Springsteen, Bon Jovi & More Help Raise $23 Million For Hurricane Victims
November 5, 2012
Bruce Springsteen
Friday night's telethon to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy raised $23 million, reports MTV News. The special, which aired across multiple NBC platforms as well as iHeartRadio, featured performances from Bruce Springsteen, JonBon Jovi, Christina Aguilera, Sting and more.
Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together kicked off with Aguilera performing "Beautiful," while New Jersey native Bon Jovi played an acoustic mash-up of "Who Says You Can't Go Home" and "Living On A Prayer." Billy Joel played "Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)," and Mary J. Blige appeared for "The Living Proof." Sting played an acoustic, sparse rendition of The Police classic "Message In A Bottle."
Springsteen, Joel, Steven Tyler and NBC funnyman Jimmy Fallon joined forces for a cover of "Under The Boardwalk," and later Tyler returned with his Aerosmith cohorts Joe Perry and Brad Whitford for "Dream On." The show closed, appropriately enough, with Springsteen and his E Street Band playing "Land Of Hope And Dreams." A number of East Coast natives, including Tina Fey, Danny DeVito and Kevin Bacon, also appeared throughout the show to ask viewers to contribute to the American Red Cross.
"We are incredibly grateful and humbled by this outpouring of support for those who are suffering as a result of Superstorm Sandy," American Red Cross Chief Marketing Officer Peggy Dyer told USA Today. "Our preliminary results of nearly $23 million raised are an extraordinary example of how the American people pull together in times of disaster. Their generous donations will go directly to those in need, and we urge the public to continue to give."