Many surprises at benefit concert in Ragan Theater

Brady Fullmer, Mark Slaughter, Steve Bush playing a song written by Fullmer, which Slaughter later announced he would be producing. Photo credit: Trent Bates/ UVU Review

Students enjoyed a benefit concert hosted by Stephen Carnegie and headlined by Mark Slaughter, vocalist and rhythm guitarist for metal band Slaughter on Nov. 17.

The concert was held to raise money for the Donner-Galbraith Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was created out of the memory of UVU students, Blake Donner and Jennifer Lynn Galbraith who drowned, along with their friends Scott McDonald and Ariel Singer in early August 2005.

“I’m glad the [Donner-Galbraith Memorial] Scholarship is taking shape,” said Slaughter after the show.

Other performers included Haley Hendrickson, a 17-year-old Timpanogos High School student, Shannon Lee, Steve Bush, Adjacent to Nothing, a hard rock band from Orem and Broke City, an alternative rock band from Salt Lake City. Kelly Rooney, daughter of actor Mickey Rooney, Mr. USA Nick Scott, Brad Smith of PBS, Lauren Balman of Curb Records and screenwriter/producer Barry Morrow also spoke at the show. All artists and participants donated their time.

There were several surprise appearances. UVU music major Brady Fullmer was surprised when Mark Slaughter came on stage to perform with him. After the song Carnegie told Brady Fullmer that Mark Slaughter wanted to produce the song and write lyrics for him.

Parallax, a local hard-core punk rock band that Donner sang for, also made a surprise appearance at the concert. Parallax invited friends and fans to come up on stage and “scream along” if they knew the words.

“Blake was a free spirit and he was extremely intelligent and he would not tolerate lies,” said Professor Laura Hamblin, his mother. “He was very passionate.”

Mark Slaughter performed several songs and dedicated his song “Fly to the Angels” to Donner and Galbraith’s memory.

At the end of the show Mark Slaughter signed with Carnegie Entertainment. Afterward Carnegie surprised Hendrickson, Shannon and Adjacent To Nothing by signing them to his record label.

Tickets for students were $10, and 100 percent of proceeds went toward funding the scholarship. Rock fans crowding the Ragan Theater were full of energy the whole evening.