The work of a good samaritan is never truly done, and now thanks to some heavy metal legends, the lifesaving efforts of Kitten Rescue in Los Angeles will continue on valiantly. Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Slash (Guns N' Roses), drummer John Tempesta (The Cult, White Zombie), and Tracii Gunns (L.A. Guns) all recently donated items the non-profit group for auctioning, and some of the items were truly iconic.
Halford's infamous Kiss/"Hiss" parody and "Full Moon Kitty" t-shirts; an autographed top hat and Epiphone guitar from Slash; autographed drumhead and drumsticks from Tempesta, plus a pair of L.A. Guns New Year's Eve Bash tickets at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, plus a Schecter guitar and a private guitar lesson with Tracii Guns, were among the many items offer up for charity bids. Check 'em out here.
Kitten Rescue began as a grassroots network of feline fans and emerged into one of the most active animal rescue programs in Los Angeles. The non-profit's "Fur Ball At The Skirball" gala—their first since before the pandemic will be held tonight, October 8, at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles. You can find more information on the event here.
In 2020, The New York Times called listed Kitten Rescue as having one of the "Best Live Animal Feeds From Around the World"—recognized for live feeds of its nursery where cat lovers can view kittens and cats leaping, playing, sleeping, while they await adoption. Halford, of course, is no stranger to the good folks at Kitten Rescue. Back in April, we reported how the Metal God was asked by Kitten Rescue to name a new litter of kittens being welcomed to the world. Halford, in true metal fashion, named the kittens Taylor (after the late Foo Fighters' drummer), Turbo (Judas Priest's 10th album from 1986), Angel, Starbreaker, Rocker, and Mama Rose.
The Judas Priest singer turned 71 this August, and says he says his charitable deeds are all inspired by one special kitty that remains near and dear to his heart. In a 2020 interview, Halford said "I used to have a beautiful kitty cat called Ben, who lived a long life and then suddenly passed, like they all do. It's like losing a family member. But it was kind of difficult, because I'm on the road all the time and there's nobody here at the house…. So I'm kind of making up for that with my cat t-shirts every Saturday on my Instagram, which is a lot of fun."
