Rimes' Ponte Vedra tornado benefit attracting big-name support

As Jonathan Jaxson of Jacksonville watched news footage of the recent tornado that ravaged Joplin, Mo., he was moved to help victims.

So he tweeted his friend LeAnn Rimes and told the country music star he wanted to put on a benefit concert and asked if she could she help.

"Whatever you need," she answered. They checked her schedule and "within eight hours, I had the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall booked," Jaxson said.

Despite the short notice, Rimes has been spreading the news about her relief effort Sunday evening among celebrity friends, and many are donating items to a silent auction in conjunction with the concert.

Now Jaxson is anxious to sell the 450 seats available so Rimes' event is a fundraising success and to demonstrate to the world that Jacksonville is a giving community. Tickets are $65 and $100 and can be purchased at www.concerthall.com.

The concert is generating national news, Jaxson said Tuesday. National media outlets such as Entertainment Tonight and People Magazine said they plan to cover it, he said.

Jaxson is renting the facility from St. Johns County and hopes to generate a lot of proceeds beyond covering his costs.

As a show business manager and publicist, Jaxson said he has worked with quite a few celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan and the Backstreet Boys. He said Kardashian plans to contribute an item for the silent auction, and thanks to Rimes, he's been hearing from many others, including Mariah Carey.

"Tim McGraw emailed last week that he will send something," Jaxson said. "Reba McEntire said, 'What can I give?'"

Kelly Clarkson is donating a signed guitar, and Jaxson also received memorabilia from Oprah Winfrey's final season.

The cast of the hit TV show "Glee" donated a bowling pin from the show, signed by the cast.

Taylor Swift has also been in touch, because "LeAnn is her inspiration," Jaxson said. Since Swift is scheduled to be in Orlando Saturday night, Jaxson said he is working on getting her to Rimes' concert for a "surprise duet."

Rimes "is a giving, kindhearted person," Jaxson said. "It was really cool" that she agreed to do the concert, he said, because she was on her honeymoon with actor husband, Eddie Cibrian, when he contacted her through Twitter.

"He said he wanted to host," Jaxson said. "I said, 'absolutely.'"