Beach Boys to Headline Second Terri Schiavo Benefit Concert

Bioethics   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Mar 22, 2011   |   11:24AM   |   St. Petersburg, FL

After country music star Randy Travis thrilled listeners at a concert last year to raise funs for the Terri Schiavo foundation, the Beach Boys are heading up the concert this time around.

The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network is using the concerts as a way to raise critically-needed funds to support its work helping disabled patients like Terri and their families as the next step of their mission following the Terri’s death. She was killed by her husband, who won a highly-disputed court order allowing him to remove her feeding tube and take her life during the course of a 13-day starvation and dehydration death.

The foundation has come to the aide of hundreds of disabled people and their families, helping them to find legal support, medical care and treatment, and offering input and advice on dealing with hospitals, guardians, and family members who may not value life quite as much.

“Terri’s Foundation fights every day for the families faced with trying to protect their loved ones from a strong euthanasia movement,” Terri’s brother Bobby Schindler has said. “Without your support, we could not continue to be in a position to educate those on health care reform, futile care, assisted suicide and so much more.”

The second annual concert will take place near Dayton, Ohio this June and tickets go on sale at Ticketmaster this coming Saturday and at the Fraze Pavilion Box Office.

Few, if any, acts can match The Beach Boys’ concert presence, spirit and performance. Opening for The Beach Boys will be another hugely popular vocal group in American music history, The Letterman. The show promises to be a fabulous music event, long to be remembered by music fans and helping a great cause.

“Without question, The Beach Boys are the most successful and important American band of the rock music era,” the foundation told LifeNews.com today. “Their harmonies and infectious rock beats combine into memorable hits about teenage life in California in the 60s – surfing, cars, and girls.”

The Beach Boys rode the waves of success in 1961 with their regional debut hit “Surfin,” and, by 1966, they had emerged as one of America’s top pop groups by releasing eleven top 10 singles in five years including, “Help Me Rhonda,” “Surfer Girl,” “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations,” and “I Get Around.”

The band’s biggest selling hit came in 1988 with “Kokomo” and they were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2001 Grammy Awards. Their 1966 album “Pet Sounds” has been listed by VH-1 as the #3 album in Rock & Roll History.

Meanwhile, by the early 1960’s The Lettermen had already had a few hits, and were a tremendous success. In almost every poll in the early 60’s, The Lettermen were named Best New Group or Best Vocal Group. The 60’s and early 70’s saw The Lettermen score over 25 chart hit singles, including “Theme From A Summer Place,” ” Goin’ Out of My Head,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” and “Hurt So Bad.” [related]

“Terri and her legacy continue to touch and change lives every day thanks to the work of Terri’s Life & Hope Network,” the foundation said. “Proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorships for this event will allow Terri’s Life & Hope Network to continue advocating for the lives of vulnerable persons by serving as a resource for families needing counsel and support in the United States and throughout the world.”

The Schindler family most recently helped the parents of Baby Joseph Maraachli obtain a tracheotomy for their son so he can breathe easier in the last days of his life.