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'Hope For Haiti Now' Performances: A Track-By-Track List
Rihanna Tells Haitian People: 'We Are Not Going To Leave You Stranded'
Justin Timberlake Says 'Hallelujah' Was A Perfect 'Fit' For Haiti Telethon
Beyonce Performs 'Halo' With Chris Martin During Haiti Telethon
Jay-Z, U2, Rihanna Team Up For Haiti Telethon
'Haiti Can't Have Enough Money,' Halle Berry And Taraji P. Henson Say
Wyclef Jean's 'Rivers Of Babylon': The Story Behind The Cover
'Twilight' Star Tinsel Korey On Haiti: 'This Is Just The Beginning'
Kevin Jonas And Selena Gomez On Haiti: 'Every Little Bit Matters'
Conan O'Brien Exits 'Tonight Show' With Special-Guest-Filled, Music-Heavy Episode

'Hope For Haiti Now' Performances: A Track-By-Track List

Posted: 22 Jan 2010 08:33 AM PST

Album and video of performances are available for pre-order now.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with Jem Aswad, Hillary Crosley, Maura Johnston, Gil Kaufman and Amy Wilkinson

<i>Hope For Haiti Now</i> album
Photo: Hope For Haiti Now

While earthquake relief in Haiti was the reason for and inspiration behind "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief," there's no question that it featured some amazing, one-of-a-kind musical performances.

The songs chosen by most of the artists had a thematic connection to the occasion, and the soaring lyrics delivered by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige and Justin Timberlake underlined the hope for the country that's coming from around the world. The songs' unplugged, often gentle renditions underscored the seriousness of the situation.

George Clooney helped organize the event, and his hope is that the songs carry the event beyond the evening and into the following weeks, months and years. "We're gonna have some amazing performances, and I think that's gonna make it last a little longer than just a telethon," he said earlier this week.

Indeed it will: iTunes customers can exclusively pre-order the "Hope for Haiti Now" full-performance album ($7.99) and the full two-hour video telecast ($1.99). Pre-orders will be delivered in the days following the telethon. Individual audio performances will also be available for purchase and download for 99 cents each in the days following the telethon. Apple, the record labels and the artists will donate their share of the proceeds to Haiti relief funds managed by "Hope for Haiti Now" charities, including the Red Cross and Wyclef's Yele Haiti foundation. Performances will also be available for purchase in the days following the event through Amazon's MP3 service and Rhapsody, through distribution provided by INgrooves.

Alicia Keys: "Prelude to a Kiss"
The opening number of the night came courtesy of Keys' third album, 2007's As I Am. The song was written, produced and arranged entirely by the New York-bred singer. The piano-driven number struck a perfect introduction to foreshadow the night's activities.

"Sometimes I feel so heavyhearted," Keys sang with visceral emotion. "But I can't explain, 'cause I'm so guarded/ But that's a lonely road to travel/ And a heavy load to bear."

Footage of a Haitian baby crying added depth to the poignant performance. "Can you send an angel?" she sang, as if she were pleading to heaven on the chorus.

Coldplay: "A Message"
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin said he wrote the melancholy "A Message" during the wee hours of the night. "In the middle of the night I thought I was either going to be sick or go write that song," he explained.

Perhaps that's why the guitar-heavy track, from the band's third album, 2005's X&Y, starts off so sparsely. Martin's voice soothes the mild strings as the song opens. By the end of the first verse, though, "A Message" builds into a sweeping plea for love and companionship. As Martin met the song's peak, he struck a falsetto turn.

"My song is love, it's love unknown," Martin sang during the performance. "And I've got to get that message home."

Bruce Springsteen: "We Shall Overcome"
This emotional protest song is long on history; it was popularized during the civil-rights movement and its lyrics were derived from a hymn written by Maryland minister Charles Albert Tindley. Springsteen is just one of countless artists who have covered the tune; he did so for Where Have All the Flowers Gone, a tribute album to the song's credited composer, Pete Seeger. The folk legend heard working versions of the song as a child and later registered it as his own at the behest of his publisher (profits from the rights to the song are donated to charitable foundations). Notable covers stretch wide, including performances by Diana Ross, Mahalia Jackson and folk singer Joan Baez. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., President Lyndon Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy also memorably made use of the refrain during speeches.

Backed by a six-person set of backup singers and amid muted lighting during "Hope for Haiti Now," Springsteen's restrained vocals pierced deep. "We are not afraid today," he sang. "Deep in my heart, I do believe, we are not afraid today."

Stevie Wonder: "A Time to Love"/ "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
"A Time to Love" is the title track to Wonder's 28th album, which was released in 2005, and featured guest vocals from India.Arie and Sir Paul McCartney on guitar. "Bridge Over Trouble Water" is the title track to Simon & Garfunkel's final studio album together, released in 1970, and won both Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 1971 Grammy Awards. Interestingly, each singer suggested that the other sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water"; Garfunkel eventually acquiesced to Simon, who wrote the song with his soon-to-be-former partner in mind.

Wonder, as he has done throughout his career in moments of hope, found the pulse of the audience with his moving performance.

Shakira: "I'll Stand by You"
With its message of compassion and unconditional love, this 1994 ballad from the Pretenders has a swaying rhythm and warm lyrical embrace that captured the evening's show of support for the Haitian people. "I'll stand by you/ I'll stand by you/ Won't let nobody hurt you," Shakira sang in her trademark quaver.

The tune, written by Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde in collaboration with Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, is featured on the band's Last of the Independents album and was covered by "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood in 2007 as a charity fundraiser for "Idol Gives Back." It was also covered by the English pop group Girls Aloud as a charity single in 2004.

With her four backup singers swaying to the Roots' thrumming rhythms, the song built to a peak in which Shakira unleashed one of her powerful yodels, the backup singers meeting her challenge and raising their voices in gospel harmony.

John Legend: "Motherless Child"
Derived from the classic spiritual "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child," this song has been covered by a wide array of artists, from classic rocker Eric Clapton to jazz pioneer Louis Armstrong to soul duo Ike & Tina Turner. Legend, in fact, first covered the number for his independent project 2004's Solo Sessions Vol. 1: Live at the Knitting Factory. Released prior to his proper debut album, the collection featured an emerging Legend previewing some of his forthcoming music alongside covers of well-noted compositions like "Motherless Child," which dates back to the 1800s.

Alone at his piano, Legend's stirring rendition triumphed; he was accompanied by a string section that elegantly complemented the singer's emotional vocals.

Mary J. Blige: "Hard Times"
"Hard Times Come Again No More" — written more than 150 years ago by the "father of American music," Stephen Foster — has long been a popular folk favorite for artists looking to strike the careful balance between the celebration of good fortune and the acknowledgment of hard times. The song has been covered numerous times by rock, folk and pop artists, from the late folk icon Kate McGarrigle to Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, as well as another of Friday night's performers, Bruce Springsteen, who performed it live on his 2009 Working on a Dream Tour.

In the hands of the church-reared Blige, it became a gospel benediction, paying homage to the version recorded by former Staples Singers member and gospel great Mavis Staples. "While we seek mirth and beauty and music, light and gay/ There are frail forms fainting at the door/ Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say/ Oh hard times, come again no more."

Taylor Swift: "Breathless"
The young country superstar covered alt-rock band Better Than Ezra's "Breathless," from the collective's 2001 album Before the Robot. The trio performed during a number of benefits in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and donated money to help rebuild their hometown.

Swift's take on the track was breathtaking and seemed far beyond her young age. "When you feel the world is crashing, all around your feet, come running headlong into my arms, breathless," Swift sang. "I'll never judge you, I can only love you."

Christina Aguilera: "Lift Me Up"
Produced and composed by longtime Aguilera collaborator Linda Perry, this soaring track will be included on the pop superstar's next album, Bionic. Perry and Aguilera have worked on a number of successful songs together, including "Hurt," "Candyman," "Keeps Gettin' Better" and 2002's memorable hit "Beautiful."

Perry accompanied Aguilera, playing piano during the singer's performance. The elegant singer belted out "Lift Me Up" with vigor and a chilling vitality. "When you see me crashing and there's nowhere left to fall, will you life me higher?" she sang.

Sting: "Driven To Tears"
"Driven to Tears" appeared on the Police's 1980 album Zenyatta Mondatta and represented one of Sting's earliest forays into writing politically charged lyrics. "Seems that when some innocent die/ All we can offer them is a page in some magazine/ Too many cameras and not enough food/ 'Cause this is what we've seen," he sang. Sting has said the song was inspired by images of starving children he saw while watching television on tour.

Sting performed "Driven to Tears" solo at the Live Aid concert to fight the Ethiopian famine in 1985 and with the reunited Police at the environmental-awareness festival Live Earth in 2007. At "Hope for Haiti," he was backed by the Roots, who acted as the house band for the event's New York performances.

Beyoncé: "Halo"
Plucking the track from her 2009 LP, I Am ... Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé's "Halo" has become one of her signature songs. Ryan Tedder and Evan Bogart composed the song for B, which is a nominee for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards later this month.

Live from London, the former Destiny's Child star was accompanied by her friend, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, on a piano for the acoustic rendition. Sporting long bangs and a black jacket, Beyoncé injected Haiti directly into her lyrics: "Haiti, we can see your halo, you know you're my saving grace," she sang. "You're everything I need and more, it's written all over your face/ Haiti, we can see your halo, I pray you won't fade away."

Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban and Kid Rock: "Lean on Me"
Written by Bill Withers and released in 1972 on his second album Still Bill, "Lean on Me" was inspired by Withers' small-town upbringing in the mining community of Slab Fork, West Virginia — a close-knit atmosphere Withers pined for after moving to L.A. The song hit #1 on July 8, 1972, and remained on the charts for 19 weeks. Despite its popularity, the track did not receive a Grammy until it was re-recorded and funkified by the R&B group Club Nouveau in 1987. The quintet also scored a #1 hit with their rendition.

Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban and Kid Rock took turns on the inspirational song's vocals, giving the R&B song a country feel.

Madonna: "Like a Prayer"
Initially, the controversy surrounding the video for "Like a Prayer" overshadowed this stirring song, which was the lead single and title track from the singer's fourth album. Pepsi courted the Material Girl as a spokesperson and used "Like a Prayer" in a huge campaign before the world saw the imagery from the video, which included stigmata and hints of an interracial love scene with St. Martin de Porres.

Madonna's "Hope for Haiti Now" performance was filled with respect. Backed by a choir, the iconic singer belted out a hushed rendition of "Like a Prayer." And the song's chorus — "When you call my name, it's like a little prayer, I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there" — was as inspirational as ever.

Justin Timberlake: "Hallelujah"
Seated behind a piano, Justin Timberlake performed Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," accompanied by Matt Morris on guitar and vocals. With his stirring rendition, Timberlake joined the ranks of nearly 200 performers who have recorded the melancholy ballad. Written by singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen and released on his 1984 studio album Various Positions, the song reportedly took a year to write and includes 80 available verses and at least two wholly original renditions. The song contains several biblical references, including allusions to Samson and Delilah and King David and Bathsheba, heightening the song's hymn-like quality.

In 1994, Jeff Buckley released arguably the most famous cover of the song on his album Grace. Nearly 200 additional covers have been recorded by artists as diverse as k.d. lang, Bob Dylan and Rufus Wainwright, whose version was included on the "Shrek" soundtrack, though it was John Cale's rendition that was used in the film. In 2008, "American Idol" contestant Jason Castro performed the song on the competition series, earning accolades from notoriously fickle judge Simon Cowell, who called his performance "absolutely brilliant."

Jennifer Hudson: "Let It Be"
One of the most covered songs in the Beatles' catalog — and the rock era — this song is the legendary title track of the group's swan-song LP and its accompanying film. Written by Paul McCartney (although co-credited to John Lennon for contractual reasons), the song was recorded in January 1969 but not released until 14 months later. The song was offered to Aretha Franklin, whom McCartney believed would bring out the song's gospel flavor. He was not wrong, and Aretha's version of the song was released two months before the Beatles', on her 1970 LP, This Girl's in Love With You. The song has been covered countless times in the intervening years — by Ray Charles, Ike & Tina Turner and many others — and McCartney helmed an all-star charity single of the song in 1987 (also featuring Kate Bush and Boy George) to benefit families of the victims of the 1987 Herald of Free Enterprise ferry shipwreck, in which 193 people were killed after the ship capsized off the Belgian coast.

At "Hope for Haiti Now," Jennifer Hudson and her backing singers strongly evoked Aretha's version, bringing gospel passion to the timeless song.

Emeline Michel: "Many Rivers To Cross"
"Many Rivers to Cross" was written in 1969 by Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff and was later featured on the soundtrack to the film "The Harder They Come," in which Cliff starred. The song's lyrics are a testament to survival and perseverance even during the most difficult, confusing moments of a person's life. It's been performed in concert by U2, the Black Crowes, the Walkmen, Lenny Kravitz, Bruce Springsteen and Annie Lennox.

While new to most U.S. viewers, Michel has been dubbed "the Haitian Joni Mitchell" and showed the world just what a talent she truly is.

Jay-Z with U2's Bono and The Edge (featuring Rihanna): "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)"
Produced by Swizz Beatz and tweaked by The Edge, this high-powered collaboration was created over the phone when the hip-hop beatsmith and Bono came up with the chorus together. Hours later, Hov — who helped conceive the effort with Swizz — jumped on the phone and got wind of the melody. "I knew that Jay would be able to tell a story," Swizz said of the track. "And that Bono would be able to sing and bring it home." Rihanna completes the lyrical trifecta. "The last component that I added was Rihanna, and she's kinda like the angel that's on the track, softening it up and giving it that caring feeling, because this hook is so powerful."

The live performance of the song belied its quick origins: The team sounded like they'd performed it together dozens of times.

Dave Matthews & Neil Young: "Alone & Forsaken"
This little-known Hank Williams song was written by the country legend during the first half of last century. Its primitive, stripped-down chords come off as equal parts biblical and folksy. The song was at the heart of Timeless, a Williams tribute album released in 2001.

Emmylou Harris covered the song on that compilation, capturing its isolation — as did Dave Matthews and Neil Young, whose performance underscored the seriousness of "Hope for Haiti Now."

Wyclef Jean: "Rivers of Babylon"
After a night of stirring performances, it was only right that Wyclef Jean closed out "Hope for Haiti Now." The Haitian-born star — who immediately traveled to his homeland in the aftermath of the earthquake and has raised millions of dollars for relief efforts — delivered a moving rendition of the reggae classic "Rivers of Babylon." The biblically inspired "Rivers" was written and performed by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican trio the Melodians in 1972, and it was included on the soundtrack to the classic Jamaican crime film "The Harder They Come." Its lyrics are based largely on Psalm 137, which details the Jewish people's despair after being exiled from Jerusalem by the Babylonians.

A 1978 cover version of "Rivers of Babylon" by the disco group Boney M hit #1 in the United Kingdom and stayed there for five weeks; it peaked on the U.S. pop charts at #30. Sublime's 1992 debut 40 Oz. to Freedom featured a live version of the track, which has also been covered by Paul Simon and Sinead O'Connor. "Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight here tonight," 'Clef sang. That meditation, taken from Psalm 19, seemed like a fitting epigram for a night filled with appeals for awareness and assistance.

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

iTunes customers can exclusively pre-order the "Hope for Haiti Now" full-performance album ($7.99) and the full two-hour video telecast ($1.99). Pre-orders will be delivered in the days following the telethon. Individual audio performances will also be available for purchase and download for 99 cents each in the days following the telethon. Apple, the record labels and the artists will donate their share of the proceeds to Haiti relief funds managed by "Hope for Haiti Now" charities, including the Red Cross and Wyclef's Yele Haiti foundation. Performances will also be available for purchase in the days following the event through Amazon's MP3 service and Rhapsody, through distribution provided by INgrooves.

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Posted: 22 Jan 2010 07:42 AM PST

'This is really a song for Haiti,' she says of 'Hope for Haiti Now' collaboration with Jay-Z and U2.
By James Montgomery

Rihanna
Photo: MTV News

LONDON — At precisely 10:30 p.m. here in London — two and a half hours before the start of Friday night's (January 22) "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon — Rihanna was finally in the same room as Jay-Z, Bono and The Edge, her three collaborators on "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)," the song they had recorded just three days earlier in studios all around the world.

The four, backed by Jay's cracking live band and a full gospel choir, were about to perform the song together for the first time, in front of a studio of television producers and, really, the entire world. But not a single one of them was nervous. Rather, they saw it as a tremendous opportunity — not just to help the victims of last week's devastating earthquake, but to remind them that they will never be left stranded, not even after the TV cameras leave and the focus of the globe shifts elsewhere.

"I got the call three days ago to be a part of this. Bono and Jay-Z called me up, they wanted me to be a part of it, and, of course, anything that can help Haiti, I want to be a part of," Rihanna told MTV News on Friday night. "This song is really important. Lyrically, Jay-Z gets really, really deep in his verses, more than I've ever heard him get. He gets really real. I know a couple of people he's singing about. We have mutual friends that suffered loss, they lost their family, they lost friends, and it really hits home. So this is really a song for Haiti, letting them know we are not going to leave you stranded; we are going to do every last thing to help you. You are not alone."

Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke — just more proof of how deeply this tragedy has affected her. Like she said earlier in the week on "Oprah," where she performed a haunting version of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," she's from the Caribbean nation of Barbados. It's not a stretch to say the footage coming out of Haiti hit her close to home.

"When I first heard about it, I was at home, and I kind of didn't believe it. I was in such shock. An earthquake in Haiti was shocking to begin with. And [one of] that extent; a 7.0, that's huge, that's unheard of," she said. "And being from the Caribbean, I was in shock for a long time. And when I started looking at the pictures, at the footage, seeing that little boy get beaten up for food, seeing people trapped under the rubble, kids not knowing where their parents are, bodies just getting dropped outside of the hospitals, that just made it really real.

"It made me want to do something about it, I wanted to help, because we all have to help," she continued. "And now my role is to encourage more people to help, to join with me to help."

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

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Posted: 22 Jan 2010 10:38 PM PST

'Hopefully there will continue to be a lot of different ways that everyone can help,' he says after 'Hope for Haiti Now.'
By Maura Johnston

Justin Timberlake backstage at the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon
Photo: MTV News

When Justin Timberlake was asked to perform on Friday night's "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon, he didn't hesitate to say yes — and he knew exactly what song he was going to perform.

"Obviously, I was going to help answer phones and help make donations," Timberlake told MTV News. "But as soon as I got that call, all of a sudden ... it was kind of like a big highlighted neon-green [light], everywhere I looked: 'Hallelujah, hallelujah.' "

Timberlake and his former "Mickey Mouse Club" castmate Matt Morris performed Leonard Cohen's 1984 track "Hallelujah" for the telethon. In the years since its release, "Hallelujah" has snowballed in popularity, in part because it's been covered by many musicians — John Cale, Rufus Wainwright and former "American Idol" hopeful Jason Castro, to name a few. Jeff Buckley's version, which appeared on his 1994 album Grace, topped the Hot Digital Songs chart in 2008, after Castro's cover aired on "Idol." Later that year, Alexandra Burke, winner of the Simon Cowell-masterminded U.K. talent show "The X Factor," topped that country's charts with her own version.

The Timberlake/Morris take puts a new spin on the song because it's a duet. The two singers harmonized beautifully, no doubt in part because the song is a go-to track when they're working on music together.

"It's always been one of my favorite songs," Timberlake said. "And my artist Matt, we always kinda sing that song when we're messing around in the studio with ideas.

"The way that it's written can be interpreted many different ways," he added. "But the emotion that comes through — the chords, the melody and also what's being said in the song — it just kind of fit for the telethon."

Timberlake was optimistic that the efforts put forth tonight would be a step toward Haiti rebuilding and growing stronger in the wake of last week's 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

"Hopefully there will continue to be a lot of different ways that everyone can help and that the funds and the actual labor will translate into food and shelter and water for these people, and hopefully that will continue.

"And hopefully you guys download it on iTunes," he added of "Hallelujah," "because you're obviously helping the cause."

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

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Beyonce Performs 'Halo' With Chris Martin During Haiti Telethon

Posted: 22 Jan 2010 06:44 AM PST

Coldplay frontman plays piano for B, who injected Haiti into her 'Halo' lyrics.
By Hillary Crosley

Chris Martin and Beyoncé at "Hope For Haiti Now" on Friday
Photo: Handout/ Getty Images

Beyoncé gave a powerful performance of "Halo" during Friday's (January 22) "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" telethon.

Performing from London, the songstress was accompanied by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who performed with his band earlier in the night, on the piano for an acoustic rendition. Beyoncé injected Haiti into her lyrics: "Haiti, we can see your halo/ You know you're my saving grace," she sang. "You're everything I need and more, it's written all over your face/ Haiti, we can see your halo/ I pray you won't fade away."

The emotional track is from her 2009 LP, I Am ... Sasha Fierce. B is one of a long line of participants for the telethon, including her husband, Jay-Z, who performed later with Rihanna and U2.

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

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Posted: 22 Jan 2010 07:35 AM PST

Producer Swizz Beatz helped create 'Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour).'
By Shaheem Reid

Bono, Jay-Z and Rihanna perform on "Hope for Haiti Now"
Photo: Dave M. Benett/ Getty Images

Jay-Z, U2 and Rihanna got together in London to perform "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)" in front of an audience as part of the "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" telethon on Friday night (January 22).

The mid-tempo track featured guitar by The Edge and messages of hope from Jay-Z, Rihanna and Bono. Along with Madonna's "Like a Prayer" and Wyclef Jean's finale, it was one of the most upbeat performance of the night.

"My Port-au-Princes and Haitians gods/ All my princesses/ Our condolences as we fight against this," Jay rapped to open the record. "We right by your side/ While we trying to make sense of this/ Heavenly Father/ Help us see through these problems/ For those that's left/ Welcome them into your garden.

"Let's get involved with 'em," Jay added in the first verse. "Hand in hand with 'em/ Arm and arm with 'em/ Till they get strong again."

"When the sky falls and the earth quakes/ We gonna put this back together/ We won't break," the rap icon promised with a melodic delivery.

In the second verse, Jay touched on Hurricane Katrina: "We learned from the past/ New Orleans was flooded/ So we know we just can't rely on the government."

Rihanna and Bono both lent their vocals to the hook.

"Can't wait until tomorrow," U2's frontman and the pop princess sang, stressing the urgent need for help.

"Haiti, mon amour," Rihanna took over.

"Not gonna leave you stranded, alone," they continued.

Producer Swizz Beatz sparked the movement to get "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)" recorded. "It's important we as a global community all come together to help," Swizz, who co-produced the track with Declan Gaffney, said in a statement. "Haiti needs us right now."

Like so many others, Swizz immediately got involved in Haiti relief when he learned of the disaster the earthquake brought last Tuesday.

"Sitting in the studio and watching Haiti hurting, I knew immediately I had to do something," he said. "I reached out to my friends Bono and Jay-Z and asked for their help. Jay and Rihanna sent their vocals, and that same night Bono and I went into the studio."

On Saturday night, The Edge told British radio host Dave Fanning of Radio 1 that Swizz was helping to spearhead the song for Haiti. "Last night we wrote a song," the guitarist said when asked when the public might hear new music from U2. "Bono got a call from a producer, Swizz. He and Jay-Z wanted to do something for Haiti. So Bono came up with the phrase on the phone, and last night we were here, we wrote a song — finished, recorded and sent it back to them. So that might be the next thing you hear from us!"

The in-studio version of "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)" will be available via iTunes on a special album of live performances from the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon. Just like the telethon, relief organizations that will benefit from the special album include Partners in Health, Oxfam America, the Red Cross, UNICEF, Yéle Haiti Foundation, United Nations World Food Program and the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. All the proceeds will go toward Haiti earthquake relief.

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

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Posted: 22 Jan 2010 10:01 PM PST

The actresses answered phones during 'Hope for Haiti Now' telethon.
By Hillary Crosley, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Halle Berry on "Hope for Haiti Now" on Friday
Photo: MTV News

The stars of music and screen aligned for Friday's (January 22) "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" telethon. Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Bono and Sting were just a few who performed to raise money for Haiti, while actors like Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman and Reese Witherspooon answered phones.

Haiti's devastation was a uniting cause during the telethon, one that especially touched the hearts of Halle Berry and Taraji P. Henson, who answered phones.

"I want to do every single thing I can do that can help," said Berry, who also made a plea for donations during the show. "Haiti can't have enough money at this point. ... If you've given, give again. If you're ambivalent, open your heart."

Henson echoed Berry's conviction.

"I can't express how important it is to continue to donate," the "Curious Case of Benjamin Button" actress said. "Imagine wherever you live, waking up, and it's turned to rubbish. Even if you think you've done enough, you can never do enough. Just put your loved ones' faces on the faces of the people of Haiti."

"Thanks so much for giving to give and care about the children and families of Haiti," Berry said to those who donated during Friday's telethon. "It is the best money you'll give in 2010, mark my words."

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

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Posted: 22 Jan 2010 07:09 AM PST

'Clef covered the reggae classic at the 'Help for Haiti Now' telethon.
By Maura K. Johnston

Wyclef Jean performs at "Hope for Haiti Now"
Photo: PictureGroup

After a night of stirring performances, it was only right that Wyclef Jean closed out "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief."

With the Haitian flag twisted around his neck, Wyclef — who immediately traveled to his homeland in the aftermath of last week's earthquake and subsequently raised millions of dollars for relief efforts — opened the evening's final live performance with a snippet of the reggae classic "Rivers of Babylon." Wyclef's performance also included a Creole version of his song "Yele," and a raucous track, written in the style of the Haitian folkloric music called racine, that had lyrics about the aftermath of the quake.

The biblically inspired "Rivers" was written and performed by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican trio the Melodians in 1972, and it was included on the soundtrack to the classic Jamaican crime film "The Harder They Come." Its lyrics are based largely on Psalm 137, which details the Jewish people's despair after being exiled from Jerusalem by the Babylonians.

The song opens with a mournful remembrance of what once was: "By the rivers of Babylon where we sat down / There, we wept when we remembered Zion."

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

Beginning Friday, iTunes customers can exclusively pre-order the "Hope for Haiti Now" full-performance album ($7.99) and the full two-hour video telecast ($1.99). Pre-orders will be delivered in the days following the telethon. Individual audio performances will also be available for purchase and download for 99 cents each in the days following the telethon. Apple, the record labels and the artists will donate their share of the proceeds to Haiti relief funds managed by "Hope for Haiti Now" charities, including the Red Cross and Wyclef's Yele Haiti foundation. Performances will also be available for purchase in the days following the event through Amazon's MP3 service and Rhapsody, through distribution provided by INgrooves.

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Wyclef Jean

'Twilight' Star Tinsel Korey On Haiti: 'This Is Just The Beginning'

Posted: 22 Jan 2010 11:31 PM PST

MTV News' guest correspondent observes the best parts of the 'Hope for Haiti Now' telethon and reminds us there's more work to be done.
By Tinsel Korey

Tinsel Korey

Editor's Note: In response to the crisis in Haiti, the world's top stars came together Friday (January 22) for the one-of-a-kind telethon "Hope for Haiti Now." Pitching in alongside Robert Pattinson and her other co-stars, "Twilight Saga" actress Tinsel Korey was eager to help in any way she could. Earlier, Tinsel published her plea for donations in an exclusive piece written for MTV. Now, Tinsel closes out her guest-correspondent duties by talking about the moments of the telethon that touched her most — and reminding us all that even though the program is over, there is still much work to be done.

I was asked by MTV to write a piece after the show was over, about the telethon. Like a lot of you I sat watching wishing I could pack a bag and go there and help. I found myself wishing there was more that I could do.

Some people on Twitter were apologizing for how they only gave a little, to which I want to say: It's not how much you donate — it's that you did. Every dollar counts, every e-mail counts, every phone call counts. It all helps.

What was beautiful about the evening was not any specific individual performance. To me, everyone put their heart on the stage and sent a vibration of love to the cause.

What was amazing is that the telethon even happened; everyone put aside their personal agendas and joined together to make this event a successful one. George Clooney said at the end that the thank-you shouldn't be sent to him, but to everyone who contributed. So thank you to everyone who contributed in whatever capacity they could.

So, what now? Time for bed, Haiti will be good now, right? Nope. This is just the beginning. Please keep spreading the word. Organize events in your school, work or community centers; raise money and create awareness. Anyone has the ability to make a difference if they'll just try.

Send a check or money order payable to HOPE FOR HAITI NOW to:
Hope for Haiti Now
FILE 1372
1801 West Olympic Blvd
Pasadena, California 91199-1372

Or, you can do it online from anywhere in the world at HopeForHaitiNow.org.

The money you send gets divided between the following charities: The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, United Nations World Food Programme, Oxfam America, Partners in Health, Red Cross, UNICEF and the Yele Haiti Foundation.

We all live on this planet. We all have a responsibility to take care of one another, so let's all do our part.

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

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Posted: 23 Jan 2010 09:57 AM PST

'It's so empowering to see how many people are coming together to help,' Gomez says of 'Hope for Haiti Now' telethon.
By Amy Wilkinson

Kevin Jonas backstage at "Hope for Haiti Now" on Friday
Photo: Mark Davis/ Getty Images

More than 130 actors, musicians and athletes came together Friday (January 22) for MTV's "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief." The star-studded telethon included performances by Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys and Wyclef Jean and featured a celebrity panel of phone operators to answer donors' calls. Among them were young stars Selena Gomez and Kevin Jonas, who spoke with MTV News about volunteering for the event.

Gomez, the star of "Wizards of Waverly Place" and a UNICEF ambassador, has been urging fans to donate since the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Port-au- Prince last week. When Gomez was asked to participate in the telethon, there was no way she could say no.

"I thought that it was very important to be here tonight, because I feel like we are very fortunate, and I've lived a blessed life," Gomez said in the minutes following the broadcast. "Being able to help and give back as much as I can is a good feeling in general, but what happened to the people in Haiti is absolutely devastating. It's so empowering to see how many people are coming together to help. And I'm just here. I'm just one of those people wanting to get the word out and help the people of Haiti."

Jonas, who manned a phone alongside brothers and bandmates Joe and Nick, stressed the importance of young people doing whatever they could to contribute.

"Every little bit matters," Jonas said. "It's not one person doing a huge amount; it's every person doing every little thing they can."

One of Jonas' favorite parts of the evening was getting to connect with donors all across the U.S.

"Answering phones and being able to talk to people all around the country has been an amazing opportunity," he said. "When we can get together as a group of people that may have a wider reach than just a couple of people, it works really well. It's an honor to be in the room."

Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.

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Posted: 22 Jan 2010 11:05 PM PST

Tom Hanks, Steve Carell and Will Ferrell are just a few of the stars who showed up to bid farewell to the late-night host.
By Kyle Anderson

Conan O'Brien (file)
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images

Friday night's (January 22) episode of "The Tonight Show" was Conan O'Brien's final one after only seven months behind the desk. After a week of excellent, NBC-bashing humor and good-natured ribbing, O'Brien ended his tenure on NBC with an excellent hour of comedy.

He opened the show with a brief monologue and then moved right into a late-blooming bit that just popped up in the last few days: "The Expensive Thing That NBC Has to Pay For." The Friday night version, according to O'Brien, came directly from the Smithsonian: a complete fossilized skeleton of a ground sloth. "And it's spraying beluga caviar all over an original Picasso!" O'Brien said joyously. "We just bought this on NBC's credit card to the tune of $65 million."

That was followed by a rather sentimental montage of highlights from Conan's seven months on the job, from his coast-to-coast run from New York to Los Angeles to his many encounters with animals. The package, scored by Cheap Trick's "Surrender" (as featured in his very first episode) ended with a card that said "To Be Continued."

As guests on his final show, Conan welcomed Tom Hanks, Will Ferrell and musical guest Neil Young. But before he could get to the guests, he said he had to go through an exit interview with an NBC employee. That employee? "The Office" star Steve Carell.

"First question: Would you describe your NBC experience as positive, very positive or extremely positive?" Carell joked. "Did anything trigger your decision to leave?"

Carell played the bit remarkably straight, even offering some words of encouragement, which he stole from the movie "Up in the Air." At the end, he demanded O'Brien hand over his ID badge, which got boos from the audience as Carell inserted it into a paper shredder.

When Hanks showed up, he brought two glasses of what O'Brien thought was scotch. "Around my house, they call this 'Daddy's Little Reward,' " he said. When they drank, he realized that it was just cream soda. "This is diet cream soda!" O'Brien joked.

Hanks then reminded the audience that he was the one who started calling O'Brien "Coco" on his second show. "In our house, you'll always be the host of 'The Tonight Show,' " Hanks said. "So if you could show up around 10:45, that would be great. And Rita and I will try to stay up for the full hour."

O'Brien then welcomed Neil Young, who he introduced as the first person to call him and offer support once the news came down about his losing his spot on NBC. Armed only with an acoustic guitar and a harmonica, Young performed a quiet, plaintive "Long May You Run," a Stills-Young hit from 1976.

Before Will Ferrell showed up to close out the show, O'Brien took some time to talk frankly to the fans. "There's been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can't say about NBC. Tonight, I'm allowed to say anything I want," he said. "What I want to say is this: Between my time at 'Saturday Night Live,' 'The Late Show' and my brief run on 'The Tonight Show,' I've worked on NBC for over 20 years. This company has been my home for most of my adult life, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible."

He continued, "Walking away from 'The Tonight Show' was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. This is the best job in the world. Every comedian dreams of hosting 'The Tonight Show,' and I got to do it, and I did it my way. I have had more good fortune than anybody I know, and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-Eleven parking lot, we will find a way to make it fun."

By the time he got to thanking the fans at the end of his speech, he was choked up. "I want to say something, especially to young people: Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen."

The show closed in epic fashion: Ferrell led an all-star version of the "Tonight Show Band" (including Beck, Ben Harper, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and O'Brien himself on guitar) through Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird." It was everything that made Conan's stint on "The Tonight Show" great: high-concept, hilarious and more than a little absurd. In the end, O'Brien took the final guitar solo as Ferrell broke out the cowbell, and "The Tonight Show" faded to black.

The tribute went just a little bit longer into Jimmy Fallon's show, "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon," as he and the Roots performed an a cappella version of Boyz II Men's "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" while the host poured a little liquor for his fallen homeboy.

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