Green Day creates T-shirt for charity

Through their philanthropic partnership with Hard Rock International, Green Day unveiled the latest Signature Series T-shirt, proudly designed by the band members. Available on June 12, 2007, the Green Day Signature Series T-shirt will benefit Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur and will be sold exclusively at Hard Rock locations around the world.

Green Day, the 24th group to become part of Hard Rock’s Signature Series T-shirt program, join music icons and legends, such as Elton John, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Ozzy Osbourne and Shakira, who have helped to raise millions of dollars for a number of charitable causes worldwide.

“We are excited to be a part of the Signature Series program and proud to partner with Hard Rock for such a great cause,” said Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer and guitarist of Green Day. “The program is going to provide tremendous support for Amnesty International and Instant Karma, a campaign that we sincerely believe in and are committed to.”

In addition to the Green Day Signature Series T-shirt, Hard Rock’s Rock Shops will also offer the charity double album, Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. In keeping with its long tradition of activism powered by music, Amnesty International, the world’s largest grassroots human rights organization, will use Yoko Ono’s generous gift of Lennon’s solo catalogue as the centerpiece of its campaign to focus attention and mobilize efforts for the urgent catastrophe in Darfur, Sudan.

The CD, an international effort that combines John Lennon’s iconic songwriting, technology and human rights activism, includes Green Day’s recording of “Working Class Hero.” The CD will be released by Warner Brothers Records and arrive in stores, including Hard Rock’s Rock Shops, on June 12. Proceeds from the double album –which features 23 iconic Lennon songs recorded by such best-selling artists as U2, R.E.M., Jack Johnson, Christina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne and Snow Patrol – will support Amnesty International’s efforts for Darfur and other human rights crises worldwide.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have such a revolutionary and world-renowned band as Green Day become part of Hard Rock’s global Signature Series T-shirt program,” said Sean Dee, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Hard Rock International. “We are pleased to be able to assist in this life-saving effort.”

The front of the Signature Series T-shirt Edition XXIV features an oversized tonal graphic of Billie Joe Armstrong playing guitar. The back of the shirt bears the signatures of each of the band members: Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool and Mike Dirnt. The unisex T-shirt also incorporates the words “Working Class Hero,” the title of the John Lennon song performed by the band on the Instant Karma album. The design, created by Green Day, is set on a heather-green T-shirt. Hard Rock International is offering their fans the chance to own the limited-edition T-shirt, which is available online at www.hardrock.com/rockshop and at Rock Shops at Hard Rock Cafes, Hotels and Casinos around the world.

Since it was established in 1971, Hard Rock has been committed to a wide variety of philanthropic causes and activities around the world. In 1990, Hard Rock International developed the concept of partnering with world-renowned musicians and bands to create and donate imaginative designs to be reproduced onto T-shirts to benefit the artist’s charity of choice. To date, 24 artists have participated in the Signature Series program, raising millions for a wide variety of organizations such as Crossroads Centre Antigua, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, World Hunger Year and Fundación Pies Descalzos.

This year, in addition to the Green Day Signature Series T-shirt, Hard Rock locations are also offering its counterpart – the recently released Shakira Signature Series, exclusively available in a ladies’ junior baby-doll T-shirt – as well as the popular Ozzy Osbourne, Bruce Springsteen and Eric Clapton Signature Series T-shirts in men’s and women’s styles.

To learn more about Amnesty International’s Instant Karma campaign, please visit www.instantkarma.org.

For further details regarding Hard Rock’s Signature Series program, please visit www.hardrock.com.