2011.03.01 - AOL News - Rocker Duff McKagan Fights on for the Troops

Rocker Duff McKagan Fights on for the Troops

By Chris Epting

Seattle native Duff McKagan, the legendary bassist who helped form Guns N' Roses in 1985 and now performs in Velvet Revolver while also fronting his own band, Loaded, recently started donating proceeds from two new songs to help U.S. soldiers.

"I got inspired by my friend Tim Medvetz," McKagan told AOL News.

Medvetz is the Hollywood motorcycle customizer who, after a serious accident, managed to climb Mount Everest after his rehabilitation. He was then featured on the Discovery Channel program "Everest: Beyond the Limit" and made it his mission to help returning war veterans scale summits with him.

"Tim really opened my eyes to how important it was to help the soldiers, no matter how I might feel about the war. So I visited some military hospitals, including the [Veterans Affairs] Puget Sound Healthcare System near Seattle," McKagan said.

"I was really struck by these young men and women. What they had been through, their stories -- it affected me deeply, and it's something I can imagine being a part of for a long time. We've had some really amazing visits."

McKagan, who also works as a journalist today, wrote this in a column soon after one of his local visits:

"A sobering thing to think about is that with all the new-technology armor and immediate and high-caliber medical attention that our soldiers are getting on the battlefield, we are seeing a much higher survival rate than ever before. In other words, and to put it bluntly, guys and gals who would have certainly died in Vietnam from terminal wounds and injuries are now not dying. But we have now more and more kids coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan with missing limbs, disfigured bodies, and spinal-cord injuries. Also, with all this armor, more kids are surviving as witnesses to their buddies' deaths. Post-traumatic stress disorder is almost rampant now among our returning soldiers. Think about that."

McKagan did more than just think about it. He decided to share the proceeds from two of Loaded's new songs, "Fight On" and "We Win," to benefit the general patient fund at the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System he visited.

"It's the least we can do," McKagan told AOL News. "These men and woman do so much for us that many of us will never see or be aware of. The song 'Fight On' was actually inspired by the soldiers coming home. So if it can help in any way, I'm proud to contribute the proceeds."

Last fall, Loaded performed the song at a Seattle Seahawks football game when the teams sponsored its Military and Veterans Appreciation Day.

Loaded's new album, "The Taking" will be released April 19.

https://web.archive.org/web/20110304020407/http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/01/rocker-duff-mckagan-fights-on-for-the-troops

Duff and Loaded hosted an auction on April 23, 2011 (the auctioned items included a CD autographed by Bumblefoot); Blabbermouth, April 14, 2011:
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Duff McKagan's Loaded To Present Silent Auction In Seattle

April 14, 2011

On April 23, Duff McKagan's Loaded — the band led by Velvet Revolver/ex-Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan — will rock out at Neumos in Seattle to celebrate the release of their new CD, "The Taking" (release date April 19 via Armoury Records) and host a silent auction benefiting the VA Puget Sound Health Care System. Presented by rock radio station KISW, the show will open with reunited local favorites The Lemons.

This isn't the first time Loaded has done its part to give back to our nation's veterans. Proceeds from the 2010 digital release of "Fight On", a song inspired by America's military veterans, were also donated to the Puget Sound Health Care System. "I was really struck by these young men and women," said Duff in a recent interview with AOL News. “What they had been through, their stories — it affected me deeply."

Auctioned items include:

* Loaded's "The Taking" CD package, including rare album art and autographed photo
* Original '80s print of Duff McKagan by Marc Canter
* Blu-ray player plus 10 disc gift pack courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment
* Autographed Pearl Jam poster
* Pearl Jam photo book package autographed by photographer Lance Mercer
* Original ultra-rare Pearl Jam prints
* "Deadliest Catch" boat tour
* Drum head autographed by Mick Fleetwood, Steven Tyler, John McVie, and Johnny Lang
* Slipknot merchandise and DVDs autographed by Corey Taylor
* Celebrity-autographed Epiphone bass
* In-studio visit to the Gasman's show at KJR
* Autographed CD/picture package from Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal
* Free shows for a year at Neumos
* Pair of tickets to the Capitol Hill Block Party
* Autographed Elvis Costello Secret, Profane & Sugarcane CD plus National Ransack 7" package
* Autographed Huskies football helmet
* Prestige Records album cover collection coffee table book with bonus CD
* Autographed Alejandro Escovedo CD
* Various items will also be gifted in a raffle

https://archive.blabbermouth.net/news/duff-mckagan-s-loaded-to-present-silent-auction-in-seattle/