Donate to Dick Wagner "The Remember the Child"

A powerful two‑night celebration at The Token Lounge as an all‑star lineup of world‑class musicians came together to honor the life, legacy, and humanitarian spirit of legendary guitarist and songwriter Dick Wagner. The “Remember the Child” Memorial Concert was not just a show — it was a heartfelt fundraiser dedicated to protecting, uplifting, and healing vulnerable children, echoing the mission Wagner championed throughout his life.

Across both nights, the Token Lounge transformed into a musical sanctuary where rock, blues, soul, and storytelling collide. The stage was packed with an all-star lineup:

• Lita Ford
• Derek St. Holmes
• Jim McCarty
• Robert Wagner
• Johnny Bee Badanjek
• Jimmie Bones
• School of Rock House Band 
• Miss Wensday - vocals
• Doug Podell - Emcee
• Joe Bass -Bass
• Garret Bielaniec - Lead guitar
• Bro Paul Brown -Music Director, Keyboard
• Jason Cartmell - Guitar
• Tino Gross - Guitar, vocals
• Ali McManaus - Youth Ambassador, Guitar, piano, vocals
• Tom Mein - Guitar
• Bobby Mertz - Drums

Renowned Artists paying tribute to Wagner’s unmistakable tone and songwriting brilliance.

Members of classic bands, touring pros, and Detroit‑area legends

Surprise guests honoring Wagner’s influence on generations of musicians. Each Artist brought their own voice, but all share one purpose: celebrating a man whose music shaped rock history and whose compassion shaped lives.

Soaring guitar duets, emotional ballads, powerhouse rock anthems, and rare collaborations.  From Alice Cooper–era classics to Wagner’s solo gems, the setlists honored the full arc of his career — the hits, the deep cuts, and the stories behind them.

Proceeds supported child‑focused charities inspired by Wagner’s original “Remember the Child” mission. Every ticket sold, every note played, and every moment shared helps protect children in crisis and gives them a chance at safety, dignity, and hope.  Read more, click the link below.

DWRTC.ORG

1. The Dick Wagner Remember the Child show was an all-star line-up, how long did it take to put this level of a show together? Tell us a little of the background for such a big show.

We’ve now promoted four Dick Wagner Remember the Child Concerts, each one graced with exquisitely talented musicians. We’ve put on concerts at the Fillmore Detroit, MotorCity Casino, and now at our new home, The Token Lounge. The first challenge for each concert is finding a date when our headliners and our Dick Wagner music family of musicians are available. As they’re donating their time to raise funds for our music therapy programs, we look for dates that don’t conflict with their schedules. Winter months work best, when fewer musicians are on tour. Weather can be a concern. During our first concert, we were hit with a blizzard and 7-degree temps! But our brilliant musicians, and Dick’s body of work, conquered the odds. As I watched the crowd streaming through the doors, I found my own tears of joy streaming down my face.

Another prerequisite is to ensure that our amazing Music Director, Bro Paul Brown, can commit to the date! His talent and exuberance – both onstage and off – is an essential component of our concerts. Bro Paul first joined the Dick Wagner Band when Dick was alive and touring. A Grammy winner and multi-Grammy nominee, you’ll see Bro Paul onstage exuding infectious and inimitable joy. He puts the same passion and commitment into creating rockin’ musical arrangements that are true to Dick Wagner’s legacy and to our headliners.

Dick Wagner built his career on brilliant guitar playing and songwriting, but also on his personal relationships with artists, friends, and fans. Every concert features extraordinary musicians who have chosen to fly in from Europe and across the country to perform in honor of Dick’s legacy and to raise funds for the charity. Our guest headliners are invariably star-studded and full of love. Beyond our headliners, our most important frontman is our dynamic and badass lead singer, Robert Wagner, Dick’s son.

There are a million moving parts to these concerts…. Gathering auction items (and writing a description for each item); providing six days of meals and sustenance to musicians and crew; writing a 16-page concert program with details about the charity, a bio for every artist, credits for every volunteer, and more. Many months of logistics go into booking hotels and flights, creating banners, videos, and posters… Musicians devote their precious time in advance to learn the music.

I especially wish to express my profound gratitude to our selfless volunteers, who put in literally over a thousand hours to make this concert and all our programs a success. They joyfully drove all over Detroit (and beyond) to collect auction items, drive musicians to and from airports and hotels, run errands, set up merch & auction tables, set up meals for the hungry team, and much more. We could not be successful without their invaluable support.

Above all… Throughout this project, and since our founding in 2014, my Co-Producer and our Director of Development, Victoria Woody, is our absolute MVP. In every sense of the word, Victoria is invaluable. Her

attention to detail and insight, her creativity, and her inspiring leadership make this event and all our programs possible. Throughout the week of our rehearsals and concert, Victoria was actually in hospital but running and managing an endless load of details by text and phone! It’s a tribute to her extraordinary spirit. I am honored and grateful every day for her partnership in this beautiful nonprofit.

From our amazing and brilliant musicians to our passionate audience, this concert weekend and all our concerts – are a total love fest!!!

2. What was your favorite part of the show at the Token? Besides all of it!!!

Yes, all of it for sure! But I would like to cite two favorite parts… One is the extraordinary passion and talent of our brilliant musicians! They donate their time with love. They put their hearts and souls into learning every chord, every challenging vocal, and mastering every musical nuance. They love playing together, and they love performing Dick’s extraordinary body of work. And they love performing to raise money to benefit the lives of children.

My other favorite part is the goal for our concert… We are all volunteers. Unlike most charitable organizations, we do not have overhead or administration costs. All profits go directly to support our music therapy programs for hospitalized and special needs children. Every donation, every ticket sale, every auction item sold goes much farther than it will go to any larger organization.

3. We were so happy to see Howard Hertz recognized, how did this come together?

Since 2014, Howard has been an invaluable board member and trusted advisor to the Dick Wagner Remember the Child Memorial Fund. He established our organization as a Michigan nonprofit and has continued to guide us with his expertise and thoughtful counsel. Howard became our mentor and friend and graciously agreed to be Chairman of our Board of Directors.

Beginning with our first concert fundraiser in 2015 (and for every concert since), Howard joined us onstage to introduce our programs and hospital partners. He also joins our musicians to sing background vocals! Howard has been an invaluable mentor and supporter, helping to share our mission and raise funds for the children we serve. In the years I’ve known Howard, I’ve learned that he’s not only an esteemed attorney and renowned “Super Lawyer, but he’s also a “hippie” and a rocker at heart. Whether he’s addressing a court or playing harmonica with a blues band, Howard’s message has always been the essence of peace and love.

We were honored to present Howard Hertz with the Rock Royalty Award for his enduring belief in the power of music, his generous support of musicians and the music community, and for his broad philanthropy supporting causes that uplift humanity and community. Howard Hertz IS Rock Royalty!

4. Anything you would like to tell us about The Dick Wagner. Remember the Child, Memorial Fund?

Music Therapy Programs: We proudly bring the healing power of music to hospitalized and special needs children. We provide each hospital with musical instruments for children to keep – ukuleles, violins, percussion, keyboards, and more. We donate all programs and musical instruments at no charge.

Fetal & Pediatric Heartbeat Programs: We donate stethoscope microphones and recordable stuffed bears, so that the heartbeats of babies and children at risk may be memorialized in a recording for families to keep.

Shake, Rattle & Rock®: We have produced an exciting streaming music video series especially for hospitalized children. Our series features more than 9 hours of virtuoso music performances in Rock, Broadway, Salsa, Jazz, Classical, Blues, and Country, including performances by many of the musicians who have performed at our Dick Wagner fundraiser concerts.

We are a small and nimble volunteer organization. Unlike larger nonprofit organizations, we have no admin or overhead. All profits go directly to support our music programs for children. 

1. Tell us a little bit about growing up in Michigan and what was the beginning of playing guitar?

I grew up in Livonia and went to high school in Detroit. My first instrument was accordion at age 7, but even as a kid I was obsessed with guitar. I used to draw pictures of Jimi Hendrix on my notebooks in school—he was my first guitar hero. I got an acoustic guitar at age 12 but didn't play it much. I wanted to play electric like my heroes. At age 14, I bought my first electric with money I saved as a busboy at my first job. I taught myself by ear at first. In the neighborhood I grew up in, there were a lot of other kids who played guitar, so we jammed constantly and learned from each other. Later I took some lessons from Robert Noll, a local Detroit blues legend who played with Albert King. From there, it was basement and garage bands, playing house parties and dive bars. Later, at age 50, after having played and taught professionally for 30 years, I went back to school and got my music degree.

1. Do you have a favorite style in playing or range? How long have you played guitar?

I've been playing guitar for 53 years now, and I love playing almost all styles of music.

Of course, I grew up listening to and playing Detroit rock and roll and punk—the Rockets, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, MC5, Amboy Dukes, etc. This past weekend, playing at the Dick Wagner tribute with Detroit legends like Johnny Bee Badanjek, Jim McCarty, and Derek St. Holmes was a great connection to my roots and a real blast.

I love rockabilly and adjacent styles like jump swing and played in a successful rockabilly band (The 56) for around 11 years.

I also love playing straight-ahead jazz and bebop and played in a modern big band for 5 years.

I dig playing honky-tonk and chicken-pickin'-style country.

Coming from Detroit, I also love playing R&B and funk and am currently playing in a modern R&B/funk/dance band with a great horn section called Amber Band.

I've played on metal albums, Spanish-language pop music, and jingles.

Sorry for the long answer. There's good music in every style, and I can usually find something fun to play in every genre.

1. What is it like to be you when on stage? What do you feel like? What's your favorite part of being on stage?

After 50 years of performing, the stage feels like home for me. I'm almost never nervous onstage anymore. I might have a lot of nervous energy beforehand, but I really channel it into performance. I love playing music, and I love performing.

I think my favorite part of performing is improvising with other great musicians. There's nothing like the feeling of spontaneously composing music with other players who often seem to know what you're going to play before you play it. That musical conversation is the closest thing to spirituality in my life.

There's also nothing like the feeling of playing original music and having the crowd sing along.

Music is communication and connection.

1. How did it feel coming back to Detroit for the Dick Wagner Memorial Concert Performance?

It was a joy and a trip: a reconnection with the music of my youth, in my hometown, 2 miles from the house I grew up in where I heard this music for the first time! I especially loved playing Dick's amazing version of "Sweet Jane" with my guitar buddy, the amazing Jason Cartmell, and Dick's son Robert (great singer and awesome cool person) on vocals. That was a song I studied and obsessed over and still consider to be one of the greatest rock guitar pieces ever recorded. Performing it was very moving!

It's still cold as f*** in Detroit though :) I've been living in Phoenix since 1982, so my blood has thinned out and I'm a desert rat now.

1. Did you get a chance to hang out in Detroit?

Not as much as I'd have liked to, but I did go to lunch with my brother, and we drove by my childhood home in Livonia.

1. What are things that inspire you?

Music is a constant source of inspiration.

I've been a teacher for 35 years. I'm constantly inspired by my students and love being able to pay the music forward. I've had many students go on to professional careers in music, as performers and teachers. Several of my students are now teachers at the same school where I teach rock band class, Desert Ridge Music Academy.

The past couple of years I've had the pleasure of teaching music and band to intellectually disabled adults at Civitan Corporation. The members there are adults with varying levels of cognitive and physical ability. Understanding how the brain processes music is fascinating to me. Seeing how music impacts disabled people in a positive way and getting to know these amazing members is a daily source of inspiration.

Here's my favorite music quote from an inspirational hero of mine, the genius Frank Zappa:

"Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST."

1. What are you looking forward to next?

I'm looking forward to playing gigs and writing new music with Amber Band, some new musical projects that may take me overseas for some gigs (I love to travel playing music), and reconnecting with some of the great people I met at the Dick Wagner show! All great musicians and cool people I hope to work with in the future.

Tom Mein