Billboard, Hundreds of Artists and Music Executives Call on Congress to Stop Gun Violence

In the wake of the devastating June 12 mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, as well as the murder of former “The Voice” contestant and performer Christina Grimmie the previous night, the Billboard editorial staff rallied musicians and music executives around the common cause of gun control with a moving open letter to congress.

The music industry’s common cry for change centers around the danger of gun violence in public gatherings, which are required for the performance of live music. “Music always has been celebrated communally, on dancefloors and at concert halls,” the magazine explains. “But this life-affirming ritual, like so many other daily experiences —going to school or church or work— now is threatened, because of gun violence in this country.”

Once Billboard – in partnership with gun-violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety – made its open letter available to those they cover in the music industry, support came pouring in from artists of all genres, music executives and other titans of entertainment.

“Within hours, and then in a matter of just a few days, nearly 200 top artists and executives—pop stars (including Grimmie’s friend Selena Gomez), rappers, rock gods, legends, Broadway heroes, even two Beatles and Yoko Ono—lent their voices to the chorus of Americans looking to our political leaders for change,” Billboard said in a statement.

Among the list of nearly 200 individuals who signed the letter, which is featured on Billboard’s latest cover, are Bonnie Raitt, John Mellencamp, Dead and Company, Beck, Wilco and My Morning Jacket.

Read the full letter with signatures below:

AN OPEN LETTER TO CONGRESS: STOP GUN VIOLENCE NOW

As leading artists and executives in the music industry, we are adding our voices to the chorus of Americans demanding change.

Music always has been celebrated communally, on dancefloors and at concert halls. But this life-affirming ritual, like so many other daily experiences—going to school or church or work—now is threatened, because of gun violence in this country.

The one thing that connects the recent tragedies in Orlando is that it is far too easy for dangerous people to get their hands on guns.

We call on Congress to do more to prevent the gun violence that kills more than 90 Americans every day and injures hundreds more, including:

Require a background check for every gun sale
Block suspected terrorists from buying guns

Billboard and the undersigned implore you—the people who are elected to represent us—to close the deadly loopholes that put the lives of so many music fans, and all of us, at risk.

Sincerely,

Adam Lambert

Adam Leber
Partner, Maverick

Adam Levin
X Ambassadors

Akiva Schaeffer

Alan Gilbert
NY Philharmonic

Alanis Morissette

Alex Pall
The Chainsmokers

Alicia Keys

Andrew Bird

Andy Samberg

Angel Coleman

Avery Lipman

Barbra Streisand

Beck

Bill Kreutzmann
Dead & Company

Billy Joel

Bo Koster
My Morning Jacket

Bob Weir
Dead & Company

Bonnie Raitt

Boyd Muir

Brad Delson
Linkin Park

Bradford Cobb
Partner, Direct Management Group

Brandon Creed
Manager/The Creed Company

Brendon Urie
Panic at the Disco

Britney Spears

Butch Walker

Calvin Harris

Cam

Cameron Strang
Chairman/ CEO, Warner Bros. Records

Carl Broemel
My Morning Jacket

Carole King

Casey Harris
X Ambassadors

Charlie Puth

Charlie Walk

Cher

Chester Bennington
Linkin Park

Christina Aguilera

Christina Perri

Conan O’Brien

Courtney Love

Craig Kallman
Chairman/CEO, Atlantic Records Group

Cyndi Lauper

Dan McCarroll
President, Warner Bros. Records

Daniel Ek
Co-Founder/CEO, Spotify

Daniel Glass
Founder/President, Glassnote Entertainment Group/Insieme Music Publishing

Danny Bennett

Demi Lovato

Diplo

Doug Morris

Drew Taggart
The Chainsmokers

Eddie Vedder
Pearl Jam

Elle King

Ellen DeGeneres

Elvis Costello

Emily Robison
Dixie Chicks

Eric Hutchinson

Fher Olvera
Maná

Glenn Kotche
Wilco

Gregory Porter

Halsey

Iggy Pop

Irving Azoff
Chairman/CEO, Azoff Madison Square Entertainment

Jack Antonoff

Jackson Browne

James Corden

Jason Kupperman
Agent, Paradigm Talent Agency

Jason Mraz

Jay Marciano
COO, AEG; Chairman & CEO, AEG Live

Jean-Michel Jarre

Jeff Ament
Pearl Jam

Jeff Chimenti
Dead & Company

Jeff Tweedy
Wilco

Jeffrey Harleston

Jennifer Lopez

Jeremy Zimmer
CEO/Co-Founder, United Talent Agency

Jim James
My Morning Jacket

Joan Jett

Jody Gerson

Joe Hahn
Linkin Park

Joe Jonas

John Esposito
PresIdent/CEO, Warner Music Nashville

John Janick

John Mellencamp

Jorge Hernandez
Los Tigres del Norte

Josh Groban

Julia Michaels

Julie Greenwald
Chairman/COO, Atlantic Records Group

Justin Tranter

K.D. Lang

Kaskade

Katy Perry

Kelly Rowland

Kesha

Kevin Liles
Co-Founder, 300 Entertainment

Kid Cudi

L.A. Reid

Lady Gaga

Lecrae

Lee Daniels
Director; CEO, Lee Daniels Entertainment

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Sir Lucian Grainge

Lyor Cohen
CEO/Founder, 300 Entertainment

Macklemore

Marc Geiger
Partner/Head of Music, William Morris Endeavor

Mark Pinkus
President, Rhino Entertainment

Mark Ronson

Martie Maguire
Dixie Chicks

Martin Bandier

Martin Erlichman
Manager, Barbra Streisand

Martin Kirkup
Partner, Direct Management Group

Matisyahu

Matt Cameron
Pearl Jam

Meghan Trainor

Melissa Etheridge

Michael Bublé

Michael Rapino
President/CEO, Live Nation

Michael Stipe

Michele Anthony

Michelle Jubelirer

Mickey Hart
Dead & Company

Mikael Jorgensen
Wilco

Mike Caren
CEO, Artist Partners Group; Creative Officer, Warner Music Group

Mike D

Mike Dungan

Mike McCready
Pearl Jam

Mike Shinoda
Linkin Park

Monte Lipman

Natalie Maines
Dixie Chicks

Nate Reuss

Nick Jonas

Nicky Jam

Pasquale Rotella
CEO/Founder, Insomniac Events

Pat Monahan

Pat Sansone
Wilco

Patrick Hallahan
My Morning Jacket

Paul McCartney

Pete Wentz

Peter Edge

Peter Tork

Phil McIntyre
CEO/Founder, Philymack

Prince Royce

Pusha T

Questlove

Ricky Martin

Ringo Starr

Rivers Cuomo

Rob Bourdon
Linkin Park

Rob Light
Partner/Managing Director/Head of Music, Creative Artists Agency

Rob Thomas

Roger Gold
Co-Founder, 300 Entertainment

Rosanne Cash

Rufus Wainwright

Russell Simmons
Hip Hop Mogul & Activist

Ryan Leslie
Producer

Ryan Lewis

Sam Gores
Chairman/CEO, Paradigm Talent Agency

Sam Harris
X Ambassadors

Sara Bareilles

Scooter Braun
Founder, SB Projects

Scott Borchetta
President/CEO, Big Machine Label Group

Selena Gomez

Shakira

Sia

Stephen Cooper
CEO, Warner Music Group

Steve Barnett

Steve Bartels

Steve Jensen
Partner, Direct Management Group

Steve Levine
Partner/Co-Head of Worldwide Concerts, ICM Partners

Stevie Nicks

Sting

Stone Gossard
Pearl Jam

Stu Bergen
CEO, International and Global Commercial Services, Warner Music Group

Talib Kweli

Terence Blanchard

Thom Yorke

Tim Westergren
CEO, Pandora

Todd Moscowitz
Co-Founder, 300 Entertainment

Tom Blankenship
My Morning Jacket

Tom Corson

Tom Windish
President, The Windish Agency

Tony Bennett

Tori Amos

Trent Reznor

Troye Sivan

Vic Mensa

Wayne Coyne

Yoko Ono

Zayn Malik