Keith Richards, Mavis Staples, Norah Jones and Warren Haynes Rock Intimate Soho Sessions Benefit

At an intimate Soho Sessions gathering in Downtown New York, soul music icon Mavis Staples, 86, delivered a spellbinding performance that earned her a standing ovation. The revered singer, whose family group The Staple Singers scored a major 1972 hit with "I'll Take You There," stepped off the stage to engage the audience in a rousing call-and-response. "Let me hear your voices!" she urged from the floor. "Give me a little more—help carry us there! Don’t you want to go?!"

Watching from near the stage was Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. After witnessing Staples’ commanding presence, Richards turned to a companion and joked, "How am I supposed to follow that?" Once reassured, he joined a lineup that included current Stones drummer Steve Jordan, guitarist Larry Campbell—known for his recent work with Bruce Springsteen—keyboardist Ivan Neville, and NRBQ bassist Joey Spampinato. Their set included the blues standard "Key to the Highway," a stripped-back take on the Rolling Stones’ 1969 track "You Got the Silver," and Chuck Berry’s holiday favorite "Run Rudolph Run." "Halloween’s over, right?" Richards quipped. "Let’s get into the Christmas spirit!"

The exclusive concert was organized by producers Greg Williamson and Nicole Rechter to honor actor-musician Bruce Willis and raise funds for the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by frontotemporal degeneration—the condition Willis lives with. The Soho Sessions series, which has now raised over $50 million for charity, is held in a Downtown New York commercial space that was once Chung King Studios. This historic venue was the recording site for landmark hip-hop albums by artists such as Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy, adding a layer of musical legacy to the evening.

In addition to Mavis Staples and Keith Richards, the bill featured Norah Jones and Warren Haynes. Jones opened the show on guitar rather than piano, explaining, "This next song came to me on guitar when I first moved to New York and didn’t have room for a piano," before performing a delicate version of "Come Away With Me," the title track from her eight-time Grammy-winning 2002 debut. Later, Staples invited Jones back to join her on "You Are Not Alone," the title track from Staples’ 2010 album. Warren Haynes, celebrated for his work with The Allman Brothers Band and his own group Gov’t Mule, closed the night with a powerful blues-rock set.

The audience was filled with notable figures including Demi Moore, Emma Heming Willis, Michael J. Fox, Tracy Pollan, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Ross, Steve Guttenberg, Kevin Bacon, and Kyra Sedgwick. Emma Heming Willis, speaking about her husband who could not attend, said, "He would have loved every moment—this was just his kind of night." Greg Williamson, co-producer of the series, reflected on the event’s unique energy: "When artists like Keith Richards, Norah Jones, Mavis Staples, and Warren Haynes share an intimate stage, something magical happens. It captures the essence of Soho Sessions: bringing audiences face-to-face with music legends and turning those moments into meaningful support for vital causes."

Nicole Rechter shared a similar view, noting, "Every Soho Sessions event is born from a love of music, community, and the causes that move us. Bruce’s courage and legacy inspire everything we do—bringing people together, celebrating life, and using music as a force for good." Past beneficiaries of the series include Everytown for Gun Safety, Music Will—the largest nonprofit music program in U.S. public schools—and the National Alliance on Mental Illness / Hawaii following the Lahaina wildfires. For more information about AFTD or to make a donation, visit www.theaftd.org.