From pop to country, classic to rock, entertainers from all fields of music gathered in Orlando Friday night for a benefit to battle lupus, a disease that affects nearly 1.5 million Americans.
Several years ago, Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys (news - web sites) lost his sister to lupus, a disease that causes the immune system to attack the body's own tissue. For the second year in a row, Dorough has put together the lupus benefit at the Hard Rock Live.
The Monkees, Carole King and the Pointer Sisters were scheduled to perform as well as a familiar face from classic TV – Barry Williams, who played Greg Brady on The Brady Bunch.
Williams appeared at the lupus benefit last year and he said that it was an easy decision to come back for a repeat performance this year.
Joining Williams on stage tonight is former teen star Deborah Gibson. She now performs on Broadway. While Williams and Gibson rehearsed at the Hard Rock Friday afternoon, Latin rock star Jon Secada waited his turn with his family at the attractions at Universal Studios.
Secada said that he feels an obligation to use his success to help others.
Tickets for the event sold for $175. That may seem like a lot of money but it is a guaranteed lineup of well-known performers who aren't receiving any money. Hard Rock and Universal provided the facilities, so all of the money raised will go directly to battle lupus.