High Graphics | BBC Sport>>
Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | AudioVideo | High Graphics | BBC SPORT>>
Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | AudioVideo |
Entertainment Contents: Showbiz | Music | Film | Arts | TV and Radio | New Media | Reviews |

BBC News Online: Entertainment: Showbiz


Wednesday, 19 September, 2001, 10:58 GMT 11:58 UK

Showbiz world rallies with telethon


The stars will donate their time for Friday's charity show
The stars will donate their time for Friday's charity show
Jim Carrey, Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise will appear on a telethon to raise money for those affected by the US attacks in a rare collaboration by all four major American TV networks.


Line-up for America: A Tribute to Heroes
Jim Carrey
Tom Cruise
George Clooney
Cameron Diaz
Robert De Niro
Clint Eastwood
Calista Flockhart
Kelsey Grammer
Julia Roberts
Tom Hanks
Will Smith
Robin Williams
Dixie Chicks
Faith Hill
Billy Joel
Tom Petty
Paul Simon
Bruce Springsteen
Stevie Wonder
Neil Young

ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox will screen America: A Tribute to Heroes on Friday night, and the show will also be offered to smaller networks and cable channels.

Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young will perform for the event, while Frasier star Kelsey Grammer will also appear after Frasier's creator died in one of the hijacked planes.

Viewers will be encouraged to donate money to charities helping survivors and victims' families during the show.

Pop singer Britney Spears has announced her own plans to help those whose loved ones were killed.

Up to $2m (£1.36m) from her forthcoming tour will be put towards charities helping family members of fire fighters and police officers who died in the World Trade Center bombing.

Britney Spears
She will donate $1 (68p) from every ticket on her 34-date North American tour, will auction some front row seats and will sell charity merchandise.

The proceeds from the re-release of Whitney Houston's rendition of Star-Spangled Banner will also go towards the funds.

The version was first released in 1991 during the Gulf War, and became a unifying song for the country.

Recorded at the at the Super Bowl XXV American football game, it was said to have moved many to tears at the time.

Whitney Houston
Houston's version is already being played on American radio stations, and all proceeds from the sale of the single will go to New York police and fire fighters' charities.

"I think that it's something that helps pull us together and brings us together as a nation," according to Arista president Antonio 'LA' Reid.

The showbiz world recently announced a star-studded fund-raising album, headed by Michael Jackson and also featuring Britney Spears, Destiny's Child and members of the Backstreet Boys.

It is hoped that the project will raise $50m (£34m).

David Letterman
American TV schedules are slowly getting back to normal, with programmes including David Letterman's Late Show returning to screens for the first time since the hijacked planes were crashed last week.

An emotional Letterman was seen talking to legendary news anchorman Dan Rather, who broke down in tears during the show.

But the attacks have forced schedulers to rethink some of their shows.

A pilot episode for new CIA series The Agency has been shelved because of references to Osama Bin Laden and a plot to bomb a London building.

The start of New York-based police and fire drama The Third Watch has been put back to mid-October due to production problems caused by the attacks.

US Big Brother producers have told one contestant that her cousin is missing after the World Trade Center collapse.

Monica Bailey, 40, is free to leave the house, but has chosen to stay, the Sun newspaper says.


Related to this story:
Jackson plans record for attack victims (17 Sep 01 | Music) Britney cancels tour after attacks (16 Sep 01 | Music) Hollywood 'changed forever' (13 Sep 01 | Film) Hollywood sent back to cutting room (13 Sep 01 | Film) Musicians pays tribute to US victims (12 Sep 01 | Music) Bomb blast movie pulled (12 Sep 01 | Film) US box office rallies (17 Sep 01 | Film) Farm Aid called off (14 Sep 01 | Music)


Internet links: Fox | NBC | CBS | Britney Spears | ABC | Whitney Houston | The Late Show with David Letterman | America: A Tribute to Heroes |
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
High Graphics | BBC Sport>>
Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | AudioVideo | High Graphics | BBC SPORT>>
Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | AudioVideo |
Entertainment Contents: Showbiz | Music | Film | Arts | TV and Radio | New Media | Reviews |

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage | ©