In a softly lit loft nestled within a commercial building in SoHo, portraits of iconic musicians line the walls in asymmetric clusters. One image in particular catches the eye: Bruce Willis grinning beside the late Dr. John at the Beacon Theatre in 2017.
The photo helped set the mood for Wednesday night’s intimate, invite-only event—a benefit concert celebrating Willis and raising funds for the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), which supports research and families affected by the rare brain disorder Willis was diagnosed with in 2023. Five musical acts took the stage—the venue’s house band, Norah Jones, Mavis Staples, Keith Richards, and Warren Haynes—uniting some of music’s most legendary voices. Willis’s ex-wife, Demi Moore, was there, as were Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan, among other stars.
The evening, presented by the Soho Sessions co-founders Gregory Williamson and Nicole Rechter, unfolded in a space interior designer Tawana Schlegel said she curated to “capture the ethos” of live music and community. That intention translated into every detail: Three tucked-away bars glowed softly in different sections of the loft, enticing attendees to grab a drink and mingle. Rows of plush green velvet couches lined the front of the stage, where VIP guests such as Whoopi Goldberg sat comfortably.
Willis’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, took the stage first to share a few opening remarks, “I honestly wish Bruce could be here, but he is here in spirit,” she said. She recalled when the organizers first approached her about hosting the event: “I was like, ‘Fuck yeah. Can we please have some fun?’”
The performances lived up to that sentiment. After the house band kicked things off with a harmonica-heavy groove, Jones stepped out to perform “The Long Way Home” and “Come Away With Me,” filling the room with her soft, soothing vocals.
Afterward, Staples made an upbeat entrance, walking out with a radiant smile and a rhythmic clap reminiscent of a Baptist church. She belted “City in the Sky” before calling Jones back up for a duet of “You Are Not Alone,” a gorgeous rendition they sang while holding hands. Staples ended her set with her 1972 hit “I’ll Take You There,” urging the crowd into a call-and-response to help deliver the titular refrain before finishing on a standing ovation.
The night carried on with Richards—at least “you don’t have to follow Mavis Staples,” he joked to the crowd—who performed a bluesy rock set, tearing through classics “Key to the Highway” and “You Got the Silver.” He then delivered an early Christmas present, breaking into Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run,” which featured a spectacular piano solo from renowned instrumentalist Ivan Neville.
Rounding out the evening, Haynes performed a soulful seven-and-a-half-minute rendition of “The Thrill Is Gone” before closing with “Soulshine” and “Statesboro Blues.” His electrifying guitar solos pierced the room, prompting one attendee in a Metallica jacket to fist-pump while others cheered.
Goldberg, who danced and swayed through each set, spoke to Vanity Fair after the show, saying, “I’m sad that this cause exists, but if we’re gonna fight it, this is the best way I can think of.” She also reflected on her longtime rapport with Willis: “We’ve been friends for 30 years, I think, so anything I can do for him and the family, I’m happy to do it.”
For Williamson, that spirit of solidarity has defined the Soho Sessions. “There’s nothing really like it because of the intimacy, the caliber of the artists,” he told Vanity Fair. “Everybody’s in it for the community, for the cause. You just have this room where the artist and the audience are of equal measure, and it all comes together in such a beautiful way.” He summed up the night: “The whole purpose was to bring people together and shine a light on the cause. Bruce always wanted people to have a great time.”
As guests lingered near the velvet couches after the event, laughing and chatting over a playlist of rock and soul tracks, it was hard not to feel the spirit of Willis’s famous quote: “Live it up.”
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