Want to see Usher in Europe? Have dinner with Jermaine Dupri? Read this.
Does your bucket list include a rendezvous in Paris with Usher? Maybe some quality studio time with producer Jermaine Dupri?
The charity arm of music performing rights organization the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is offering these experiences to music lovers through their fourth annual holiday auction.
The ASCAP Foundation is letting fans bid online for over 70 items donated by major artists such as signed vinyl, meet-and-greets, exclusive merch and VIP tickets to live shows.
Usher, who just wrapped up a series of rescheduled hometown performances at State Farm Arena, is offering two VIP tickets, travel vouchers and a chance to meet him during his 2025 European tour. It’s an estimated value of $10,000.
Other highlights include a behind-the-scenes studio tour with Dupri, followed by dinner. Speaking of food, singer Akon is offering a chance to have lunch with him in Los Angeles or Atlanta.
In addition to those in-person packages, fans can bid on signed vinyl from singers Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan. Lovers of the hit Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building” can bid on a live scoring session with Emmy-winning composer Siddhartha Khosla.
Since 1975, the ASCAP Foundation’s mission has been to support younger generations of songwriters and composers. In the past year, more than 300,000 young artists and students took part in some form of programming from ASCAP. Proceeds for the holiday auction go toward the ASCAP Foundation’s development and education programs.
“We are unbelievably grateful to the ASCAP community for these incredible contributions that will help us raise the funds we need to continue supporting the next generation of music creators,” ASCAP Foundation Executive Director Nicole George-Middleton said in a statement.
Currently, there are four bids for the Usher package, with the highest being $3,000. The most popular item so far is a signed guitar, stage outfit and VIP concert package from rocker Steve Vai. Vai’s offering has 14 bids, with one for $6,250 in the lead. Sorry, but that doesn’t include Vai’s legendary three-headed guitar.
For the Usher, Dupri and Akon packages, bidders must be at least 18 years old. Details on the timing, location and duration of the meet-and-greets is still being worked out. Potential bidders can try their luck on the auction site till it expires at 3 p.m. EST on Dec. 18.
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About the Author
Gavin Godfrey is an editor and Team Lead for UATL, the AJC's Black culture franchise. He's an award-winning writer and editor from Atlanta who's covered everything from OutKast to the water boys. Before joining the AJC, Gavin worked for Capital B Atlanta, CNN, and Creative Loafing.
