America: A Tribute to Heroes

America: A Tribute to Heroes
Live album by Various artists
Released	2001
Recorded	September 21, 2001
Genre	Rock, pop
Length	91:18
Label	Interscope
Various artists chronology
The Concert for New York City (2001) America: A Tribute to Heroes (2001) United We Stand: What More Can I Give (2001)

America: A Tribute to Heroes was a benefit concert created by the heads of the four broadcast networks. Joel Gallen was selected by them to produce and run the show Joel Gallen. Actor George Clooney wrangled the celebrities to performed and to man the telephone bank (which was Clooney's idea). The marketing and public relations was headed by Warner Bros. EVP Corp Comm with assistance from the marketing and publicity departments of all four broadcast networks. It was broadcast live by the four major American television networks and all of the cable networks in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001. Done in the style of a telethon, it featured a number of national and international entertainers performing to raise money for the victims and their families, particularly but not limited to the New York City firefighters and New York City police officers. It aired September 21, 2001, uninterrupted and commercial-free. It was released on December 4, 2001 on compact disc and DVD.

On a dark stage illuminated by hundreds of candles, twenty-one artists performed songs of mourning and hope, while various actors and other celebrities delivered short spoken messages. The musical performances took place at three studios in Los Angeles (CBS Television City), New York, and London, while the celebrity messages took place at Los Angeles.^{[citation needed]} Some of the musicians including Neil Young and Eddie Vedder were heard working the phone banks taking pledges. The money raised amounted to over $200 million, and was given to the United Way's September 11 Telethon Fund.

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine selected this concert, along with the later The Concert for New York City, as one of the 50 moments that changed rock and roll.

The show was also simulcast in Canada; Young and another Canadian singer, Celine Dion, performed.

Performers

• Bruce Springsteen: "My City of Ruins", a song he had performed at only a few New Jersey shows. Written before the September 11 attacks, it is actually about Asbury Park; with a few phrases slightly modified, and introduced as "a prayer for our fallen brothers and sisters."
• Stevie Wonder with Take 6: "Love's in Need of Love Today", from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life.
• U2 with Dave Stewart, Natalie Imbruglia and Morleigh Steinberg: "Peace on Earth" (intro)/"Walk On", both from their 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind.
• Faith Hill with gospel choir and keyboardist Paul Shaffer: "There Will Come a Day", from her 1999 album Breathe.
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: "I Won't Back Down", from Petty's 1989 solo album Full Moon Fever.
• Enrique Iglesias: A new single, "Hero".
• Neil Young: John Lennon's "Imagine", previously unrecorded by Young.
• Alicia Keys: Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free", previously unrecorded by Keys.
• Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik and Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst and Wes Borland: Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here", previously unrecorded by them. Some new lyrics were written for the occasion.
• Billy Joel: "New York State of Mind", from his 1976 album Turnstiles.
• Dixie Chicks: A new song, "I Believe In Love".
• Dave Matthews: Solo performance of "Everyday", from the Dave Matthews Band 2001 album Everyday.
• Wyclef Jean: Bob Marley and The Wailers' "Redemption Song", previously unrecorded by Jean.
• Mariah Carey: "Hero", from her 1993 album Music Box.
• Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi: "Livin' on a Prayer", from their 1986 album Slippery When Wet. It was performed as an acoustic version, with two guitars, percussion and a violin.
• Sheryl Crow: A new song, "Safe and Sound".
• Sting: "Fragile", from his 1987 album ...Nothing Like the Sun.
• Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready with Neil Young: "Long Road", a song originally appearing on Pearl Jam's Merkin Ball EP in 1995.
• Paul Simon: "Bridge Over Troubled Water", from the 1970 Simon & Garfunkel album Bridge Over Troubled Water.
• Céline Dion: "God Bless America".
• Willie Nelson accompanied by the entire Los Angeles-based ensemble: "America the Beautiful".

Speakers

• Tom Hanks
• George Clooney
• Will Smith
• Muhammad Ali
• Kelsey Grammer
• Jim Carrey
• Cameron Diaz
• Robin Williams
• Dennis Franz
• Jimmy Smits
• Calista Flockhart
• Amy Brenneman
• Conan O'Brien
• Sarah Jessica Parker
• Tom Cruise
• Ray Romano
• Jeff Goldblum^{[citation needed]}
• Lucy Liu
• Sela Ward
• Jane Kaczmarek
• Julia Roberts
• Chris Rock
• Robert De Niro
• Clint Eastwood

Broadcasters

Over 35 network and cable outlets simultaneously broadcast America: A Tribute to Heroes, including: ABC, CBS , Fox, NBC, A&E, BET, Country Music Television , Comedy Central, Court TV, Discovery Channel, E!, Fox Family, Fox Sports Net, FX, Galavision, Hallmark Channel, HBO, Lifetime, MTV, Oxygen, PAX, PBS, Sci-Fi, Showtime, Sundance Channel, Telemundo, TLC, TNN, TNT, The WB, Turner South, Univision, UPN, USA Network, VH1.

America: A Tribute to Heroes was simulcast on the Internet at www.tributetoheroes.org and at America Online, as well as on more than 8,000 radio outlets around the country, including Westwood One, Clear Channel Communications and ABC Radio  affiliates in major markets.

Internationally, America: A Tribute to Heroes has been distributed to broadcasters and cablecasters in more than 210 countries around the world. Further, the American Forces Network carried the program live on radio and television to American soldiers, sailors, airman and marines in over 175 countries around the world.

See also

• The Concert for New York City
• United We Stand: What More Can I Give
• Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief

External links

• America: A Tribute to Heroes at the Internet Movie Database
• Jammin' with Neil How and why Neil Young chose Imagine