Bon Jovi to kick off concerts for lung cancer research

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi will kick off the Stand Up For A Cure 2008 Concert Series next week with a show in New York to help raise funds for lung cancer research, organizers said on Thursday.

The Feb 12 concert will be dedicated to the memory of Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora's late father, who received care at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, a beneficiary of funds to be raised during the year-long concert series.

The series will also feature performances by comedian Jerry Seinfeld, Brian Wilson, composer of many of the Beach Boys' hits, and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Additional concerts are expected to be announced shortly, organizers said.

"Our goal is to cure lung cancer," Dr Mark Kris, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering, said in a statement.

"We applaud Stand Up For A Cure for making lung cancer research a priority, and helping us get one step closer to our goal."

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among both men and women in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute.

(Reporting by Bill Berkrot; editing by Patricia Reaney)