Elliman Cares: Love Rocks NYC Cofounder Greg Williamson on the Unifying Power of Music

By Grace Cassidy

Developing up in Brooklyn Heights, Greg Williamson had a front-row seat to the household genuine estate business. His mom, Madeline Williamson, was after Douglas Elliman’s top rated-marketing broker in the borough and motivated her son to observe in her footsteps. “She taught me all the things I know about the business,” says Williamson, who has continually ranked among the major 1% of brokers in the nation because commencing his career 17 yrs in the past.

In addition to getting a prosperous real estate agent, Williamson has committed his time and electricity to charitable and philanthropic pursuits—primarily as a result of the nonprofit God’s Really like We Produce, which prepares and provides totally free medically tailor-made foods to individuals who are much too sick to give for by themselves. He began doing the job with God’s Adore 10 years back, and in 2017, he deepened his involvement with the group by cofounding Love Rocks NYC, a marquee yearly profit concert that has raised far more than $20 million to day.

The sixth yearly occasion will be held March 10 at the Beacon Theatre and element performances by Keith Richards & The X-Pensive Winos, Mavis Staples, Melissa Etheridge and Hozier, amid other musical acts. Elliman Insider spoke with Williamson in the operate-up to the present about his historical past with God’s Adore, pursuing passions past authentic estate and creating very good on his objective “to unite men and women by the ability of tunes, to assistance New Yorkers in require and to have a bad ass yearly rock ‘n’ roll concert.”

EI: What created you want to get associated with God’s Like We Supply?

GW: Following my spouse and I received married, we appeared for a charitable business to get involved with—and preferably to develop with. We frequented many nonprofit corporations, and God’s Like We Produce, with its mission of feeding people who are as well ill to cook or shop for on their own, resonated with us most. We experienced equally shed mother and father who struggled with consuming and nourishment in direction of the stop of their life, and God’s Really like was holding folks alive with medically personalized foods. It right away strike dwelling. It has now been 10 many years of being concerned with God’s Adore, and my affiliation with the firm has altered my existence in methods I never ever could have imagined.

EI: What encouraged you to start off Really like Rocks NYC?

GW: I was a number of many years into my journey with God’s Love—I experienced joined the Board of Trustees, and my spouse was on the Board of Directors—and I wanted to consider my involvement to the up coming stage. I had also not too long ago give up drinking, and I felt a sturdy wish to pursue passions further than serious estate.

Songs has generally been in my DNA, and I have been observing and listening to audio due to the fact I was a young kid. So, acquiring dabbled in a several lesser productions and genuinely owning no strategy what I was accomplishing or obtaining into, I experienced the nuts thought to create one of the biggest benefit concerts in New York City—and to do it at the iconic Beacon Theatre. Of program, the beneficiary was going to be God’s Adore We Deliver due to the fact we cherished the group. They currently had a terrific popularity, and I experienced a emotion that the cause was one particular that the two sponsors and artists would want to get at the rear of.

EI: Starting an once-a-year event of this scale is no compact feat! What was that working experience like? 

It was complicated and complicated, to say the minimum. Absolutely everyone in the tunes business advised me to stop whilst I was in advance. They all counseled me for the concept and appreciated my determination and enthusiasm to give back again, but they explained that the plan was one particular that was extremely unlikely to realize success. Every person referenced how uncommon it is to see a effective advantage concert—meaning a single that tends to make cash for the charity and constantly has artists donate their time—year immediately after 12 months.

I didn’t give up or consider no for an response, but I understood there was no way this was taking place with no associates. My to start with contact was to world-wide situations producer and loved ones friend Nicole Rechter (with whom I now have a songs production corporation known as RWE Companions). My 2nd conference, which took various months to plan, was with the fashion designer John Varvatos. John’s brand is steeped in rock ‘n’ roll, and I knew he had deep connections to artists and persons in the tunes business. I also ought to give important credit history to the individuals at God’s Really like and our tunes director, Will Lee. Without their passion, partnership and belief, the project would never ever have gotten off the floor.

Six a long time later on, we have elevated above $20 million and funded above two million foods for New Yorkers in will need. The list of musicians and actors that have performed Like Rocks NYC is astounding. The amount of money of press that the live performance has garnered for the charity, specifically a nearby charity, is unprecedented. All the stars aligned, and it has certainly develop into just one of the most expected live shows across the region.

It is evidence that when you have the ideal intentions and surround your self with smart and kindhearted people, the sky is the limit in terms of what you can execute and the effects you can have.

Understand far more about God’s Appreciate We Produce and Enjoy Rocks NYC.