks owns and operates the cable television programming services MTV: Music Television, MTV 2: Music Television, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, TV Land and VH1 as well as The Suite from MTV Networks, a package of ten digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks also has joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.
