Glenn Frey of the Eagles Headlined Celebrity Fight Night XVI

American Idol’s Randy Jackson introduced featured guest Muhammad Ali

Glenn Frey of the Eagles, one of the world’s most successful rock bands having sold more than 120 million albums, headlined the entertainment at Celebrity Fight Night XVI on Saturday, March 20^th at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix. Celebrating his 50^th year on the world stage, Muhammad Ali  received a special introduction from Grammy Award-winning producer and American Idol judge, Randy Jackson.

Joining Frey was Grammy Award-winning leading lady of country music Reba McEntire, who  returned for her fifth year as emcee as well as 15-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer, David Foster, who served as musical director for his 11^th consecutive year.

Receiving the Muhammad Ali Sports Achievement Award was sensational IZOD IndyCar Series and NASCAR driver, Danica Patrick.  Additionally, one of Hollywood’s most influential film producers Jerry Weintraub, was honored with the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award and Forbes 400 businessman and philanthropist, Walter Scott, Jr., was recognized with the Muhammad Ali Business Leadership Award. Guests  enjoyed additional performances by Reba McEntire, Charice, Michael Johns, The Canadian Tenors, Sam Moore and Melissa Peterman. Following the event, The John Corbett Band provided the after-party entertainment.

Joseph Cinque along with the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences presented “The Dinner of the Century” created with the unparalleled direction of the most celebrated chef and only Six Star chef in the world, Jean-Georges Vongerichten.  

Over the past 15 years, Celebrity Fight Night has raised nearly $60 million. Celebrities and professional athletes from all over the country join Muhammad Ali each year for this action-packed night filled with incredible live auction items and musical performances by many of today’s brightest stars.  Previous guests include Jon Bon Jovi, Kevin Costner, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Sharon Stone, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Donald Trump, Jim Carrey, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Larry King, Garth Brooks, Dennis Quaid and many more. 

Individual tickets ranged from $2,000 to $5,000 each.  

Celebrity Fight Night’s legendary live auction items were seen by guests as one of the most anticipated aspects of the action-packed evening. The coveted auction items were once-in-a-lifetime experiences that cannot be bought or found elsewhere. 

Items this year included:

• Dinner with Champions – Muhammad Ali, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Nash
• 10-Day Vacation in Tuscany and Dinner Under the Stars with Andrea Bocelli
• Enjoy five Days in Cabo San Lucas including Dinner and Golf with Kurt Warner
• A Dinner of Comic Relief with Billy Crystal and Robin Williams
• Dinner with Oscar Winner, Kevin Costner in Santa Barbara
• Dinner with Reba McEntire
• Dinner with Oscar Winner Michael Douglas in New York and Beach Vacation in Bermuda
• American Idol Party with Michael Johns and $100,000 Home Theatre Package from Elite Home Technology
• Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star Justin Upton hosts D-backs game at Chase Field
• Royal Dinner with King James
• Private Fijian Island Getaway
• One-of-a-kind 2010 DUB Edition Lincoln MKT

About Celebrity Fight Night

Celebrity Fight Night Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1994 by Jimmy Walker to support the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, as well as numerous other charities. Sponsoring this year’s event were CA, Climatec, US Airways, Casino Arizona, Federal Express and Flight Options. For more information, visit www.celebrityfightnight.org or www.facebook.com/celebrityfightnight.