Joe Walsh, David Crosby Playing May 4 Event At Kent State

KENT, OH — Joe Walsh and David Crosby will headline the benefit concert for the 50th Commemoration of the May 4th shootings at Kent State University. The two Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees will play the MAC Center on May 2.

All proceeds from the concert will support the newly created May 4 Legacy Scholarships, which provide four endowed scholarships to students majoring in Kent State's Peace and Conflict Studies program. Each scholarship will bear the name of the students killed on May 4.

“We are extremely honored and grateful to have these two world-class musicians as part of our 50th commemoration activities,” said Kent State President Todd Diacon. “The willingness of these artists to help us raise funds for the scholarships demonstrates the commitment and strong ties that these individuals have to honoring those killed and wounded on May 4, 1970, and ensuring a lasting legacy of learning and peaceful reconciliation.”

Tickets for the concert will go on sale on March 6 at 10 a.m. Ticket information and details on the concert can be found at www.kent.edu/may4kentstate50/concert, or by calling 330-672-5084 or by emailing may4ksu@kent.edu.

On May 4, 1970, Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder were killed during an anti-war protest when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a crowd. University officials said they have long wanted to create a scholarship fund to honor the legacy of those wounded and killed that day.

Both Walsh and Crosby were picked for the inaugural concert because of their connections to Kent State and the events of May 4. Walsh spent time around the university in 1965. His band, the James Gang, played clubs throughout Northeast Ohio starting in 1968. He was on campus, at Kent State, on May 4, 1970.

Crosby was a founding member of the Byrds in the 1960s, before forming the super-group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. The band notched a Top 20 hit with their song "Ohio" about the May 4 shooting at Kent State.

“We wanted to make sure the artists we brought in for the concert had a strong understanding of the history of May 4, 1970, and a commitment to helping raise funds for the scholarships,” said Rod Flauhaus, project manager for the May 4 50th Commemoration. “Artists like Joe Walsh and David Crosby provided the soundtrack for both those that went to fight in the Vietnam War and for those who were against it. Their music was the common thread that helped to raise national awareness, inspire activism and helped us to heal as a nation.”