Acclaimed Artist, Songwriter & Producer Is First Superstar Announced for Spirit of Life Gala
Jon Platt, Chairman and CEO of Warner/Chappell Music, today announced the first superstar to join him at this fall’s eagerly anticipated event in Los Angeles supporting City of Hope, an acclaimed nonprofit clinical research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases. Eleven-time Grammy Award-winning artist, songwriter, and producer Pharrell Williams will host the Oct. 11 celebration that will see Platt honored with the organization’s prestigious Spirit of Life® Award. Further announcements about the all-star lineup will be made in the coming weeks.
“I’m honored to join my good friend Jon to support the groundbreaking and life-saving advances at City of Hope,” said Pharrell. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with this amazing organization before, and I’m looking forward to what promises to be a fantastic event.”
“I’m excited that my one of my closest friends and an iconic artist, Pharrell, has agreed to host the October gala,” said Platt. “As a committed philanthropist in his own right, I knew Pharrell would understand the importance of City of Hope’s mission and want to get involved. It’s going to be an amazing evening.”
In 2016, City of Hope honored Pharrell with the Songs of Hope Legend in Songwriting Award, presented by Clive Davis. An international megastar and dominant force in popular music, Pharrell has worked with a long list of contemporary icons, including Beyoncé, JAY-Z, Justin Timberlake, Ed Sheeran, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Migos, and many others. He most recently co-wrote and co-produced “APES**T,” the debut single from The Carters’ first joint album, Everything Is Love, and co-produced Ariana Grande’s much-anticipated album, Sweetener. Pharrell is also behind Camila Cabello’s catchy chart-topper, “Havana,” co-writing and producing what has become Spotify’s most-streamed song ever by a solo female artist. The “Happy” singer recently collaborated with Cabello for summer jam “Sangria Wine,” and appeared on Rae Sremmurd’s single, “Chanel,” and Janelle Monáe’s “I Got The Juice.” Warner/Chappell administers Pharrell’s pre-2010 songwriting catalog, including hits such as Nelly’s “Hot In Herre,” Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” and Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”
Each year City of Hope recognizes a philanthropic leader whose work has fundamentally impacted music, film, or entertainment. The coveted Spirit of Life® Award is its highest honor, having been given to such noted figures as Mo Ostin, Clive Davis, Quincy Jones, Frances W. Preston, Shelli and Irving Azoff, Edgar Bronfman Jr., Doug Morris, and Sir Lucian Grainge. For more information about donating to City of Hope and purchasing tickets to the upcoming gala dinner, please visit CityofHope.org.
About Pharrell
Visionary recording artist, producer, songwriter, philanthropist, fashion designer, and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams has been a creative force in the music industry and beyond for more than two decades. From his beginnings as a teenage prodigy and multi-instrumentalist in Virginia Beach back in the early ’90s, through enough hits to earn him Billboard’s Producer of the Decade in 2010, to his current status as multi-media superstar, Williams has never stopped creating.
Starting his producing career as one half of The Neptunes with longtime production partner Chad Hugo, Williams has helped create classics such as Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” Nelly’s “Hot in Herre,” JAY-Z’s “I Just Wanna Love U (Give it 2 Me),” Britney Spears’ “I’m A Slave 4 U,” and Justin Timberlake’s “Like I Love You.” Over four albums, Williams and Hugo, along with Shae Haley, created an unpredictable hybrid as part of the Virginia Beach alt-rock/hip-hop group N.E.R.D., which recently reunited for 2017’s No One Ever Really Dies. The album debuted with the wildly successful single, “Lemon,” featuring Rihanna, and includes world-class artists such as Kendrick Lamar, André 3000, M.I.A., Future, Wale, Gucci Mane, and Ed Sheeran.
The music industry has honored Williams with 11 Grammy Awards (including 2004’s and 2014’s Producer of the Year) and ASCAP’s prestigious Golden Note Award in 2012. He received a 2017 Academy Award nomination for co-producing Best Picture-nominated Hidden Figures, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for co-scoring the film. In 2014, his original song “Happy,” featured in the animated film Despicable Me 2, also received an Academy Award nomination. “Happy” remained atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart for ten consecutive weeks, peaking at No. 1 on iTunes in 103 markets worldwide, and was the lead single from his 2014 solo album, G I R L.
Williams has excelled as a fashion designer with his Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream apparel brands, the textile company Bionic Yarn, as well as design-house and brand associates such as Louis Vuitton, Uniqlo, Adidas, and Commes des Garçons. In 2008, he founded From One Hand To AnOTHER (FOHTA), a foundation focused on his philanthropic and social efforts, supporting the Pharrell Williams Resource Center’s learning programs for underserved youth in at-risk communities across the nation. An entrepreneur and innovator, Williams is the driving force behind i am OTHER, his multimedia creative collective that serves as the umbrella for all of his various artistic interests. Most recently, he curated volume two of Spotify’s Black History is Happening Now series, which highlights the work of black artists and creatives through music curation, video, and podcasts. Williams is also opening a restaurant and cocktail lounge called Swan and Bar Bevy in Miami’s Design District this fall.
About Jon Platt
Jon Platt is chairman and chief executive officer of Warner/Chappell Music, the longest-standing major music publishing company in the world, as well as a member of Warner Music Group’s board of directors. Over the course of an extraordinary career — beginning as a teenaged DJ in Denver, climbing the ranks at EMI Music Publishing, joining Warner/Chappell in 2012, and rising to his current post in 2015 — Platt has championed everyone from JAY-Z to Beyoncé, from Kanye West to Drake, from Usher to Rihanna, and from Brandy to Janet Jackson.
For more than two decades, Platt has demonstrated a gift for recognizing great songwriters early and providing the environment for their creativity to flourish over long, successful careers. He is also well known as an influential advocate for songwriters’ rights and an inspiring mentor for the next generation of executives.
Under Platt’s global leadership, Warner/Chappell’s “focus on putting songwriters first is putting Warner/Chappell first.” The accomplishments of its songwriters have earned the company many top industry accolades, including Publisher of the Year at BMI’s Pop Awards and R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, and all four of ASCAP’s most prestigious honors: the Pop, Rhythm & Soul, Latin and, for five years running, the Country Awards. The company has broken records and made impressive market share gains in territories around the world, including being named the No.1 music publisher in Billboard’s quarterly airplay rankings.
Platt has served as vice chairman of the board of directors for the MusiCares Foundation and sits on the boards of the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, the Motown Museum and the Living Legends Foundation. His family actively supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation — where Platt’s wife, Angie, serves on the JDRF Los Angeles Chapter Board of Directors and the international board of directors. In 2005, he launched the Big Jon Platt Scholarship Program, annually awarding three high school students from his hometown with college scholarships.
Platt has been featured on the Ebony Power 100 list and was named BRE Magazine’s “Man of the Year.” He has received the Visionary Award at the SESAC Pop Music Awards and been honored as the Music Visionary of the Year by the UJA-Federation of New York. In 2017, he was presented with Morehouse College’s Candle Award in Music, Business and Entertainment, the same year as Usher and Tyler Perry.
About City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Group
Inspired by the guiding humanitarian principles of City of Hope and motivated by the institution’s commitment to innovative medical research and compassionate patient care, a group of key industry executives founded the charity’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Group in 1973. In its 45-year history, the group has raised more than $118 million for City of Hope and has honored some of the most important figures in the music and entertainment industry.
Recent past honorees include Coran Capshaw, founder of Red Light Management; Joel A. Katz, chair of Global Entertainment and Media Practice of Greenberg Traurig; Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman and chief executive officer of Universal Music Group; Frances W. Preston, former president and chief executive officer of BMI Music; Lia Vollack, president of Columbia Live Stage; Shelli and Irving Azoff, chairman and chief executive officer of Azoff MSG Entertainment; Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Apple’s Internet Software Services; Rob Light, head of the music department, partner and managing director of Creative Artists Agency; and Doug Morris, former chairman and chief executive officer of Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment.
About City of Hope
City of Hope is an independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as one of only 49 comprehensive cancer centers, the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, City of Hope is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, with research and treatment protocols that advance care throughout the world. City of Hope is located in Duarte, California, just northeast of Los Angeles, with locations throughout Southern California. It is ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation, diabetes and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs based on technology developed at the institution.
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