Kid Rock and Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) fans are in for a rare treat on May 12, 2012 when the two join forces.  Rock and the DSO are set to hold a benefit concert at the Fox Theatre in Detroit to raise $1 million for the DSO. 

The concert was originally the idea of Quicken Loans founder and chairman Dan Gilbert.  Gilbert was attempting to help the DSO settle its musician strike last winter when he had the idea to pair Rock with the symphony. 

Rock told Billboard.com that although he has never attended a DSO concert “as a musician, a cultural institution like that in Detroit is important.”  Rock, his Twisted Brown Trucker band, the DSO, Leonard Slatkin, and the Fox Theatre are all volunteering their services for the concert.  The proceeds will go to the DSO to help fund their outreach, engagement, and community service work.

Conductor Leonard Slatkin has collaborated with musicians in the genres of jazz, rock, and fusions before and has no reservations about performing with Kid Rock.  According to the Detroit Free Press, Slatkin put Rock’s people in touch with Rob Mathes, an arranger he has often worked with.  Mathes, the musical director of the annual Kennedy Center Honors, has also worked with a diverse range of artists including Sting and Mary J. Blige.

Rock told Billboard.com that they are “in the early stages” of planning the concert’s set.  He also said that all his work is under consideration.  “I hear ‘Bawitdaba’ being kind of insane. ‘Cowboy’ seems to be a little tricky, but maybe…we don’t call them violins; we call them fiddles for that song.”

Tickets now on sale range in price from $100-$350, with VIP packages as high as $1500 also available.  The VIP packages include premiere seating and access to an exclusive after party.  Rock has acknowledged that the prices are higher than what his fans are used to paying but he assures that the show will be “well worth the price of admission.”  As he told Billboard.com, “It’s not going to be a show people have seen before at all, in any regard.  All I can guarantee is it’ll be interesting.”

Kid Rock grew up in and currently resides in Detroit.  He has been known to support charitable causes and his hometown.  The promise of the $1 million this concert will raise was pivotal in ending the musician’s strike.  Rock said in a statement, “As a musician, and of course a Detroiter, I am proud to be supporting this longstanding cultural institution.”

Leonard Slatkin told the Detroit Free Press, “What he is doing for Detroit is nothing short of amazing!  I can think of very few contemporary musicians who believe so whole-heartedly in their city.”

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Within a few hours of a blockbuster deal was approved to send all-star guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, David Stern and NBA league office blocked the trade.

The purposed deal was a three team trade between the New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets. The deal would have landed Paul with the Lakers, sent Pau Gasol to the Rockets, and given the Hornets Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Lamar Odom, Goran Dragic, and a 2012 first-round pick from Houston.

NBA analysts across the nation are confused by the trade being blocked by the league office, as this seemed like the best way to solve Paul’s contract situation. The popular thinking is that if the deal was approved, the Hornets would at least be able to replace Paul with quality pieces instead of getting nothing in return.

Paul can opt out of his contract at the end of the season becoming a free agent, which allows him to sign to any team that is willing to make him an offer. Paul is on record stating that he would not sign a contract extension with the Hornets, and would like to test the free agent waters which have shown to be very lucrative; Amare Stoudemire received 100 million over 5 years during last year’s free agent frenzy.

With so many lingering questions as to why the trade was blocked, the league has yet to make a detailed statement on the issue. This hesitation has brought about speculation that the deal was killed due to overwhelming pressure from small market owners.  That theory is gaining traction as Yahoo.com acquired an e-mail sent from Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert to David Stern.

In the e-mail Gilbert states,”It would be a travesty to allow the Lakers to acquire Chris Paul in the apparent trade being discussed. This trade should go to a vote of the 29 owners of the Hornets.”

This issue is further muddied by the fact that the NBA owns the New Orleans Hornets. It is believe that the NBA league abused its power as an owner to negate this deal. The league’s stance on owning the Hornets has been that all basketball operations would be handled by the Hornet’s managerial staff without intrusion.

Paul is hoping that the seemingly obvious intrusion can be deemed illegal as he is looking to pursue legal action, with the help of NBPA director Billy Hunter, against the NBA. The NBA has just gotten over one of the worst PR nightmares in the form of the 2011 lockout just to jump in the middle of another one. To make matters worse, there are reports that both Paul and Odom will not attend training camp which is scheduled to open on December 9^th.

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