In the wake of the devastating June 12 mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, as well as the murder of former “The Voice” contestant and performer Christina Grimmie the previous night, the Billboard editorial staff rallied musicians and music executives around the common cause of gun control with a moving open letter to congress.
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The music industry’s common cry for change centers around the danger of gun violence in public gatherings, which are required for the performance of live music. “Music always has been celebrated communally, on dancefloors and at concert halls,” the magazine explains. “But this life-affirming ritual, like so many other daily experiences —going to school or church or work— now is threatened, because of gun violence in this country.”
Once Billboard – in partnership with gun-violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety – made its open letter available to those they cover in the music industry, support came pouring in from artists of all genres, music executives and other titans of entertainment.
“Within hours, and then in a matter of just a few days, nearly 200 top artists and executives—pop stars (including Grimmie’s friend Selena Gomez), rappers, rock gods, legends, Broadway heroes, even two Beatles and Yoko Ono—lent their voices to the chorus of Americans looking to our political leaders for change,” Billboard said in a statement.
Among the list of nearly 200 individuals who signed the letter, which is featured on Billboard’s latest cover, are Bonnie Raitt, John Mellencamp, Dead and Company, Beck, Wilco and My Morning Jacket.
Read the full letter with signatures below:
AN OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS: STOP GUN VIOLENCE NOW
As leading artists and executives in the music industry, we are adding our voices to the chorus of Americans demanding change.
Music always has been celebrated communally, on dancefloors and at concert halls. But this life-affirming ritual, like so many other daily experiences—going to school or church or work—now is threatened, because of gun violence in this country.
The one thing that connects the recent tragedies in Orlando is that it is far too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on guns.
We call on Congress to do more to prevent the gun violence that kills more than 90 Americans every day and injures hundreds more, including:
Require a background check for every gun sale
Block suspected terrorists from buying guns
Billboard and the undersigned implore you—the people who are elected to represent us—to close the deadly loopholes that put the lives of so many music fans, and all of us, at risk.
Sincerely,
Adam Lambert
Adam Leber
Partner, Maverick
Adam Levin
X Ambassadors
Akiva Schaeffer
Alan Gilbert
NY Philharmonic
Alanis Morissette
Alex Pall
The Chainsmokers
Alicia Keys
Andrew Bird
Andy Samberg
Angel Coleman
Avery Lipman
Barbra Streisand
Beck
Bill Kreutzmann
Dead & Company
Billy Joel
Bo Koster
My Morning Jacket
Bob Weir
Dead & Company
Bonnie Raitt
Boyd Muir
Brad Delson
Linkin Park
Bradford Cobb
Partner, Direct Management Group
Brandon Creed
Manager/The Creed Company
Brendon Urie
Panic at the Disco
Britney Spears
Butch Walker
Calvin Harris
Cam
Cameron Strang
Chairman/ CEO, Warner Bros. Records
Carl Broemel
My Morning Jacket
Carole King
Casey Harris
X Ambassadors
Charlie Puth
Charlie Walk
Cher
Chester Bennington
Linkin Park
Christina Aguilera
Christina Perri
Conan O’Brien
Courtney Love
Craig Kallman
Chairman/CEO, Atlantic Records Group
Cyndi Lauper
Dan McCarroll
President, Warner Bros. Records
Daniel Ek
Co-Founder/CEO, Spotify
Daniel Glass
Founder/President, Glassnote Entertainment Group/Insieme Music Publishing
Danny Bennett
Demi Lovato
Diplo
Doug Morris
Drew Taggart
The Chainsmokers
Eddie Vedder
Pearl Jam
Elle King
Ellen DeGeneres
Elvis Costello
Emily Robison
Dixie Chicks
Eric Hutchinson
Fher Olvera
Maná
Glenn Kotche
Wilco
Gregory Porter
Halsey
Iggy Pop
Irving Azoff
Chairman/CEO, Azoff Madison Square Entertainment
Jack Antonoff
Jackson Browne
James Corden
Jason Kupperman
Agent, Paradigm Talent Agency
Jason Mraz
Jay Marciano
COO, AEG; Chairman & CEO, AEG Live
Jean-Michel Jarre
Jeff Ament
Pearl Jam
Jeff Chimenti
Dead & Company
Jeff Tweedy
Wilco
Jeffrey Harleston
Jennifer Lopez
Jeremy Zimmer
CEO/Co-Founder, United Talent Agency
Jim James
My Morning Jacket
Joan Jett
Jody Gerson
Joe Hahn
Linkin Park
Joe Jonas
John Esposito
PresIdent/CEO, Warner Music Nashville
John Janick
John Mellencamp
Jorge Hernandez
Los Tigres del Norte
Josh Groban
Julia Michaels
Julie Greenwald
Chairman/COO, Atlantic Records Group
Justin Tranter
K.D. Lang
Kaskade
Katy Perry
Kelly Rowland
Kesha
Kevin Liles
Co-Founder, 300 Entertainment
Kid Cudi
L.A. Reid
Lady Gaga
Lecrae
Lee Daniels
Director; CEO, Lee Daniels Entertainment
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Sir Lucian Grainge
Lyor Cohen
CEO/Founder, 300 Entertainment
Macklemore
Marc Geiger
Partner/Head of Music, William Morris Endeavor
Mark Pinkus
President, Rhino Entertainment
Mark Ronson
Martie Maguire
Dixie Chicks
Martin Bandier
Martin Erlichman
Manager, Barbra Streisand
Martin Kirkup
Partner, Direct Management Group
Matisyahu
Matt Cameron
Pearl Jam
Meghan Trainor
Melissa Etheridge
Michael Bublé
Michael Rapino
President/CEO, Live Nation
Michael Stipe
Michele Anthony
Michelle Jubelirer
Mickey Hart
Dead & Company
Mikael Jorgensen
Wilco
Mike Caren
CEO, Artist Partners Group; Creative Officer, Warner Music Group
Mike D
Mike Dungan
Mike McCready
Pearl Jam
Mike Shinoda
Linkin Park
Monte Lipman
Natalie Maines
Dixie Chicks
Nate Reuss
Nick Jonas
Nicky Jam
Pasquale Rotella
CEO/Founder, Insomniac Events
Pat Monahan
Pat Sansone
Wilco
Patrick Hallahan
My Morning Jacket
Paul McCartney
Pete Wentz
Peter Edge
Peter Tork
Phil McIntyre
CEO/Founder, Philymack
Prince Royce
Pusha T
Questlove
Ricky Martin
Ringo Starr
Rivers Cuomo
Rob Bourdon
Linkin Park
Rob Light
Partner/Managing Director/Head of Music, Creative Artists Agency
Rob Thomas
Roger Gold
Co-Founder, 300 Entertainment
Rosanne Cash
Rufus Wainwright
Russell Simmons
Hip Hop Mogul & Activist
Ryan Leslie
Producer
Ryan Lewis
Sam Gores
Chairman/CEO, Paradigm Talent Agency
Sam Harris
X Ambassadors
Sara Bareilles
Scooter Braun
Founder, SB Projects
Scott Borchetta
President/CEO, Big Machine Label Group
Selena Gomez
Shakira
Sia
Stephen Cooper
CEO, Warner Music Group
Steve Barnett
Steve Bartels
Steve Jensen
Partner, Direct Management Group
Steve Levine
Partner/Co-Head of Worldwide Concerts, ICM Partners
Stevie Nicks
Sting
Stone Gossard
Pearl Jam
Stu Bergen
CEO, International and Global Commercial Services, Warner Music Group
Talib Kweli
Terence Blanchard
Thom Yorke
Tim Westergren
CEO, Pandora
Todd Moscowitz
Co-Founder, 300 Entertainment
Tom Blankenship
My Morning Jacket
Tom Corson
Tom Windish
President, The Windish Agency
Tony Bennett
Tori Amos
Trent Reznor
Troye Sivan
Vic Mensa
Wayne Coyne
Yoko Ono
Zayn Malik
