Gibson/Baldwin Night At The Netsm With Musical Guests Brian Mcknight And Mindi Abair

SANTA MONICA, CA. (Recording Academy) - For the fifth consecutive year, Gibson Guitar and Baldwin Piano are the title sponsors of the Gibson/Baldwin Night at the NetSM annual pro-celebrity tennis event that opens the prestigious 80th Annual Countrywide Classic tennis tournament on Monday, July 24, in the Straus Stadium at the Los Angeles Tennis Center at UCLA. Proceeds from the event will benefit the MusiCares Foundation, a charity founded by The Recording Academy that focuses on health and human services for the music community. Four-time and defending champion Andre Agassi; two-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 ranked Lleyton Hewitt of Australia; two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin of Russia; twins Bob and Mike Bryan, the world's No. 1 doubles team two out of the last three years; and tennis great Pam Shriver (joining in as chair umpire) will be part of this high-profile, star-studded event along with celebrity player actor/comedian Jon Lovitz. Additional participants include Jack and Stench from the "Jamie, Jack and Stench Show" on STAR 98.7 FM as ball boys for the tournament. The evening's musical performer will be multi-GRAMMY Award nominee Brian McKnight, and Verve recording artist Mindi Abair will play the national anthem.

"Gibson/Baldwin Night at the Net is pro-celebrity tennis at its best, and it is inspiring to see so much support for the health and human services work of MusiCares," said Recording Academy and MusiCares President Neil Portnow. "We are especially grateful for the continued support and contributions from our good friends at Gibson/Baldwin, Countrywide, and the Southern California Tennis Association."

"We are proud once again to sponsor Gibson/Baldwin Night at the Net to benefit the MusiCares Foundation," said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar. "As an active part of the music community, Gibson Guitar is committed to helping enrich the lives of others through programs like this, and we are happy to partner with MusiCares and Countrywide Classic on such a worthwhile and entertaining event."

"Countrywide Classic is again delighted to collaborate with Gibson/Baldwin and MusiCares to help raise funds for this worthy charity," said Bob Kramer, Countrywide Classic Tournament Director. "The Southern California Tennis Association and UCLA are extremely proud to be involved with such important organizations and to provide a lively and entertaining kickoff for the 80th annual Countrywide Classic at UCLA." Ticket packages for Gibson/Baldwin Night at the Net are offered at Benefactor ($2,500) and Patron ($1,500) levels and include a range of benefits. Individual tickets are also available and are priced at $250, $150, $100 and $40. For tickets and information, contact Dorit Kalev at MusiCares: 310.392.3777 or [email protected]. Event sponsors include: adidas, Cabo Wabo Tequila, Coca-Cola, Chalone Vineyard, Champagne Lanson, Empire/CLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services, Evian, Heineken, Jewels and Pinstripes, Shari's Berries, Wahoo's Fish Tacos, Raymond Weil and Westwood One.

Past celebrity players and performers have included Tom Arnold, Boris Becker, Clint Black, Michael Chang, Billy Crystal, Kelsey Grammer, Dustin Hoffman, Greg Kinnear, John McEnroe, Dr. Phil McGraw, Dennis Miller, Matthew Perry, Pete Sampras, David Spade, Robin Williams and Wilson Phillips. Gibson joined as title sponsor in 2002 and the Gibson Foundation continues to support MusiCares' efforts through various partnerships. Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins and banjos. Gibson's digital guitar represents the biggest advance in electric guitar design in over 70 years. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, Mich., and headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.'s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Valley Arts, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Slingerland, Maestro, Baldwin, Chickering, Hamilton and Wurlitzer.