So Alicia Keys is opening the broadcast singing beautifully of course at the Piano. She's singing "Prelude to a kiss" and she sounds amazing!
George Clooney is the first speaker of the night, urging everyone to donate and get involved. He tells us that there are many celebrities working the phone. And I see what looks like funny man Dave Chappelle, Garcelle Beauvais, Elijah Wood and so many more working those phones. God bless them!
A man serenades us with "We shall overcome" After Halle Barry tells us the story of a young Haitian boy saved from the rubble. Anderson cooper gives us an update on the ground and lets us know how dire the situation is. Haiti needs as much money as possible, there are so many people that need it.
Stevie Wonder sings a medley of " A time to love" "bridge over troubled water" and "shelter in the rain". He is amazing as always. Wyclef speaks out next and he say he's not just Haitian, he's African. He also speaks of the horrors that he's experienced in Haiti during the tragedy. He's pulled out bodies of his friends etc. He's so strong but I'm sure he's hurting so much inside.
Shakira sings "stand by you" and Reese Witherspoon takes a call in which a viewer donated some money. Anderson Cooper interviews a Man who runs an orphanage in Haiti. He housed many kids before the earthquake, now he's struggling to take care of hundreds.
John Legend is next on the Mic singing "motherless child" his voice is eerie and amazing. The collaboration of Legend and the piano with the violinists is achingly beautiful. He sings "like a motherless child" over and over again and it hits me. There are so many motherless children in Haiti right now.
Jon Stewart is next and speaks about people texting underneath the rubble ' I am here I am alive' he ends by saying "Haiti is listening, what will they hear?" Mary J. Blige is singing wonderfully, it sounds like a Negro spiritual and I feel it deep in my soul. I'm so touched.
Samuel L. Jackson urges people to call in their contributions. Then a guy from Haiti gives a gut wrenching testimony. After losing family in Haiti, he asks why was he so lucky. He was so powerful and it was so important to see him on this telethon.
Taylor Swift is the next singer up, and she sounds sweet and comforting. Another video of victims shows a woman saying "Don't be afraid of death" in a foreign language. Nicole Kidman speaks next and Christina Aguilera is on the mic. She gives me chills as she sings. Her powerful voice is so marvelous.
"I cant imagine what those kids are going through" says a nurse and caller with 2 kids Julia Roberts answers the call and lets the woman know that she said the same thing to her husband.
Anderson Cooper shows a clip of downtown Port-Au- Prince in so much ruin, then he learns that a 15 year old was buried under the rubble the cameras roll as the community comes together to free the girl. Finally she is rescued from rubble and is very grateful.
Clint Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio tell the story of a Haitian Peace keeper named Andrew Greene who died in the Aftermath of the Earthquake. Next up is the talented Beyonce and she sings the hit song "Halo". That performance was ingenious. She sang "Haiti I can see your Halo..."
Stephen Spielberg answers a call from a minister who spoke of her frustration with conveying the message of Haiti to her congregation. Morgan Freeman recites a poem written about Haiti entitled "in tomorrows toussaint" It is absolutely beautiful!
Kid rock and some other folks sing "Lean on Me: with a trio of guitars. Not sure who the others are but I'll figure it out. Anderson cooper lets us see the 15 year old girl who was rescued from the rubble, her name is Bee and she lost ten family members.
Bill Clinton say's "it will take all of us to help the people of Haiti" (the Clinton Bush Haiti foundation was thought up by Obama). Madonna sings with a huge choir in the background. She sings "I'll take you there". Ben Stiller informs us of the children who lost schools and Dr. Sanjay Gupta's story is so touching. He finds a baby who is 15 days old with a head injury and is in urgent need of help. He wraps her head with gauze and the baby starts to suck her thumb. Gupta looks around and says that he's never seen anything like this before.
Catherine Porter a woman trying to adopt a girl in Haiti wasn't able to bring the little girl back to Florida because of paperwork issues. She left the girl with her friend in Haiti and hasn't heard from the little girl or her friend ever since. She said that she hasn't given up hope. These stories will break your heart.
Justin Timberlake sings followed by a touching Chris Rock reading the words of the Muhammed Ali
who is sitting next to him as he reads. Zuccot means charity, and Ali urges us all to give . "Charity begins at home but it can't stop there".
Jennifer Hudson brings down the house singing the Beatles "Let it Be". Manly the little boy saved from the rubble makes an appearance with Anderson Cooper and his nurse. He looks healthy and so much better! God is Good!
Emeline Michel a local Haitian artist sings for us and her voice so lovely and bittersweet. "So many rivers to cross but I gotta find my way over" she sings.
Jay-Z, Bono, and Rihanna collaborate in a priceless performance. Jay- z raps:
when the sky falls
and earth quakes
we gonna put this back together
we wont break
While Bono amd Rihanna sings not gonna leave u stranded.
The telethon concludes with Wyclef Jean and band. He sings half of the song in Creole for Haiti. It's so uplifting though I don't understand the words. Jean then breaks out saying" enough with the sad stuff" and he shows how Haiti gets down. The drummer bangs an energizing beat and the band comes alive!
The band Chants:
earth quake,
we seen the earth shake
but the souls haitian people it will never break!
The event is over, and I urge everyone to give what you can. The people of Haiti is in desperate need of our help. I'll leave this entry with a quote by Gandhi. Be the change you wish to see in the world!
