NEWS OF THE STARS AND THE FAMOUS. Cont'd
Photo:
Britney Spears has pledged support
Jackson's
initiative is reminiscent of his work on the all-star American charity single We
Are The World. He co-wrote and performed the song in 1985 to aid victims of the
famine in Ethiopia. Scores of US pop stars participated on the song which raised
$65m (£44m) for the USA for Africa relief fund. It followed the Live Aid
concert organized by UK star Bob Geldof. That was held simultaneously in Wembley
Stadium, London, and the JFK Stadium, Philadelphia and raised about £40m for
famine relief. In his statement about his new venture, Jackson said: "We
have demonstrated time and again that music can touch our souls. "It is
time we used that power to help us begin the process of healing
immediately."
Reaction
Photo:
Nick Carter (centre) will represent the Backstreet Boys
Following
the terrorist attacks, many celebrities demonstrated respect and sympathy for
the victims. This included canceling concerts and public appearances organized
for last week. Some, such as Britney Spears, also issued statements of
condolence. Madonna cancelled one concert on her Drowned World Tour. She then
said she would donate the proceeds from others in Los Angeles to the relief
effort. The Backstreet Boys, who lost one of their stage crew on one of the
hijacked flights, plus Sade, Earth, Wind & Fire and Lynyrd Skynyrd are among
other musicians who have pledged funds. Jackson and the other singers also plan
to record a Spanish-language version of What More Can I Give. BBC
Britney cancels tour after
attacks
Photo:
Spears: Waiting for a flight to the US
Pop
singer Britney Spears has cancelled a promotional tour of South America and
Europe in the wake of the attacks on the United States.
The star, who was
on the last flight to leave America for Australia before the attacks took place,
will return to be with her family. "After much thought and deliberation it
is with great regret that I have decided to cancel my planned European and Latin
American promotion trips," she said in a statement. She was due to appear
in Cologne, Germany and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil after launching her third album
in Australia. She flew out to Sydney on the same flight as Keanu Reaves and US
Open tennis champion Lleyton Hewitt, and were only told of the attacks in
America when they landed. "We are currently unable to get flights back to
the United States, so we plan to stay in Australia until this is possible,"
Spears said. "[I] trust you will understand my decision to return home and
spend time with my family and loved ones."
Photo:
Madonna postponed a show in LA show.
Madonna will donate
the proceedings from her three Los Angeles concerts to charity
following
the attacks. Up to £70,000 could be raised at the shows, which took place on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Backstreet Boys, who lost one of their stage
crew on one of the hijacked flights, plus Sade, Earth, Wind & Fire and
Lynyrd Skynyrd are among the other musicians who have pledged funds.
Photo:
A member of the Backstreet Boys' crew died
Major record companies Vivendi Universal, Bertelsmann and the EMI Group have said they will give a total of $8m (£5.4m) to relief efforts. American electronic band I Am The World Trade Center have temporarily shortened their name after the attacks. They will now be known as I Am The... and will donate part of the proceeds from their debut album Out of the Loop to the United Way's September 11th Fund. And American rockers Jimmy Eat World have changed the name of their forthcoming single, Bleed American, to just Bleed in response to the events.
End of the article.