Frampton, Etheridge headline Cohn music fest

Melissa Etheridge and Peter Frampton will be headlining the 2014 B.R. Cohn Charity Events Fall Music Festival Sept. 20 and 21 at the B.R. Cohn Winery Amphitheatre.Tickets go on sale today, Friday, May 30, for the annual 2014 B.R. Cohn Charity Events Fall Music Festival, Gala Charity Auction Dinner and the Celebrity Golf Classic.Performing this year on Saturday are Melissa Etheridge solo, the Wallflowers, Los Lonely Boys, Paul Barrere, Fred Tackett, and Kenny Gradney of Little Feat, and The Curly Wolf plus others. Sunday’s line-up includes Peter Frampton, Huey Lewis & the News, Los Lonely Boys and The Curly Wolf, plus others to be announced.This year’s festival will be held in the memory of Lise Sonnen, a longtime supporter of the festival and a Cohn family friend. The festival’s olive grove stage will be renamed the Lise Sonnen Memorial Stage. Performers will be announced at a later time. “I’m very excited about the lineup I’ve been able to put together for this, our 28th year; from the celebrity chef at our auction dinner to the Grammy and Academy Award-winning artists appearing at the Festivals. I’m thrilled about the quality of this year’s event and I think our loyal patrons will get more than their money’s worth when they attend this year,” said producer Bruce Cohn.Go to brcohnfallfestival.org for tickets and information.Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist. Her self-titled debut album was released in 1988 and became an underground hit. In 1993, Etheridge won her first Grammy award for her single, “Ain’t It Heavy,” from her third album “Never Enough.” Later that year, she released what would become her breakthrough album, “Yes I Am.” The album featured the mainstream rock hits “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window,” the latter which scored Etheridge her second Grammy award. Etheridge is known for her mixture of “confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals.” She has received 15 Grammy Award nominations, winning two, and an Academy Award.Grammy winner Frampton remains one of the most celebrated artists and guitarists in rock history. At 16, he was lead singer and guitarist for British band the Herd. At 18, he co-founded one of the first super groups, seminal rock act Humble Pie. His session work includes collaborations with such legendary artists as George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, David Bowie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ringo Starr, John Entwistle and many others. His fifth solo album, the electrifying Frampton Comes Alive!, is one of the top-selling live records of all time. He was recently inducted in the Musicians Hall of Fame, performed on-stage at the Grammy’s with Ringo Starr and also played an integral part in the 50th anniversary celebration of the Beatles’ arrival in the U.S. by performing on CBS’ “The Night That Changed America: A GRAMMY Salute to The Beatles.”Huey Lewis and The News are truly one of America’s great rock and roll bands. As they enter their 35th year together, their contagious brand of music has outlasted countless trends, and is as fresh today as ever. Formed from two rival Bay Area bands in 1979, they continue to thrill audiences worldwide, selling more than 20 million albums in the process, earning them the right to mark their place on the pop history map. These Grammy Award winners have written and performed such classic top 10 hits as “Heart of Rock & Roll,” “Stuck With You,” “I Want A New Drug,” “If This Is It,” “Hip To Be Square,” “Do You Believe In Love,” and “Workin’ for a Livin.” The group also wrote and performed “The Power of Love” and “Back in Time” for the hit film “Back to the Future.” “The Power of Love,” nominated for an Academy Award, went to #1 on Billboard’s singles chart, and was a smash hit worldwide. As great a recording career as the band has had, there is something extra special about a Huey Lewis & The News live show. They incorporate a variety of musical influences including R&B and soul to create their own unique sound.The popular and lively charity auction and dinner will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, at the B.R. Cohn Winery’s 140-year-old Olive Grove. Tickets are $175 a person. Back by popular demand to prepare the five-course meal will be James Beard nominee and award-winning chef Mark Stark. Mark’s highly acclaimed restaurants include Bravas, Monti’s, Stark’s Steakhouse, Willi’s Seafood and Willi’s Wine Bar.The fun-filled evening also includes the annual fundraising auction where trips, private dinners, one-of-kind big format wines and autographed guitars are auctioned away for charity.Tickets for all Fall Festival Weekend events will go on sale June 2 at brcohnfallfestival.orgor can be purchased at the B.R. Cohn Winery Tasting Room. Back again, after selling out the past few years, are special on-stage VIP seats that include a meet and greet with performers and fabulous food and wine, all while sitting just feet from the performances. VIP ticket prices range from $350 to $1,000 and general admission tickets are $79 this year with a special two-day pass for $129.The celebrity golf tournament returns again to the famed Sonoma Golf Club and will be held on Monday, Sept. 22. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with a 10 a.m. tee-off. Green fees are $275. For more information regarding invitations to the tournament and auction dinner, call 800-330-4064, ext. 126 or brcohnfallfestival.org.

Proceeds from this year’s festival will be spread among several charities including: Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, Redwood Empire Food Bank and veterans organizations.