Orlando, Fla., October 5, 2010 – Roll out the red carpet and prepare to make rock history on Thursday, October 21, 2010, as Hard Rock International’s global Ambassadors of Rock Tour travels to the “City of Angels” to celebrate the Grand Opening of its new Hollywood Boulevard cafe! The exclusive V.I.P. event will feature a 21 Gibson® guitar smash salute and a live performance by three-time GRAMMY® Award winner and multi-platinum recording artist Robin Thicke, along with special guest Australian singer/songwriter Orianthi. During the event, Thicke will also donate personal memorabilia, including the suit he will wear that evening, which will become a permanent addition to Hard Rock’s world-famous collection. 

Three-time GRAMMY® Award winner and multi-platinum recording artist Robin Thicke is currently touring to promote his fourth studio album Sex Therapy. For the first time, Thicke is leavening his classic soul sound with more contemporary R&B, Rock, Electronic and hip-hop influences and collaborators — seen in the presence of guest artists like Jay-Z, Nikki Minaj, Kid Cudi, Estelle, Snoop Dogg and Game. 

Joining Thicke as supporting act is Australian singer/songwriter and guitar prodigy Orianthi. At age 25, Orianthi has already experienced what most aspiring musicians only dream of: she's opened for her hero Steve Vai, backed Idol’s Carrie Underwood, traded solos with the legendary Carlos Santana and shared the stage with the King of Pop. Orianthi is currently touring in support of her sophomore album, Believe, on Geffen Records.

The event will benefit the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC), an organization whose mission is to provide permanent supportive housing and a safe and healthy community fostering dignity, respect and personal stability and advocating an end to homelessness for women. 
 
“It’s amazing to have Robin Thicke and Orianthi together to help us ‘officially’ open the new Hard Rock Cafe – a combination that is guaranteed to rock Hollywood Boulevard,” said Brian Siemienas, Head of Global Marketing - Cafes, Hard Rock International.  “We are also truly excited to have GRAMMY winner Robin Thicke join our Ambassadors of Rock Tour lineup.”

In addition to an unforgettable live concert, the V.I.P. grand opening celebration will include a star-studded red carpet and guitar smash with Robin Thicke, DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill and Orianthi to commemorate Hard Rock’s much-anticipated new cafe on Hollywood Boulevard. The event will feature appearances by representatives of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, owners of Hard Rock International; Hamish Dodds, President and CEO of Hard Rock International; local celebrities, athletes, actors and more.

Rockin’ Around the Globe!
For the fifth consecutive year, Ambassadors of Rock will bring together Hard Rock Cafes, Live venues and Hotels & Casinos around the globe to help spread the universal language of rock. Robin Thicke joins an eclectic group of artists on Hard Rock’s 2010 Ambassadors of Rock Tour, including The Pixies in Las Vegas, Neil Young in Hollywood, Fla. and an all-star lineup at Hard Rock Calling in London with Pearl Jam, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Corinne Bailey Rae, Ben Harper and Relentless 7, Elvis Costello and The Gaslight Anthem.  

About Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood on Hollywood Boulevard
The new Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood on Hollywood Blvd. officially opened its new location at the Hollywood & Highland Center, beside the world-famous Kodak Theater, and just steps away from Grauman’s Chinese Theater on Hollywood’s starry Walk of Fame, on July 19, 2010.  A Silver LEED Certified cafe, the 20,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility features a 425-seat restaurant serving authentic American fare, open kitchen, cutting-edge multimedia technology and a dynamic live music area amidst rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia from Hard Rock’s iconic collection and a Rock Shop featuring Hard Rock’s limited-edition merchandise. 

About Downtown Women’s Center
Founded in 1978, the Downtown Women’s Center (DWC) is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that provides over 50,000 meals, 47 permanent supportive housing apartments, and a wide array of health, education, and other supportive services to more than 2,500 homeless and very low-income women each year. The Center meets our mission by offering a warm, friendly atmosphere that encourages homeless women to commit to their own betterment and healing process. Our supportive community and much-needed resources allow homeless women to reconnect with their sense of self, reclaim goals lost in the day-to-day struggle for survival on the streets, and move toward self-sufficiency. In the local Skid Row community, the Downtown Women’s Center is the only resource that is exclusively for and singularly dedicated to serving the unique needs of this population.  

DWC is committed to providing every individual woman with the personal support she needs in order to acknowledge her self-worth and dignity. Each woman is cared for and treated with a high level of respect. The Center is nationally recognized as a prototype for unique and effective programs serving homeless women. For more information, please visit www.dwcweb.org.  

About Hard Rock International
With a total of 169 venues in 52 countries, including 134 cafes and 14 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Pattaya, Bali, Macau, Penang and Singapore. Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced in Punta Cana, scheduled to open in 2010; Panama, scheduled to open in 2012; and Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2013. Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com or www.facebook.com/hardrockhotels. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com or www.facebook.com/hardrock.