Joe Strummer Tribute & Fundraiser Was a Star-Studded Affair

The late Clash and Mescaleros frontman Joe Strummer would have turned 68 on Friday and many of his friends honored him on it with a two-hour live-streamed fundraiser called A Song for Joe.

It began with a never-before seen performance from one of Strummer and the Mescaleros’ last shows before his death from a heart attack in 2002 at age 50. They did “Police on My Back,” a song The Clash initially covered on their 1980 Sandinista! album.

Bruce Springsteen was the first of a number of celebrities with a birthday message for Strummer. The Boss said, “My great, great friend and brother that I never had, you have been my inspiration for the past 40 years. Happy birthday, brother, God bless you.” Others notables with birthday stories or greetings included actor Steve Buscemi, director Jim Jarmusch and artist Shepard Fairey. Fred Armisen introduced Jesse Malin‘s first performance and Beto O’Rourke introduced one by fellow Texan Joe Ely, who toured with The Clash back in the day.

Musical performances included:

A team up by Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir and Malin on “Death and Glory” (Weir supplied the introduction by telling the long story of the night he and Strummer became friends.)
Jeff Tweedy of Wilco also doing “Death or Glory”
Josh Homme and Troy Van Leeuwen of Queens of the Stone Age doing “Train in Vain”
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine doing “Bankrobber”
The Strokes drummer Nikolai Fraiture singing “Police and Thieves” accompanying himself on ukulele (Bandmate Albert Hammond Junior contributed a birthday message, as well)
Ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer doing “Rudy Can’t Fail”
Dropkick Murphys doing “Tommy Gun”
Butch Walker doing “London Calling”
Lucinda Williams doing “Straight to Hell”
Frank Turner doing “White Man in Hammersmith Palais”