Myriam Santos; Scott Robert RitchieJoe Walsh and his wife, Marjorie, were among the honorees at the Facing Addiction with NCADD organization’s 2018 gala, held Monday, October 8, at Rainbow Room & Bar SixtyFive in New York City’s famed Rockefeller Plaza. Ringo Starr and his wife, Barbara Bach, who is Marjorie’s sister, presented the Walshes with the charity’s Humanitarian Award for their efforts supporting its cause helping individuals and families deal with the issues of alcoholism and addiction.
Prior to the event, Starr told ABC Radio, “Joe deserves [the honor]. I mean, Joe puts a lot of time in, more time than people realize, [supporting] Facing Addiction. So it’s my pleasure to be here to present him the Humanitarian Award.”
Walsh also spoke with ABC Radio before the gala, saying he felt humbled by the honor, while noting, “[W]e have almost an epidemic of addiction, across the board for all Americans.”
During the event, Starr and his wife took to the podium and discussed their own journey to overcoming addiction and alcoholism, as well as stressing the importance of helping others similarly afflicted. Joe and Marjorie then hit the stage to accept their honor. After a heartfelt, emotional speech by Marjorie, Joe opened up about how he became an addict and alcoholic, as well as his spiritual path to recovery.
The event ended with a tribute performance featuring Michael McDonald, country star and new Eagles touring member Vince Gill playing various classic songs from throughout Joe’s career, including his solo hits and tunes by The James Gang and, of course, The Eagles. To bring things to a close, Walsh joined the other stars for the final two songs.
Here’s a list of each song performed at the gala, along with the artist who handled lead vocals:
“Funk #49” — Butch Walker
“Rocky Mountain Way” — Vince Gill
“Life of Illusion” — Michael McDonald
“Take It to the Limit” — Vince Gill
“In the City” — Michael McDonald
“Life in the Fast Lane” — Joe Walsh
“Life’s Been Good” — Joe Walsh
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