6 Classic Rockers Taking the Ice Bucket Challenge
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week or so, you know all about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge – a viral movement in which participants dump a bucket (or bowl or cup or bin — really, whatever’s on hand) of ice onto their heads. Those who are challenged but do not subject themselves to the frigid task within 24 hours have to donate $100 to an ALS charity of their choice. So far, over $88.5 millon has been raised for research to find a cure for the illness also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which affects motor neurons in the brain and spine that debilitate the body.
It’s estimated that over a million people all over the world have wielded a bucket of ice, including some of our favorite famous faces. Here are six musicians who accepted the icy call with some rather humorous results.
Aerosmith
Challenged by: Motley Crue
Challenging: Quentin Tarantino, Fleetwood Mac, Cheap Trick, the Dalai Lama, and Aerosmith’s and Slash’s road crews
A band that ice-buckets together, stays together? Quashing those years of breakup rumors, all five members of Aerosmith “came together” in the name of charity onstage in Houston and conquered the challenge. Guitarist Joe Perry (who bravely went shirtless) also announced that a portion of every ticket sale at the concert would go to the ALS Foundation.
Mark Lindsay
Challenging: Phil “Fang” Volk (Paul Revere and the Raiders), John Montagna (the Happy Together Tour; the Turtles), Ron Foos (Paul Revere and the Raiders)
I’m not just including Mark Lindsay because he was the subject of our first-ever RAVER. His Ice Bucket Challenge taught us all a valuable lesson: even if you trash-talk the ice, it’s still gonna be cold as… well, ice.
(Video via Mark Lindsay’s Facebook.)
Alice Cooper
Challenged by: Tico Torres (Bon Jovi)
Challenging: Motley Crue, Johnny Depp
Continuing the trend of onstage ice-bucketing, Alice Cooper employed a kiddie pool to keep things neat and clean during a show in Virginia Beach. Not to be outdone, his band also took the challenge, albeit on a sunny porch somewhere seemingly warm. Hey, Alice, if you’re reading this, what brand of waterproof makeup do you use? Asking for a friend.
Al Jardine
Challenging: Mike Love and Bruce Johnston (the Beach Boys)
Known for his environmental crusades, Al Jardine of the Beach Boys made it clear that the challenge water wouldn’t go to waste — it was nourishment for thirsty plants suffering from a Californian drought. Watch ’til the end for a bar from the Boys’ “Cool, Cool Water,” and a fun science fact.
(Video via Al Jardine’s Facebook.)
Robert Plant
Challenged by: (unintelligible)
Challenging: Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Elton John, and Peter Gabriel
Speaking of watering Plants (oh, come on! I’m not the first to make that joke!), Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant took the challenge with bells and whistles. Or, just bells. Not sure what’s going on there. Though Plant survived two whole buckets of frozen hell, it was his poor dog who picked an inopportune moment to investigate that got the worst of it. Sorry, pooch.
Dave Davies
Challenged by: Mark Hamill (Star Wars)
Challenging: Graham Nash
Oh, Dave Davies, you clever fox. Looking quite dapper indeed, the former Kinks guitarist technically did dump an ice bucket over his head, exploiting the loophole that no one specified it couldn’t be filled with Star Wars figurines. Perhaps Dave outsmarted us all.
Did we miss your favorite rocker’s icy plunge? Who would you love to see take the challenge? Let us know in the comments!
