A worldwide concert featuring the likes of Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Stevie Wonder and Elton John — all performing from their homes — raised nearly $128 million for health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, humaniarian group Global Citizen announced Sunday.
“One World: Together At Home,” which aired Saturday night on ABC, CBS and NBC, brought together entertainers from around the world for a special two-hour event hosted by Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.
Lady Gaga, who helped launch the event, opened the show with a rendition of “Smile” after thanking the essential workers battling the global pandemic.
“I care so much about all of the medical workers that are putting their lives at risk for us right now,” she said. “I think of them every day, I pray for them every day, and I’m also thinking of all of you that are at home, who are wondering when this is all going to be different.”
Other performers included the Rolling Stones, with all four rockers in their own homes doing “You Can’t Always Get What You Want;” Wonder doing a rendition of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me” in tribute to his late friend, and Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello singing “What a Wonderful World.”
Beyoncé also made a surprise cameo to talk about the racial disparities among the infected.
“Black Americans disproportionately belong to these essential parts of the workforce that do not have the luxury of working from home,” she said. “And African-American communities at large have been severely affected in this crisis.
“This virus is killing black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America.”
Of the $127.9 million raised, $55.1 million will go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and $72.8 million to local and regional responders, Global Citizen said.
