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The music world came together Saturday for “The Concert for the City of New York” to benefit the Sept. 11 attack victims. Stars included Paul McCartney, Elton John, the Backstreet Boys, Billy Joel, U2’s Bono, David Bowie and others. McCartney took a special interest in New York’s firefighters, passing out about 100 tickets to the event worth $2000. He also premiered his new single, “Freedom,” at the concert, Reuters reports. Such a combination of rock, pop and oldies celebrities taking the stage for the charity hasn’t been seen since 1985, when the Live Aid concert benefited victims of the famine in Africa.
In General
Pam Grier, star of Jackie Brown canceled her appearance at the High Falls Film Festival (a festival celebrating accomplishments of women), according to The Associated Press. Grier said she would send videotaped remarks instead.
Jay Leno‘s Harley Davidson has a high bidder. Frank Davis, of Portales, N.M., bid $360,200 for the star-signed “hog,” according to AP. Davis appeared on Leno‘s show Friday telling the host “we want to show this off” and continue raising money for the Sept. 11 attack victims.
Taliban, a new book by Pakistani author Ahmed Rashid was atop the New York Times No. 1 bestseller list for paperback nonfiction, Reuters reports. The book took 21 years to research and write then another two years to find a publisher. Translated into nine different languages, it details the politics and history of Afghanistan’s Taliban.
Entertainment Weekly has compiled a list of the 10 most powerful people in entertainment. At the top are the execs behind American Pie 2, Ron Meyer and Stacey Snider, according to AP. Others on the list include Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey and Tom Cruise.
Danish director Lars von Trier, whose Dancer in the Dark won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, will stage Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen in 2006, according to the BBC.
NBC’s Providence will be shot in California rather than on location in Providence, R.I., AP reports. The network changed its plans as a result of last month’s terrorist attacks.
Cecilia Bartoli, soprano opera singer, won artist of the year at the 25th Gramophone Awards Saturday, according to the BBC. The awards are the Grammys of classical music. Other winners included Murray Perahia, instrumental prize, and Antonio Papano, opera prize.
Joan Collins‘ most recent project is on stage in London. Neither the play, Over the Moon, nor her performance are getting great marks from the critics, according to the BBC. One critic calls it “an unconvincing comedy” with no “reason for the audience to have sympathy with the characters.”
