AceShowbiz - Sammy Hagar, Kevin Cronin and John Waite are set to perform at the second-annual fundraising gala for the Stage Red Fontana Youth Music Foundation on Friday, October 23. The event will be held at Stage Red Fontana, located at 8463 Sierra Ave. in Fontana, California.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Fontana native will be joined by vocalist Shane Cronin and guitarist Vic Johnson for what is billed as an acoustic evening of stories and music. Tickets and sponsorship packages are available for purchase.

Hagar, the founding honorary board member of the foundation, continues to help mold the next generation of young musicians in Fontana. The foundation funds instruments, resources and educational opportunities to make music accessible for students in the community.

"You never forget where you came from, and the Stage Red Fontana Youth Music Foundation is a chance to give back to my hometown community," Hagar said in a statement. "I'm really looking forward to this year's event. I'll have some great friends joining me on stage, and it's going to be a killer show."

Hagar has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, earning 25 platinum records as a solo artist and as the frontman of Van Halen and Montrose. His catalog includes songs like I Can't Drive 55, Right Now and Why Can't This Be Love. In 2024-25, his Best of All Worlds tour became one of the year's top-grossing rock runs, leading into his current Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM and the live album Sammy Hagar & The Best of All Worlds Band: The Residency.

Kevin Cronin, the vocalist, frontman and songwriter of REO Speedwagon for over 50 years, has sold over 40 million records worldwide, including nine consecutive certified platinum-plus albums. He wrote the Billboard No. 1 hits Keep on Loving You and Can't Fight This Feeling, as well as Top 40 hits such as Roll with the Changes, Don't Let Him Go, Time for me to Fly, In My Dreams and Here with Me. Cronin earned a Grammy nomination for the Diamond Award winning, number one album Hi Infidelity. He will be joined on stage by his son, singer/songwriter Shane Cronin.

British singer-songwriter Waite first gained recognition in the late 1970s as frontman of The Babys, scoring hits including Isn't It Time and Every Time I Think of You before launching a solo career that produced 1984's Missing You, a No. 1 Billboard hit. In 1989, Waite returned to the top of the charts as frontman of Bad English with the Diane Warren-penned When I See You Smile.

"Music changes lives. With the Stage Red Fontana Youth Music Foundation, students can discover their passions in Fontana and share it with the world," said Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren.

Thanks to last year's fundraising efforts, band students across Fontana were equipped with new instruments and uniforms, and aspiring musicians, producers and songwriters had the opportunity to attend the prestigious Grammy Camp.

This year's honoree, Jonathan Peske, has been an integral part of music education for hundreds of students annually over the past 25 years in Fontana. His time at Summit Intermediate reflects a legacy of excellence, leadership and service. His philosophy is simple but powerful: develop students who create, understand and enjoy music while building skills that will serve them throughout their lives.

Guests at the gala will get a taste of Hagar's spirits with signature cocktails crafted using Santo Tequila and Sammy's Beach Bar Rum, available throughout the evening's cocktail hour and reception.

Individual tickets are available for $600 (floor and balcony seats) and $400 (mezzanine seats). The gala begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails, followed by dinner and programming at 7 p.m. and live performances at 8 p.m.