Longley was among the 100 people who perished in the fire at the Station in Rhode Island in February. The fire started when sparkler like pyrotechnics used by the band ignited the highly flammable “egg crake” material that was placed on the wall for soundproofing by the owners of the nightclub.  (click here for more information about the fire)

This past Thursday a fundraiser took place in Beverly Hills to benefit the Baby Longley Fund, a fund set up by Longley’s pregnant girlfriend to directly benefit her and Ty’s unborn baby.  

Many of the Los Angeles based musicians that Ty often hung out with and played with around town were on hand for the benefit show.  The event was MC’d by KNAC.com’s Junkman and 5 Cent Shine, a band that Longley played with, opened the show and were followed by The Rhythm Junkies, an all-star jam band that features members of MSG, Screaming Budda Heads, Great White, Talas, Edgar Winter and the Jason Bonham Band. 

Heidi Peralta, Longley’s pregnant girlfriend, then took the stage and offered a memorial tribute to Ty and showed a compilation video of a few of Ty’s performances. 

That was followed by a special unannounced unplugged performance by Great White lead vocalist Jack Russell and lead guitarist Mark Kendall. 

This was the first time that members of the band performed publicly since the fatal nightclub fire. Before performing “Mothers Eyes,” Russell reminded the audience that “This night is not about Great White, it’s about Ty”. A sentiment that was pervasive throughout the night as people offered their remembrance of Ty Longley the man and not as a member of Great White who died in the tragic nightclub fire in Rhode Island. 

Bang Tango performed next and lead vocalist Joe LeSte told the audience that although he didn’t know Ty that well he was convinced that his band should play the benefit on the morning after he was asked by Happenin’ Harry(the promoter that helped put the benefit together) because he went looking for a guitar pick and when he found the only one that was apparently in his house it was a Ty Longley signature pick. 

LeSte pulled double duty that night as his other band Beautiful Creatures took the stage following Bang Tango. 

The event was headlined by Happenin’ Harry and the Haptones, an allstar jam band fronted by Happenin’ Harry that plays every Sunday night at the Cat Club in Hollywood with a rotating roster of guest musicians. Ty was a regular with the Haptones and many of the musicians that had jammed with him in the past joined the Haptones lineup that night including Anthony "Tiny" Biuso  (The Sixes), Eric Stacy  (Faster Pussycat), Ray Luzier  (David Lee Roth And Metal Shop), Vik Foxx  (Enuff Z'nuff and Vince Neil), Mark Zavon  (Stephen Pearcy And JRZ System),  Anthony Focx  (Beautiful Creatures), Yuko Tamara  ( The Jack Russell Band),  Mitch Perry  (Edgar Winter, Talas And MSG), Russ Parrish  (Fight And Metal Shop), Charles "Chazz" West  (The Jason Bonham Band), Stu Simone  (Poison), Mayuko & Tuzumi Okai, Maestro Alex Gregory,  Phil Solem  (The Rembrandts), Tony Franklin  (The Firm, Blue Murder and Whitesnake), Scott Warren (Warrant, Dio And Berlin), Jimmy Coup  (Andrew W.K. ), Don Rutherford  (The Dizzy "F*Ckin" Reed Band), Scot Coogan  (Brides Of Destruction, Otep and Six Foot Nurse),  Craig "K.C." Kasin  (Nitro) and Marco Mendoza  (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Ted Nugent). 

The night was capped off when Happenin Harry invited Enuff Z’nuff frontman Donnie Vie, who was in attendance, to come up on stage and perform a song with the former Enuff Z’nuff drummer Vik Foxx. They rocked through a rendition of the Beatles classic “Come Together”, which was a fitting song to end a night where Ty’s friends and fans came together to help his unborn child and remember the man. 

For more information on the Baby Longley Fund visit TyLongley.com
 
 

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