Epic Concert Brings Out the Heavyweights

Top musicians gather for the 12-12-12 concert to raise money for victims of super storm Sandy.

Published

5 months ago

Categories

Entertainment

Topics

Celebrity

People

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Mc Cartney, Mick Jagger, Jon Bon Jovi, Roger Waters

Places

United States of America, New York City, New Jersey

Transcript

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and the Rolling Stones joined with actors and comedians in headlining a benefit concert on Wednesday (December 12) for victims of Superstorm Sandy, which six weeks ago devastated scores of communities along the coastline of the U.S. northeast coastline. The celebrity-packed "12-12-12" concert at New York's Madison Square Garden stretched on for nearly five hours, and organizers said it was distributed to nearly 2 billion people worldwide through television feeds, radio and online streaming. "How do I begin again? My city's in ruins," Springsteen sang to the packed crowd. He was joined by fellow New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi for "Born to Run," ushering in a night of musical duets. Next up, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters performed alongside Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, and later Paul McCartney jammed with the surviving members of "Nirvana." "This has got to be the largest collection of old English musicians ever assembled in Madison Square Garden," Mick Jagger told the crowd. The Stones, in the midst of a brief U.S. tour, performed "You Got Me Rocking" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash." The concert was broadcast live on television, radio, movie theaters, on Facebook and iHeartRadio, and streamed on digital billboards in New York's Times Square, London and Paris. More than 130 people were killed when Sandy pummeled the East Coast of the United States in October. Thousands more were left homeless as the storm tore through areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, causing billions of dollars in damage. Throughout the show, celebrities shared memories of growing up in New York City or the Jersey Shore, and offered shout-outs to first responders. As the show neared its finale, organizers said it had raised $30 million from corporate sponsors, ticket sales and donations. The total raised from called-in pledges will take more time to calculate, said a spokesman for the Robin Hood foundation, the concert's major beneficiary. Donations raised from the concert produced by Clear Channel Entertainment and the Weinstein Co, will all go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which will provide money and materials to groups helping people hardest hit by the storm. New Jersey is expected to take 40 percent of the total, while the rest will be divided up between New York City, Long Island and Connecticut.