Tribute CD, Other Songs Benefit Charity
September 27 -- A CD of the musical performances from America: A Tribute to Heroes is coming soon, with proceeds from the fund-raiser also going to relief efforts
Organizers said today that it's too soon to know which of the performances from Friday night's telethon, or how many in all, will be on the CD. Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope/Geffen/A&M Records, is overseeing efforts to obtain rights for the companion CD, insiders told Reuters.
Musicians who participated in the telethon, which raised $150 million in pledges, include Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Enrique Iglesias, Celine Dion, Bon Jovi, Alicia Keys, Sheryl Crow, Eddie Vedder, Neil Young, Wyclef Jean, Mariah Carey, Tom Petty, Billy Joel, and Willie Nelson, who was accompanied by a bevy of non-singing stars on a rendition of "America The Beautiful."
Michael Jackson Was Invited But Didn't ShowAs to reports that Michael Jackson was snubbed from participating in the telethon, publicist Barbara Brogliatti told Reuters that he was invited, but didn't end up in the final lineup. "No one was turned down because we didn't want them there. There were a lot of logistical reasons why a lot of people … couldn't be there," she said.
Jackson, meanwhile, is working on his own fund-raising song, "What More Can I Give." Among the artists joining him in the studio since last week were Destiny's Child, Reba McEntire, Tom Petty, Brian McKnight, Seal, and Boyz II Men, a spokeswoman told Reuters.
Houston Re-Releases "Star-Spangled Banner"Other music with proceeds earmarked in the name of charity includes Whitney Houston's 1991 rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," which is being re-released. The proceeds will be split between the New York Firefighters Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police Fund, her label, Arista, said. Houston originally performed the national anthem before the start of the Super Bowl during another time of patriotic fervor: the Persian Gulf War in 1991. The song was released as a single and certified gold in April 1991. Profits from its first release went to the Gulf War Crisis Fund.Reuters contributed to this story.
Popular Reads
ABC News Live