Getty Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson
Rita Wilson is hosting the virtual concert CMT GIANTS Kenny Rogers: A Benefit For MusiCares which premieres tonight at 8 p.m. on CMT. The special will celebrate Rogers’ life and career as well as raise money for coronavirus relief.
Viewers are encouraged to donate to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, which benefits music industry professionals. The network says half of the proceeds raised will benefit those working in Nashville.
If you miss tonight’s show, an encore performance will air on MTV on April 10 at 8 p.m. CMT will also re-broadcast the special on April 11 at 12 p.m. The lineup includes Dolly Parton, Gavin DeGraw, Jennifer Nettles, Lady Antebellum, Lionel Richie, Randy Houser, Rascal Flatts and Vince Gill.
All of the stars participating in tonight’s special are broadcasting from their respective homes. Wilson and husband Tom Hanks are back in southern California after recovering from the coronavirus in Australia. They returned to the United States on March 27. Hanks shared on social media that he and Wilson have continued to shelter in place since coming home and viewers may get a glimpse inside their expansive abode during tonight’s program.
Here’s what you need to know.
Rita Wilson & Tom Hanks Purchased a Pacific Palisades Mansion For $26 Million In 2010
Google Maps Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have been based in southern California for many years. They are especially fond of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which borders Santa Monica and sits along the Pacific Ocean.
The couple has purchased several homes in the area over the past decade, including a $26 million mansion in 2010. According to Curbed, the house is about 14,500 square feet, includes four bedrooms and five bathrooms, and sits on an acre and a half of land. The property was built in 1996 and underwent substantial renovations in 2006. Hollywood producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall previously lived at the mansion.
New York-based firm Gwathmey Siegel & Associates designed the house, which was called the San Onofre Residence. According to the real estate website Redfin, the property is currently valued at more than $28.5 million. A search on Google maps reveals only an image of the exterior gate of the house.
In addition to their Los Angeles home, Hanks and Wilson own beachfront property in Malibu, according to Trulia. The couple also owns a vacation property in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Wilson & Hanks Sold Two Neighboring Homes In the Pacific Palisades For $17.5 Million in 2017
GettyTom Hanks and Rita Wilson
Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks loved the Pacific Palisades so much that they owned at least three homes in the area at the same time. For context, the neighborhood encompasses only 22.84 square miles, the Los Angeles Times reports.
According to the Real Deal, a website dedicated to Los Angeles real estate, Hanks and Wilson purchased their first Pacific Palisades home in 2003 before buying the next-door property in 2007. The properties cost the couple a combined $13 million. The smaller home has about 4,000 square feet of living space while the larger home measured 7,260 square feet, Real Deal reported.
The actors put both houses on the market in 2016 for a combined price of $18 million. Hanks and Wilson found a buyer in 2017 who was willing to purchase both properties for $17.5 million. According to Variety, the buyer’s name was not publicly disclosed. The buyer was listed as an LLC with a San Francisco address.
Rita Wilson Is Raising Money For the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund With a Remixed Song
In addition to hosting, Rita Wilson may sing during the CMT Giants special. She recently released a remixed version of Hip Hop Hooray with Naughty By Nature. Net profits from the song will be donated to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.
Wilson shared the experience of recording the song in an Instagram post. On April 6, she posted a video from the recording studio and wrote in the caption:
Hip Hop Hooray is like modern day Shakespeare. I originally learned the song for one of the most fun roles I ever played in the film Boy Genius. It took me a month to learn because it’s so complex and nuanced; it was like training for a marathon. The rhythms and tempos are so unique and creative. When I was quarantined and recovering from COVID-19 I wanted to see if I still remembered it, kind of like a brain exercise. To my surprise I did. I thought it would be fun to put it on my Instagram to show people I was doing okay and to make them smile. When @naughtybynature4ever commented about it, I couldn’t believe it. What a joy to be doing this remix with legends of the Hip-Hop world. I’m forever grateful for their generosity of spirit and for being able to raise money together for @musicares COVID-19 Relief Fund. Hit the link in my bio to listen to it and donate on YouTube! Available on all music platforms 4/10 ?
In a statement released by CMT, Wilson said she felt honored to host the tribute concert. “Kenny Rogers introduced so many to country music. His songs crossed over into many genres,” Wilson said. “I’ll never forget the evocative angst in Kenny’s voice on ‘Ruby,’ the unmistakable hooks and his unique, authentic ability to tell a story in ‘The Gambler,’ and of course, the perfection of his duet with Dolly Parton, ‘Islands in the Stream.’ Kenny’s impact has been indelible.”
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