John Legend Stuns Crowd And Aids Napa Valley Charity Auction Fundraiser
John Legend gave the Napa Valley wine charity auction quite a shock when he showed up at the fundraiser unexpectedly Saturday night. The Grammy Award and Golden Globe winner appeared on the stage toward the end of the night, sat down at the grand piano, and performed a stirring rendition of his hit song “All of Me.”
His performance was the introduction to the Raymond Vineyards lot, and it ended up being the highest-selling entity of the night, raising a rousing $850,000. The lot included a private John Legend performance for 30 people at Boisset’s Wappo Hill. Those in attendance of the private showing will also receive generous samples of Legend Vineyards reserve blend. This particular lot was a combination effort by both Legend Vineyards and Raymond, which helped to create the product.
This lot was one of many to make the Napa Valley wine auction (the proceeds of which go almost entirely towards aiding a variety of charities) was one of the most successful ever. Charlene Floyd, first-time auction attender reported on the event.
“The amount of money I’ve seen change hands today is mind-boggling.”
She’s not alone in that thought. A single 12-liter bottle of Screaming Eagle sold for $500,000 alone, just like it did in 2013. The brand is one of the highest selling in Napa Valley, and they donate a balthasar to the charity auction every other year.
The successes of the night totalled $18.7 million, a staggering $2.5 million more than previous years. In 2014, the Napa Valley wine auction raised a total of $16.2 million for charities.
The auction has come a long way since its inception in 1981 when it raised just $140,000. At the time, that amount seemed like a lot. It’s hard to imagine what their astonishment would be at the amount raised in one night of the four day fundraiser.
In other news for John Legend, a recent analysis of wedding song top picks showed “All of Me” at the top of the lists, a close competitor with Bruno Mars’s “Marry You,” The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey,” Michael Buble’s “Everything,” Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours,” and Colbie Caillat’s “Lucky.”
Furthermore, the study analyzed the most popular first dance playlists to reveal that Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Fallin’ In Love,” and Train’s “Marry Me” were the highest contenders.
With nearly 6,200 weddings a day, this largley explains some of the popularity the “All of Me” singer has been receiving since his song topped the charts in 2014.
John Legend is also an activist, looking to make the world a better place. This is evidenced yet again with John Legend’s stunning appearance at the Napa Valley Auction charity fundraiser.
[Image via Press Democrat]
