Ashford University and the San Diego Padres today announced two November concerts to kick off the Western Metal Concert Series, presented by Ashford University. The first concert is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 5, featuring singer/songwriter Jewel with special guest Colbie Caillat.  R&B singer John Legend and special guest Macy Gray will perform the following day, Saturday, Nov. 6 and Ashford University President, Dr. Jane McAuliffe, and Padres President and COO, Tom Garfinkel, jointly made the announcement. 

“Partnering with the San Diego Padres to offer this exciting musical opportunity to San Diegans while, at the same time, raising funds for such a worthwhile organization as Stand Up to Cancer, was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up,” said McAuliffe.  “Ashford University is honored to be a part of this community event and we look forward to a great turnout in November.” 

“We’ve created an intimate 6,000 seat venue within PETCO Park and have world-class talent like Jewel, Colbie Caillat, John Legend and Macy Gray coming for San Diegans to enjoy,” added Garfinkel.  “We’d like to thank Ashford University for helping to make this a reality and we’re proud that all net proceeds will go to Stand Up to Cancer.”   

All net proceeds from the Western Metal Concert Series will go to Stand Up to Cancer, which raises funds to accelerate the pace of ground-breaking research that gets new therapies to patients more quickly. In May, the Padres became the first MLB club to partner with Stand Up To Cancer, setting a goal of raising $500,000 for collaborative cancer research. 

“Stand Up To Cancer is extremely excited to expand our Padres collaboration through the Western Metal Concert Series,” said Stand Up To Cancer co-founder Laura Ziskin. “Our robust partnerships with our founding donor, MLB, and the San Diego Padres, allow us to further engage baseball – and now music fans – and ultimately make an impact on our fight against this deadly disease that will affect one in two men and one in three women in their lifetimes.”         

Three-time Grammy nominee, Jewel, has seen a tremendous amount of success as a singer-songwriter, with over 27 million albums sold. In June 2008, she returned to her roots with the release of her debut country album Perfectly Clear, which garnered her a spot at #1 on the Billboard country album charts. In June of this year, Jewel followed up on that success with the release of her sophomore country album, Sweet and Wild. 

Two-time Grammy award winning multi-platinum recording artist Colbie Caillat will join Jewel at PETCO Park on Nov. 5 as a special guest. Caillat’s 2007 freshman release Coco debuted at #5, thanks in part to the enormous success of the debut single “Bubbly.” The massive success of the second single, “Realize” pushed sales of Coco past two million shipments and six million individual tracks sold.  With her follow-up album, Breakthrough, Caillat delivered another Grammy nominated effort.  

Six-time Grammy winning R&B singer-songwriter, John Legend, released his debut album Get Lifted in December 2004. After debuting at #7 on the Billboard 200, the album went on to sell three million copies worldwide. After winning the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2006, Legend followed up his freshman effort with Once Again and Revolver. Legend’s most recent album, Wake Up! – a collaboration with Hip Hop band The Roots – was released earlier this year. 

Joining John Legend at PETCO Park on Nov. 6 will be special guest Macy Gray. Gray first burst onto the music scene with her debut album On How Life Is and the massive hit single “I Try," both of which went #1 all over the world. Gray, a two-time Grammy winner, has gone on to sell more than 15 million albums worldwide. Her most recent effort, The Sellout, released in June of this year, is a return to form for Gray, highlighted by soulful sounds and her iconic voice. 

Doors for both concerts open at 6:30 p.m. Pre-sale for Padres Season Ticket Holders will begin Tuesday, August 31, and tickets will go on sale to the general public Thursday, Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.padres.com/concerts or by phone at 619.795.5555. 

About Ashford University

Founded in 1918, Ashford University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahlc.org). The University offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs online and at its Clinton, Iowa, campus. The University is known for its high quality yet highly affordable online and on-campus programs. For more information, please visit www.ashford.edu or call Shari Rodriguez, associate vice president of Public Relations, at 858.513.9240 x2513.