Hollywood Superstars and music icons flooded the Hard Rock Café in Los Angeles for the "Designer Gibson Guitar Auction" to benefit the Expedition Inspiration Fund for Breast Cancer Research (May 3). Celebrities such as Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, Rod Stewart, Ellen DeGeneres, David Carradine, Joe Perry, Mick Fleetwood, Brian Johnson (AC/DC), Jeff Beck, Garry Shandling, David Duchovny, U2’s Bono and The Edge, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, No Doubt, Richie Sambora, Kiefer Sutherland, and many others came together to raise money for breast cancer awareness and research.

The auction, headed by Expedition Inspiration Auction Chair Tea Leoni, featured 50 Gibson SG Special guitars, custom painted and decorated by stars of film, TV and music, which were up for bid. One of the guitars auctioned was designed by Wendy and Kim Cobain, the late Kurt Cobain’s mother and sister. Kurt’s mother, a breast cancer survivor, decorated the guitar with never before seen photos of the Nirvana frontman.

Garry Shandling had the highest bid of the evening, purchasing a Gibson SG painted by U2’s The Edge and signed by Bono. Other big bids of the evening included the guitar painted by Latina artist Soraya, which was purchased by an "Access Hollywood" cameraman, in memory of his sister whom he lost to breast cancer. Soraya was her favorite artist. Guitars by Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck and Joe Perry also brought big bucks.

The guitars have been up for bid online since April 24th on Julian's, and all guitars were donated by Gibson. All money raised from the star-studded event will go to benefit research at the USC/Norris and UCLA/Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Centers.

Expedition Inspiration is a national nonprofit organization that raises awareness and funds to benefit breast cancer research through research project funding, public education and patient support. Since its inception in 1993, Expedition Inspiration has been instrumental in calling attention to the breast cancer epidemic and the urgent need to find a cure.