Hard Rock's 2009 Ambassadors of Rock Tour Heads To 'Sin City' For Grand Opening of New Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas

Hard Rock's 2009 Ambassadors of Rock Tour Heads To 'Sin City' For Grand Opening of New Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas

Rock Icon CHRIS CORNELL Takes the Stage at Hard Rock's Flagship Venue

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Hard Rock International's global Ambassadors of Rock Tour is heading to "Sin City" for the Grand Opening of the new Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas! On Thursday, October 15th, rock icon Chris Cornell will perform at Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas, located on The Strip, as part of Hard Rock's Ambassadors of Rock Tour, a global concert series featuring top artists and bands. GRAMMY Award-winning Native American musician Micki Free will kick off the event with a performance, followed by Chris Cornell, who will rock the stage with some of his greatest hits, as well as songs from his latest solo album Scream.

That evening, Chris Cornell will also donate memorabilia, which will become a permanent addition to Hard Rock's world-famous collection. The event will benefit Opportunity Village, a not-for-profit organization that serves people in the community with intellectual disabilities to enhance their daily lives and the lives of their families through job training, employment opportunities, recreation and advocacy.

Best known as the acclaimed lead singer and songwriter for Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog, Chris Cornell's, 2 decade, 14-album career has heralded deafening praise and milestone accomplishments. The multi GRAMMY-award-winning Cornell has been heralded as the chief architect for grunge. After recording the last album with Soundgarden, Cornell continued to shine as a critically acclaimed and versatile solo artist. "Can't Change Me," the first single from his 1999 solo debut Euphoria Morning, was nominated for a GRAMMY Award, while a reworked version of "Mission" was included on the soundtrack to the film Mission: Impossible II. The most critically awarded of Cornell's big screen hits is "You Know My Name," the theme song for James Bond's Casino Royale, which he co-wrote and performed. Chris Cornell is the only American male solo artist to date who has ever been commissioned to write the theme song for the Bond franchise. In March of 2009, Chris Cornell and Timbaland collaborated, on a groundbreaking solo effort entitled, Scream, which debuted in Top 10 on the Billboard charts. Keeping in line with Chris's previous work, Cornell continues to defy genre's and push the envelope of sound.

"We are truly excited to have Chris Cornell, one of rock's most iconic artists, be one of the very first musicians to perform at our newest Hard Rock location and also join our Ambassadors of Rock lineup," said Hamish Dodds, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hard Rock International. "Chris also performed in London in 2007 on our global concert tour, and we are thrilled that he will be an official Ambassador of Rock once again!"

In addition to an unforgettable live concert, the V.I.P. grand opening celebration will include a star-studded red carpet and guitar smash to commemorate Hard Rock's new cafe on The Strip. The event will also feature appearances by representatives of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, owners of Hard Rock International; Hamish Dodds, President and CEO of Hard Rock International; local celebrities, professional athletes and more.

Rockin' Around the Globe!

For the fourth consecutive year, Ambassadors of Rock will bring together Hard Rock Cafes, Live venues, Hotels and Casinos around the globe to help spread the universal language of rock. Chris Cornell joins an eclectic group of artists on Hard Rock's 2009 Ambassadors of Rock Tour, including Kenny Chesney in New York, O.A.R. in Orlando, Collective Soul in Biloxi, Black Eyed Peas in Japan, The Killers in Buenos Aires, The Allman Brothers Band in Hollywood, Fla. and an all-star lineup at Hard Rock Calling in London with Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, The Killers, Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper and Relentless 7, Fleet Foxes and The Gaslight Anthem.

For more information, please visit www.hardrock.com.

About Opportunity Village

Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization that serves people in the community with intellectual disabilities to enhance their daily lives and the lives of their families through job training, employment opportunities, recreation and advocacy. Opportunity Village is dedicated to helping people with severe intellectual and related disabilities become the very best they can be. Through vocational training, employment, day services, advocacy, arts and social recreation, people with severe disabilities are able to find new friends, realize future career paths, seek independence and community integration and unleash creative passions. For more information, please visit www.opportunityvillage.org.

About Hard Rock International

With a total of 159 venues in 52 countries, including 129 cafes and 12 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Tulsa, Pattaya, Bali, Macau and Penang. Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced in Singapore scheduled to open in 2010; Palm Springs, Atlanta and Panama, scheduled to open in 2011; Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2012. Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

Source: Hard Rock International

CONTACT: Brian Siemienas of Hard Rock International, +1-407-445-7625; or
Meredith DeSanti or Amanda Early of Coyne PR, +1-973-316-1665

Web Site: http://www.hardrock.com/

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