Grateful Dead-affiliated charity organization the Rex Foundation and non-profit Little Kids Rock recruited members of Los Lobos, Billy Strings, Trombone Shorty and many other musicians to join students for a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Touch Of Grey.” Funds raised from the video will go toward music education programs in public schools.
The “Touch Of Grey” video features guitarists David Hidalgo and Louis Perez and saxophonist Steve Berlin of Los Lobos with Strings on guitar, Trombone Shorty on trombone and trumpet, the Bob Weir and Wolf Bros rhythm section of Don Was on bass and Jay Lane on drums, Dead & Company’s Jeff Chimenti on keyboards as well as Lindsay Ell on guitar and Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Mark Rivers, Turkuaz’s Shira Elias and Making Movies adding vocals. The all-star lineup of musicians can be seen remotely performing alongside a group of Little Kids Rock Students.
“Music is a powerful healing force – a lesson taught to us over and over again by the Grateful Dead, particularly in ‘Touch Of Grey,’” said Rex Foundation executive director Cameron Sears. “We are proud to once again support Little Kids Rock, who continues to lead the charge in helping build inclusive music programs in schools across the country.”
The Rex Foundation has bestowed over $9 million to more than 1,300 recipients, including Little Kids Rock, since forming in 1984. Little Kids Rock launched in 2002 with an initiative to support innovative music education programs in public schools across the United States, having helped educate over one million students.
“Rex Foundation was one of the first funders to support our work when I was a public school teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area just trying to get this free music program started for my students,” said Little Kids Rock founder and CEO David Wish. “This has been such a wonderful opportunity to work with them and a host of artists and students to promote a positive message through music at a time when kids need music education as much as ever.”
Watch members of Los Lobos, Billy Strings, Trombone Shorty and many other musicians join Little Kids Rock students covering the Grateful Dead’s 1987 hit, “Touch Of Grey,” below:
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