Star Power Marks Third Day of 2003 NAMM Show; Autographed Piano from Sir Elton John Benefit Concert Up for Auction

The third day of the 2003 NAMM Show saw some interesting celebrity appearances. While attendees caught a glimpse of Stevie Wonder, Buckethead and Bootsy Collins walking the exhibit halls, a booth performance by Eddie Van Halen drew a following of its own.

These sightings followed a night of celebrity performances at The 2003 NAMM Concert Honoring Sir Elton John: A Benefit for Music Education, presented by Yamaha, which was attended by more than 12,000 show-goers. And the star power of that concert lives on. Yesterday, the American Music Conference (AMC) put the Sir Elton John Black Yamaha C3 Piano, signed by all of the benefit concert performers, up for auction on eBay. A lucky bidder will get to take home this beautiful instrument, which retails for more than $32,000 and was generously donated by Yamaha Music. Adding to the value are the autographs of Sir Elton John, Vanessa Carlton, Ray Charles, Nikka Costa, Bruce Hornsby, Jewel, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, John Mayer, Michael McDonald, Brian McKnight, Randy Newman, Take 6, Rufus Wainwright and Brian Wilson. All proceeds of this auction will benefit AMC, NAMM’s promotional arm, dedicated to the promotion of music, music making and music education. Click here now to view this item and place your bid—the auction runs through January 28.

Other “celebrities” at the show included the many NAMM U speakers who offered several more professional development sessions to attendees throughout the day, including one presented in Spanish: Tendencias Tecnológicas y Comerciales en México y Latinoamérica (Technological and Commercial Trends in Mexico and Latin America).

The 10th Annual GRAMMY Producers SoundTable also took place yesterday, moderated by E! Television music correspondent Dave Adelson, who led a panel of experts in a discussion about the current state of music production and distribution.

At NAMM’s Annual Meeting of Members, eight new Board Members were voted in, and the eight Board Members who finished their term of service were recognized. NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond also presented Sesame Workshop’s Gary Knell—a “star” in the creation of NAMM’s Sesame Street initiative—with the Music for Life Award 2003.

The show day ended with the steady beat of many drums at the annual all-industry drum circle. This event has become a regular occurrence at NAMM shows with the support of Remo, Inc., who provides facilitators and drums, gathering people of all ages to reap the benefits of group drumming. But this was unlike previous circles—participants got a real brush with fame when Stevie Wonder made a guest appearance, leading the group and singing to the beat. From start to finish, star power added excitement to this year’s NAMM Show.