SARASOTA - A rock and roll legend helped dedicate a hospital music therapy room at Sarasota Memorial Hospital named in his honor Monday. And he did much more than cut a grand opening ribbon.
AC/DC is hot. They got raves in their concert in Tampa Sunday night, and their world tour will take them across the globe for the next two years. But Monday, the whole purpose of lead singer Brian Johnson was to do something to help sick kids.
Hot off a sold out concert and making history when his band's new album debuted at #1 this fall, Brian Johnson held an impromptu concert in a new music therapy room named in his honor. Johnson says he wants to establish music therapy rooms like this all over the world. And what better place than his own hometown, Sarasota. "Music's a wonderful tool, it really is. You see the kids' faces, and they can actually start playing together. And they'll start a little band. Who know's me darlin? But I'm just happy, I really am. We've been planning this for a while, and I'm as happy as anything."
One of the top recording studio designers in the world designed the room. The musical equipment, memorabilia and other enhancements were donated by The John Entwistle Foundation, named for the late bassist of The Who. The executive director of the group hopes youngsters can go there and forget their medical troubles for a while. "Hopefully making music, learning to play, discovering the different instruments and distracting themselves from a pretty rough day," says Steve Loggol
Sarasota Memorial neurosurgeon Dr. James Schumacher joined in the jam session. He says this room will mean a lot to sick kids. "When you come to the hospital it's a pretty frightening experience for everybody, and if you just think...just for a minute relax and listen to some music and know that that's part of the treatment, it puts you in a safe place."
11-year-old Riley Macek and his brother performed for Johnson. Riley's logged a lot of hours in hospitals. "I was born with a hole in my heart, and I had two open-heart surgeries, and I got it fixed." And Monday he got to perform for his hero. "It was awesome! We just performed in front of the lead singer of one of the greatest rock bands in the world."
Even though Brian Johnson was on a tight schedule, his PR people had to pull him away from the sick kids. He was having so much fun showing them how to play some of the instruments and signing autographs for them.
