In this Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015, photo, provided by Tamea Agle, Johnny Depp, left, and Gene Simmons perform at Lucky Strike bowling alley in Los Angeles during a charity concert benefiting Mending Kids, a charity that provides free corrective surgeries to children around the world. (Tamea Agle via AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Johnny Depp didn’t say a word as he stepped onto a small stage inside the Lucky Strike bowling alley. He just strapped on a guitar and started playing with the band.
One song later, Gene Simmons joined in.
The superstar pairing capped off a fundraising concert Sunday for MendingKids.org, an organization that provides hundreds of free corrective surgeries each year for children around the world. Besides Depp and Simmons, the event also featured a surprise reunion of rock group Extreme for a performance of their 1991 classic “More Than Words.”
After appearances by various musicians, Depp quietly joined the house band to play Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out.” (The 52-year-old actor announced last week that he is forming a band with Cooper and guitarist Joe Perry called Hollywood Vampires that will release a self-titled album next month and donate proceeds to charity.)
His hair slicked back, Depp wore jeans and an oxford shirt topped with a gray vest. He played a white electric guitar. In a statement provided by his publicist, Depp said he was “thrilled to be a part of an event that benefits children around the globe.”
“Mending Kids is not only changing the lives of these kids, but making a difference in developing countries that are in need of medical care,” he said.
Simmons was the last to take the stage. A supporter of MendingKids.org for several years, the 65-year-old entertainer invited anyone with $1,000 to donate to the organization to come up and sing with the band. About 10 donors took him up on the offer, including his son and daughter, and they shared the stage with Depp, Simmons and the rest of the band during the closing number, the Kiss hit “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
After the show, Depp waved to fans and disappeared out a side door.
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