House of Blues Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Santana-Inspired “Wings of Legend” Statue Unveiling
HOUSE OF BLUES CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY
WITH ARTIST/ SCULPTOR DALE EVERS
SANTANA INSPIRED “WINGS OF LEGEND”
STATUE UNVEILING
LAS VEGAS, NV: On January 16th, a 13 foot steel, glass, and bronze replica of a PRS SANTANA signature guitar will be unveiled in front of House of Blues Las Vegas in Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in honor of The House of Blues first resident Carlos Santana. The statue was created by premiere American artist and innovator Dale Evers. This immense sculpture is entitled “Wings of Legend.” It represents the tens of millions guitars that have become an intrinsic part of American pop-culture and pays homage to the artistry of Santana and his relationship with PRS guitars.
The unveiling ceremony will begin at 12:30pm with Mariachi music by young guitarists from Fremont Middle School. As part of the Hermes Music Foundation’s guitar donation to the International House of Blues Foundation, Fremont Mariachi will receive guitars to support their music program. This donation was made possible through the cooperation of The Milagro Foundation. This musical introduction will be followed with presentations by General Manager Andrew Economon, CEO Ron Bension (House of Blues), Artist Dale Evers, Carlos Santana, Paul Reed Smith and Gregory Morrison (Hermes Music Foundation). The event will end as it began with inspired sounds by the young musicians. “Wings of Legend” will remain on permanent display.
“The sculpture truly embodies the magnificence that is Carlos Santana,” says Evers. “It is an understatement to say I am honored and greatly appreciative for this grand moment in my life.” Evers’ unmistakable signature is characterized by a masterful fusing of glass, bronze and steel into creative realities. His numerous commissions have lead to permanent installations throughout the US and Mexico.
House of Blues Las Vegas General Manager Andrew Economon said, “House of Blues has been a wonderful home for music fans and performers ever since the first House of Blues opened 20 years ago, and a major part of the entertainment landscape in Las Vegas for the past 13 years. Our Vegas House of Blues in particular, has always been a favorite venue for locals and a big part of what we do here is about community and serving our community. That’s something we look forward to doing for another 20 years.”
For more than forty years and as many albums later, Carlos Santana has sold more than 90 million records and reached more than 100 million fans at concerts worldwide. To date, Santana has won ten Grammy® Awards, including a record-tying nine for a single project, 1999’s Supernatural (including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for “Smooth”). In 1998, the group was ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, whose web page on their induction notes, “Guitarist Carlos Santana is one of rock’s true virtuosos and guiding lights.”
The students performing at the unveiling ceremony are only a small group of the 200 students who were generously gifted guitars from the Hermes Music Foundation. The foundation has anonymously funded many projects that support health, education, and basic life necessities. In 2009, the Hermes Music Foundation was established to continue with their “Project of Love.” They also proudly support many Huichol communities with programs to create sustainable jobs by promoting their wonderful, spiritual, and colorful Art.