Look To The Stars News: U2

Angelina Jolie Donates Soundtrack Proceeds To Charity

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Angelina Jolie, Graham King Films and Varese Sarabande Records have announced that a portion of the proceeds from the In the Land of Blood and Honey soundtrack will be donated to SOS Children’s Villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The donation is given in support of the critically needed programs that SOS Children’s Villages provides in Bosnia and Herzegovina to children, youth and families still suffering from lingering effects of the 1990s war in the Balkans. In her directorial debut, Jolie worked with actors from the region whose personal experiences during the war helped inform and shape the film.

Jolie stated, “We are happy that a portion of the proceeds from the film’s soundtrack will support SOS Children’s Villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina to provide stable, family-based homes to children, regardless of religion, ethnicity or gender, who do not have their own families to care for them.”

Stars Cover U2 For Charity

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:35:00 +0000

(Ahk-toong Bay-Bi) Covered – a unique covers album of U2’s Achtung Baby featuring Nine Inch Nails, Patti Smith, Depeche Mode, Jack White, The Killers and others – is available for download worldwide starting today exclusively on the iTunes Store, with all proceeds to benefit Concern Worldwide’s work in famine-stricken areas of East Africa.

The album will be available on iTunes in the UK on November 28th.

With the support of iTunes, the Independent Online Distribution Alliance (IODA) and all of the participating artists, managers & labels, all proceeds from the sale of (Ahk-toong Bay-Bi) Covered, will support Concern’s response to the East Africa crisis, where thousands of children have already died of hunger or related diseases and over 10 million people remain at risk.

Sean Penn Honored At Happy Hearts Fund Celebrity Charity Gala

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

More than 500 guests from over eight countries gathered on Saturday night in New York City to celebrate the Happy Hearts Fund Land of Dreams: Haiti event and to recognize “Heart of Gold” honoree Renee Haugerud and “Lifetime Achievement” honoree Sean Penn.

Photo: Petra Nemcova, Founder and Chairwoman, Happy Hearts Fund and evening performer Wyclef Jean.

Songs For Japan Raises $10 Million For Earthquake Victims

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:30:00 +0000

Songs For Japan, the unique, star-studded album collection created to help raise money for victims of Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami disasters, continues to benefit the survivors through Japanese Red Cross Society.

Yesterday in Tokyo, senior executives from four major music companies – EMI, Sony Music, Universal Music and Warner Music Group – met with Japanese Red Cross Society Vice President, Yoshiharu Otsuka, to recognise the milestone of $10 million raised and donated from the global sales of Songs For Japan. The occasion was a reception hosted by Frances Moore, chief executive of worldwide recording industry organisation IFPI.

A music industry-wide initiative, Songs For Japan is an unprecedented compilation of 38 major hits and classic tracks, including 21 Billboard Hot 100 hits and five #1s from more than 30 of the biggest names in contemporary music. The collection was rush-released worldwide on March 25 – only 14 days after the earthquake struck Japan – as a digital album via iTunes, followed by the release of a physical two-CD set.

U2 And Sting Donate Items To Rainforest Foundation Charity Auction

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Sting’s The Rainforest Foundation UK will again be hosting a brilliant online celebrity charity auction event called 12 Days of Christmas.

Auction lots are an array of very desirable gift items available to any online bidders wanting to score hot gift items for their friends and family while helping a good cause. 200 fabulous guilt-free gifts have been generously donated by celebrities, luxury labels and a variety of big, eco and independent brands all of whom want to help raise money to protect the world’s rainforests.

Sting's Rainforest Foundation Announces Christmas Celebrity Charity Auction

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:30:00 +0000

After the amazing success of last year’s event, The Rainforest Foundation UK will again be hosting a brilliant online gift auction event called 12 Days of Christmas.

Auction lots include an array of very desirable gift items available to any online bidders wanting to score hot gift items for their friends and family while helping a good cause. 200 fabulous guilt-free gifts have been generously donated by celebrities, luxury labels and a variety of big, eco and independent brands all of whom want to help raise money to protect the world’s rainforests.

Auction lots include signed items from Sting, U2, Stephen Fry, Dame Judi Dench and Emma Thompson, red carpet dresses from John Galliano, new season clothing, shoes and accessories direct from 2011 London and Paris Fashion Weeks, an Addict/Endeaver snowboard, amazing designer bags from the likes of Valentino (donated by STYLEBOP.com) and Coach, homewares from Squint, Fat Boy and Furniture Magpies, signed art from Rob Ryan and Paul Insect, sports gear from Rapha, O’Neill and North Face, baking lessons and baked goods from Primrose Bakery, You Make A Cake & Cake Pop Princess, plus VIP gig & show tickets from Zane Lowe, The National Ballet, Soundcrash and The Warehouse Project, and ethical gifts, music packs, Michelin-starred dinners, hampers, luxury hotel stays, pamper days and even a place in a top football school for the little ones!

Bono Pays Tribute To Steve Jobs

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Bono has paid tribute to Apple founder Steve Jobs, who passed away last week, praising his innovative support for the U2 singer’s (RED) initiative.

Jobs led Apple into its partnership with (RED) in 2006 and that partnership has helped to save the lives of millions of people with HIV in Africa.

“What made Steve Jobs truly great is that he was only interested in doing truly great things. He was bored by an easy ride or easy profit,” said Bono. "In a world littered with dull objects, he brought the beauty of clean lines and clear thought. This rhyme of intellect and intuition could be applied to a wide range of subjects from the US education system, to sculpture, to the fight against HIV/AIDS where his support of (RED) literally transformed the lives of two million people in Africa.

Bill Clinton To Celebrate Charity Anniversary With U2 And Lady Gaga

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Bill Clinton will celebrate 10 years of his William J Clinton Foundation next month with a special celebrity charity concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

A Decade Of Difference: A Concert Celebrating 10 Years of The William J Clinton Foundation will take place on October 15 and feature performances by Lady Gaga, Usher, U2’s Bono and The Edge and many more yet to be announced.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, September 15, with proceeds going to the William J Clinton Foundation’s mission to to improve global health, strengthen economies worldwide, promote healthier childhoods, and protect the environment.

Stars Step Up For Save The Children East Africa Appeal

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Yesterday saw the launch of a ground-breaking celebrity charity social media campaign, ’I’m Gonna Be Your Friend’ supported by many of the world’s most famous names in entertainment and their fans, including Beyoncé Knowles, Annie Lennox and Sting.

A global audience close to 600 million Facebook and Twitter fans will be able to view a short film of the crisis in East Africa created by award-winning director Kevin MacDonald from footage of East Africa. The film is set to the 1973 Bob Marley & The Wailers song ‘High Tide or Low Tide’ and will reach over a billion people.

The campaign was developed to support Save the Children’s fundraising for the devastating food crisis affecting millions of children and their families across East Africa.

Oxfam Ready For The Glastonbury Mud

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:30:00 +0000

It’s described as the scourge of British summer music festivals but new research by festival veteran Oxfam, a Glastonbury charity partner for 18 years, suggests that festival mud is very much embraced by music lovers and is even regarded as iconic.

This is good news for the charity which is asking festival-goers to ‘get your hands dirty’ as part of its new Grow campaign that aims to fix the broken food system that leaves billions hungry every day. The iconic music festival takes place this weekend, with performers this year including U2, Coldplay, Beyoncé Knowles, Morrissey, the Kaiser Chiefs, KT Tunstall and many more.

According to Oxfam, nearly three quarters of festival-goers (71%) aren’t put off by the muddy prospect of bad weather. When asked to pick the top three things they most associate with British music festivals, over a third of adults across Britain (36%) regard mud as an iconic element of British music festivals. Northern festival goers were the keenest of all on a muddy festival with almost a quarter (22%) of them embracing mud as ‘all part of the experience’, compared to only 11 per cent of Southern and just 7 per cent of London festival-goers.

Stars Donate Items To Celebrity Charity Auction To Help Joplin

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0000

A number of stars – including Johnny Depp, Yoko Ono, Patricia Arquette, Bono, Jeff Probst, Justin Timberlake, Eminem and Jack Johnson – have donated items to a great auction raising money for the people of Joplin, the Missouri town where an estimated 30% of the buildings were destroyed and over 150 people were killed by a tornado on May 22.

Items going under the hammer include an book about U2 signed by Bono, a script signed by the cast of General Hospital, a rare Lady Gaga Born This Way picture disc, posters signed by Ry Cooder and Martina McBride, a basket ball signed by the Lakers, a guitar signed by Foreigner, the chance to meet Coldplay, Maroon 5 and Uncle Cracker, the chance to Skype with OneRepublic and much more. Sean Lennon has donated a signed guitar, while Yoko Ono has signed a photo of her with John Lennon.

Proceeds from the auction will go to United Way of Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas. Last week, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt donated $500,000 to the people of Joplin in the wake of the tornado.

Stars To Go Barefoot For Charity

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Soles4Souls has announced its schedule for Barefoot Week 2011, which includes media events and shoe distributions in seven cities.

As it does each year during the first week of June, the non-profit organization will be distributing thousands of pairs of new shoes in the United States while it also collects much needed donations through shoe drives at schools, churches and community centers. The charity is asking Americans to choose one day during the week to go barefoot—at the office, at school or in public— to raise awareness for the millions of people worldwide who live in extreme poverty and can’t afford shoes.

“It’s an honor to donate shoes to help Soles4Souls as they do incredible things for the less fortunate people in this world,” said Jessica Simpson. “I encourage everyone to lend support.”

Songs For Japan: Stars Donate Tracks To Charity Album

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 04:30:00 +0000

In what stands as a major global music relief effort to benefit those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, over 30 of the biggest names in contemporary music have joined together for the worldwide release of “Songs for Japan,” an unprecedented compilation of 38 chart-topping hits and classic tracks.

The digital album is available worldwide on the iTunes Store for $9.99. Proceeds from the album’s sale will benefit the disaster relief efforts of the Japanese Red Cross Society.

The “Songs for Japan” track listing features an all-star lineup:

U2 And Justin Bieber Join Celebrity Charity Digi Album For Japan

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 02:00:00 +0000

U2, Justin Bieber and Rihanna are some of the big names featured on a celebrity charity digital album due for release later this week to raise money for victims of the tsunami in Japan.

Joining the stars on the album will be Bon Jovi and Nicki Minaj, with more acts still to be named.

The album is being spearheaded by Universal Music, and will raise funds for the Japanese Red Cross.

Cyndi Lauper Launches Celebrity Charity Auction

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Between a whirlwind tour, launching a new campaign for MAC cosmetics, and filming a reality show, Cyndi Lauper has had a busy past year.

That hasn’t stopped the talented artist and gay-rights activist from rallying an impressive list of stars from music and entertainment to help kick off the True Colors Winter Charity Auction on charitybuzz.com to benefit the True Colors Fund in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality.

Incredible experiences and memorabilia from Ricky Martin, Jason Mraz, Rosie O’Donnell, Dolly Parton, Sarah Silverman, David Gray, U2, Lady Gaga and many more celebrities and artists are up for auction now through February 10th at www.charitybuzz.com/TrueColorsWinter10.

CharityBuzz.com's Top 15 Celebrity Charity Auctions Of 2010

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:30:00 +0000

CharityBuzz.com has seen everything from Lady Gaga’s couture costumes to a workout with Hugh Jackman hit the auction block to benefit great causes around the world this year. But nothing compares with the whopping price tags in the Top 15 Celebrity Auctions of 2010 list. These celebrities, and countless more, have helped charitybuzz raise $25 million for charity in 2010.

Jay-Z takes the title for highest grossing auction item, beating out former President Bill Clinton, Sir Paul McCartney, Prince William and Robert Pattinson for the number one spot with his $220,000 signed limited edition Audemars Piguet watch to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

While some charitybuzz favorites like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber didn’t make the cut, their continued generosity still made a big impact. Lady Gaga raised more than $125,000 in total on charitybuzz this year, while Bieber raised more than $67,000 by auctioning off tickets and meet and greets along his tour. You can find the full list of the Top Grossing Celebrity Auction Packages below.

Christmas Gift Idea: Stars Sign Guitars For Amnesty International

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Last week, LookToTheStars.org suggested those looking for the perfect Christmas gift bid on Bruce Springsteen’s Amnesty International guitar. Now we have some other great celebrity charity gift ideas.

A host of other artists have also signed guitars designed by Fender to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights in 2008. Among the stars who have added their signatures to the instruments are U2’s The Edge, Peter Gabriel, David Bowie and The Cure.

Bono Lights Sydney Red For World AIDS Day

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Bono is in Australia for World AIDS Day on December 1, and has praised the country’s leaders for helping fight HIV globally during the current economic recession.

“Times are hard in the Western world,” he said. "[Health agencies are] fighting hard for funding. In recessionary times, people have to tell their politicians this is important to them.

“Some people think that the pandemic is on its way out and it’s job done… It is really not so.”

Bono Leads Celebrity Tributes To Mining Tragedy In New Zealand

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:30:00 +0000

A number of stars have paid tribute to the 29 coal miners killed in an explosion in New Zealand last week.

U2 led the tributes by scrolling the names of the dead from the Pike River disaster across big screens while performing One Tree Hill – a song written by Bono in memory of a New Zealand friend – during the band’s two concerts in Auckland. Earlier in the evening, opening act Jay-Z dedicated “Young Forever” to the victims of the tragedy.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods’ caddie Steve Williams raised $16,000 for families of the victims by organizing a race car event in the area where the disaster occurred.

Celebrities Donate Gifts That Give Twice For Charity

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Charitybuzz.com, the leading destination for online charity auctions, presents its second annual Gifts That Give Twice Holiday Auction, featuring hundreds of once-in-a-lifetime celebrity and luxury experiences to benefit more than 50 nonprofit organizations.

Carrie Underwood, Betty White, Justin Bieber, The Edge, Michael Moore, Ne-Yo, Quentin Tarantino and many more celebrities have signed on to give back this holiday season, in addition to coveted brands like HBO, Ritz Carlton, and Barbie. Bidding is open to the international community through December 21 at www.charitybuzz.com/HOLIDAY2010.

From magnificent tropical getaways to exclusive access to A-list stars, charitybuzz is the ultimate destination for luxury gifts that give back to those in need this holiday season. 100 percent of net proceeds from the Gifts That Give Twice Holiday Auction will benefit nonprofits such as TreePeople, The Art of Elysium, Operation Smile, Habitat For Humanity NYC, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Reality Cares, Better Life Foundation, Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, First Tee, TACA, Musicians on Call and many others.

Streisand, Aerosmith Items Up for Grabs

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 14:20:00 +0000

Now is your chance to get into Barbra Streisand’s pants.

BiddingForGood, the leading cause-related e-commerce platform, has reached $100 Million raised for schools and non-profits across the country and is well underway to raising even more with the Hall of Fame 2010 Auction.

The auction will run until October 24, 2010, and is filled with great items including over a dozen pieces of clothing personally owned by Barbara Streisand and donated by the Barbra Streisand Foundation.

Tom Jones To Make A Little Noise For Charity

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:00:00 +0000

To celebrate their 5th birthday, Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions have enlisted superstar Tom Jones, multi-platinum selling Paolo Nutini and band of the moment Hurts to perform at the legendary series of acoustic gigs taking place from 15th – 20th November at Islington’s Union Chapel.

Curated by Mencap Ambassador Jo Whiley, once again Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions will bring some of the hottest names in music, over six very special nights, to perform acoustically in the exquisite surroundings of the Union Chapel. The stripped back music mixed with the intimate venue gives the audience the chance to see something truly unique each night.

Kicking off Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions birthday celebrations in style on Monday 15th November is Welsh legend Tom Jones who will be performing a special set from his latest album Praise & Blame, enlisting support on the night from some special guests! The night will be opened by hot, new, soul songstress, Lauren Pritchard.

Ozzy Osbourne's Charity Birthday Song For John Lennon

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Ozzy Osbourne has celebrated John Lennon’s 70th birthday early by releasing a version of the former Beatle’s song “How?” for charity.

Proceeds of the song, which first appeared on Lennon’s 1971 album Imagine, will go to Amnesty International. Ozzy has recorded a music video – shot on the streets of New York City – to accompany the single, which is currently available from iTunes.

“Lennon was a driving force for humanity,” said the rocker.

Michael Douglas Takes Part In Stand Up To Cancer Event

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Michael Douglas made an emotional appearance via video at the massive Stand Up To Cancer television event on September 10.

“Cancer doesn’t care how many Oscars you’ve won or how many tough guys you’ve played,” said the actor, who is currently battling stage 4 throat cancer.

A huge number of stars took part in the event – simulcast live and commercial-free on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Bio, Discovery Health, E!, G4, HBO, HBO Latino, MLB Network, mun2, Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, The Style Network, TV One, and VH1 – including Elizabeth Banks, Kathy Bates, Sir Richard Branson, Michael Chiklis, George Clooney, Baron Davis, Emily Deschanel, Bill Hader, Dorothy Hamill, Anne Heche, Cheryl Hines, Randy Jackson, George Karl, Dr. Jon Lapook, Rob Lowe, Jane Lynch, Marlee Matlin, Shareen Mitchell, Olivia Munn, Lisa Niemi, Kelly Osbourne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Passmore, Will Smith, Sam Trammell, Denzel Washington, Aaron Yoo, Renee Zellweger, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tatyana Ali, Dave Annable, Christina Applegate, Lance Armstrong, David Boreanaz, Abigail Breslin, Cindy Crawford, Fran Drescher, Elizabeth Edwards, Donald Faison, Sally Field, Derek Fisher, Michael C. Hall, Alyson Hannigan, Tony Hawk, Jon Heder, Marg Helgenberger, Terrence Howard, Ken Jeong, Rashida Jones, Minka Kelly, Laura Linney, Zachary Levi, Ray Liotta, Seth MacFarlane, Mandy Moore, Apolo Anton Ohno, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Jim Parsons, Aubrey Plaza, Dr. Ana Maria Polo, Yarel Ramos, Naya Rivera, Robin Roberts, Seth Rogen, The Simpsons, Eric Stonestreet, Marcia Strassman, Alison Sweeney, Maura Tierney, Gabrielle Union, Sofia Vassilieva, Sofia Vergara, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Reese Witherspoon and Ethan Zohn.

George Clooney Joins Stand Up To Cancer Lineup

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:00:00 +0000

The extraordinary lineup of actors, musicians, athletes and journalists participating in the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) primetime roadblock television fundraising event (September 10, 2010, at 8PM EST & PST / 7PM CT) continues to grow.

The following supporters have now joined the broadcast: Elizabeth Banks, Kathy Bates, Sir Richard Branson, Michael Chiklis, George Clooney, Baron Davis, Emily Deschanel, Bill Hader, Dorothy Hamill, Anne Heche, Cheryl Hines, Randy Jackson, George Karl, Dr. Jon Lapook, Rob Lowe, Jane Lynch, Marlee Matlin, Shareen Mitchell, Olivia Munn, Lisa Niemi, Kelly Osbourne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Passmore, Will Smith, Sam Trammell, Denzel Washington, Aaron Yoo and Renee Zellweger.