Elton John hosts charity concert with Mariah Carey, Backstreet Boys for coronavirus relief
As America grapples with the rising COVID-19 pandemic, Elton John teamed up with an array of artists on Sunday night to "lift your spirits" for the first-ever "iHeart Living Room Concert For America" that aired on Fox.
The concert not only served as means to comfort those worried about the outbreak, but it also helped raise money for two critical charities: First Responders Children Foundation and Feeding America. It was later revealed by comedian Ken Jeong that Fox was matching donations.
"We hope this bit of entertainment can feed and fuel your soul," said John, who also comedically revealed that he was quarantined in his only house that doesn't have a piano.
Thankfully, no piano was required for his hosting duties, as the performances fell to the artists who lent their vocal talents to entertain America from their homes. However, at the end of the concert, he did manage to get his hands on a keyboard so he could close with a special performance of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me."
Alicia Keys
First up was Alicia Keys, who opened with an encouraging message, saying, as she played her piano, "I hope that we remember how resilient we are and how we defy the odds."
She then dedicated her performance of "Underdog" to the "first responders and medical professionals that are risking their lives to keep us safe."
Backstreet Boys
Following Keys, the Backstreet Boys took the living room stage with Brian Littrell greeting fans from the comfort and safety of his house. He joked that he and his band were "bringing our living room to yours" before shouting out frontline responders who are "putting themselves in harm's way" to keep the globe safe.
The gang sang "I Want It That Way" and even broke out some lighthearted dance moves to elicit some much-needed smiles. Kevin Richardson and Nick Carter got their kids involved, playing instruments and dancing around the backyard.
Dave Grohl
Up next was Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters who dedicated his performance of "My Hero" to all those on the front lines.
Billie Eilish and Finneas
Billie Eilish and Finneas followed Grohl with an acoustic rendition of "bad guy" from their couch. Billie revealed she wanted "to be some sort of comfort in this crazy time" before urging everyone to "stay strong together."
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello
Up next was Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, who flirted a bit before introducing the song "My Oh My" with Cabello on vocals and Mendes on guitar. More adorable than the lovebirds was their dog in the background, who excitedly tried to steal the spotlight in the beginning.
Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, who took over from Cabello and Mendes, also showed off his canine companion as he sang "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw took the stage next to perform a lighthearted "Something Like That" while sitting on his diving board as his band played live from their respective houses. His spot ended with him thanking his daughter Maggie for holding the camera and sweetly blew her a kiss.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato took the majority of her slot to urge those viewing to donate and "do what you can to lift [people] up." She closed with a brief piano rendition of "Skyscraper."
Mariah Carey
Last up was Mariah Carey, who put her heart into "Always Be My Baby" and made sure to prove she is the queen of the whistle register by spending the last moments of the song hitting a series of high notes.
She concluded with an adorable anecdote that after she leaves the studio, she's going to put her gloves back on "even in my own home."
Non-performers
While Lady Gaga didn't perform, she reached out to fans in an empathetic way, saying, "I know what's going on in the world is terrifying" and that "my heart goes out to people who lost loved ones."
She used her time to touch upon mental health, encouraging those to communicate with friends and family to combat the feeling of isolation and anxiety. She concluded, "Be kind to yourselves."
Other performers helping to spread positivity were H.E.R. and Sam Smith.
Thanking first responders was a unifying theme during Sunday night's concert. The show offered numerous first-hand accounts from EMTs, doctors and nurses about how they're battling against the pandemic. One nurse named Melissa, who is working at a COVID-19 ICU at her hospital, tearfully revealed that she feels like she's "working in a war zone."
Talk show host Ellen Degeneres also shouted out essential workers, namely those who work at grocery stores, making sure people are still able to eat by keeping the shelves stocked.
As the concert wrapped up, John urged the audience to continue giving to First Responders Children Foundation and Feeding America before thanking everyone for coming together to promote positivity.
