It will be a night like no other to help victims cope with a disaster like no other. Black Entertainment Television (BET) will bring together stars of music and entertainment in alliance with the National Urban League, American Red Cross, Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, Essence Communications and major recording labels for a primetime telethon to raise much needed aid for the victims of Hurricane
Katrina. The telethon is set for Friday, September 9 on BET, starting with a special
benefit episode of 106 & Park: BET’s Top 10 Live at 6 p.m. EST*, followed by the
telethon from 7:30 — 10 p.m. EST* (*telethon is tape-delayed to the West Coast;
toll-free pledge phone lines will be open).
The telethon will feature a roster of superstar artists, many with ties to the
affected areas, including Wynton Marsalis, Master P, David Banner, Juvenile, Baby and Lil Wayne (Cash Money) along with Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons, Alicia Keys, Diddy, Jay Z, Kanye West, Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman Antonio "L.A." Reid Common, Usher, Nick Cannon, Omarion, Pharrell Williams, Ciara, Ludacris, Keyshia Cole, Avant, Gerald Levert, Lyfe, Twista, Stevie Wonder, Brandy, Wyclef, Erykah Badu, Al and Star Jones Reynolds, Chris Rock and more.
Celebrity participants will give of their time and resources in an inspiring
effort to address tremendous devastation in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and
elsewhere. Telethon viewers can call designated toll-free phone numbers to make
financial pledges to the Red Cross relief efforts.
BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. is the United States’ leading television network providing quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs programming for the African-American audience. The BET Network reaches more than 80 million households according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.
Links to relief organizations:
National Voluntary Organizations Active in
Disaster
Episcopal Relief & Development.
Louisiana Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals
gbgm-umc.org/umcor, United Methodist Committee
National Voluntary Organizations Active in
Disaster
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
national.unitedway.org, United Way Hurricane Katrina Response Fund.
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
