Cablevision CEO performing at Roxy in L.A.
By day, Jim Dolan keeps busy as president and CEO of Cablevision and chairman of Madison Square Garden. And by night, he lets loose as guitarist/vocalist for blues-rock band JD & the Straight Shot.
On June 24, in conjunction with the release of its sophomore album, "Right on Time" (JD Records), the band will perform at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles to benefit the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California.
"It's a good cause, and it's right in line with the kinds of things that I've been doing with the band," Dolan said, noting that his group plays an annual benefit concert in New York for the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Joining JD & the Straight Shot at the June 24 concert will be Eagles member Joe Walsh, who guests on the band's forthcoming album. "Joe and I are good buddies," Dolan said. "He's agreed to come and play with us and lend his name to the event."
Dolan has already pledged $25,000 to the cause. The band will accept other donations for the National Kidney Foundation's Harold Owens Fund. Owens, who serves as director of the MusiCares Foundation, is on dialysis and on a waiting list for a transplant.
Concert tickets cost $50-$150 and can be purchased by calling the foundation at 818-783-8153. The event also will feature silent auction items donated by the Eagles, Daughtry, Bon Jovi and the Jonas Brothers, among others. All proceeds from the show will benefit National Kidney Foundation's Harold Owens Fund.
Meanwhile, Dolan says that "Right on Time" is a progression from JD & the Straight Shot's 2005 debut "Nothing to Hide."
"I've worked really hard on my music over the last three years," said Dolan, who plays in the band alongside chief songwriter Bruce Koplow. "I quit smoking and took voice lessons. I've tried really hard to up my game."
JD & the Straight Shot will gauge its ouring plans on how well the new album is received. "If we find that we get some critical acceptance with it, then yeah, we'll do some touring," he said, noting that the group has previously toured on Walsh's North American solo treks.
Asked how he balances his work duties at Cablevision and Madison Square Garden with playing in a band, Dolan said, "The key is balance. Music provides a balance in my life, so it becomes and important part of who I am. Without it, I don't think I'd be as good of a parent or businessman."
But his devotion to music has come at a small price. "I no longer have any golf games," he joked. And "I don't sail sailboats anymore, I do music."
