City of Hope held its annual Spirit of Life Gala at West Hollywood’s Pacific Design Center on Tuesday Night, recognizing Primary Wave founder and CEO Larry Mestel as this year’s Spirit of Life recipient, with the music executive honored with performances from Stevie Nicks, Jackson Browne and Melissa Etheridge.
Mestel is the latest in a long line of executives who’ve been given the Spirit of Life award over the past 50 years, starting with Mo Ostin in 1973 and more recently honoring the likes of Tom Corson, Jay Marciano, Lyor Cohen, Lucian Grainge, Sylvia Rhone and Irving Azoff among many others. Corson and Grainge were among those in attendance Tuesday, alongside other major executives including Warner Chappell CEO Guy Moot, CAA’s Rob Light and power attorney John Branca, as well as musicians like Kenny Loggins, Jimmy Jam and Justin Tranter.
To date, City of Hope’s Music, Film, and Entertainment Industry Group, which oversees the Spirit of Life honor, has raised over $180 million for cancer research. Mestel had previously said he wanted to raise $10 million through his Spirit of Life campaign this year, though MFEI hasn’t disclosed how much they’ve raised so far.
Along with the in-person performances, both Paul Anka and Pete Townshend recorded videos congratulating Mestel, also performing songs on video. Anka sang a special version of “My Way,” changing the lyrics to be about Mestel, while Townshend performed an acoustic “Let My Love Open the Door.”
Etheridge, who first met Mestel over 30 years ago when he worked at Island Records, gave Mestel’s introductory speech, recalling how, unlike iconic label head Chris Blackwell, “Larry was always there.” A breast cancer survivor herself, Etheridge commended City of Hope for the organization’s continued efforts in combatting cancer and lauded Mestel for his work with the group over the past year.
“As everyone here will attest, you are the kind of guy you want on your side, the guy you want to sit next to on the airplane, the one you want to call when you need something,” Etheridge told Mestel. You’ve always supported me and my dreams. I speak for every artist on Primary Wave.”
Before her speech, she gave a three-song set that concluded with her smash hit “Come to My Window.”
Mestel, who lost his sister and uncle to cancer over the past year, then gave an emotional speech of his own, fighting back tears and talking about how the experience had “made cancer personal.”
“I don’t look at this award as simply an honor; I look at it as a call to action,” Mestel said. “I can be better. We all have to be better. What if our representatives in Washington spent less time trading securities and more time allocating resources to fight against cancer and other diseases? There are people dying right now, and there are scientists and doctors working every day to change that.”
After Mestel’s speech, Browne and Nicks took the stage for performances of their own. Nicks spoke about her own experiences with City of Hope, recalling how four loved ones, including her best friend and brother, had received cancer treatment from the organization.
“It’s so deep and so beautiful, the time I have spent there,” Nicks said. “Anybody you ever have, send them to City of Hope; it’s so important, so much more important than anybody you’ll ever know.”
She finished the night with a moving acoustic rendition of “Landslide.”