Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift lead all star One World: Together at Home global event
Hollywood banded together for a tribute to healthcare workers and first responders working to fight the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the One World: Together at Home global event on Saturday.
The show, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Global Citizen, was hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel and simultaneously aired across television networks all over the world with appearances and performances by some of the globe's biggest stars.
The celebration kicked off with a six-hour digital concert with performances and appearances by Adam Lambert, Charlie Puth, John Legend, Sheryl Crow, Jessie Reyez, Juanes, and more. It was followed by the main event featuring Lady Gaga on piano performing Nat King Cole's "Smile."
"I care so much about all of the medical workers that are putting their lives at risk right now," Gaga said. "I think of them every day. I pray for them every day. And I'm also thinking of all of you that are at home, who are wondering when this is going to be different. What I'd like to do tonight, if I can, is just give you the permission to—for a moment—smile."
Beyoncé used her time on the show to speak to the Black community, one of the hardest hit with the virus.
"Black Americans disproportionately belong to these essential parts of the workforce that do not have the luxury of working from home," she said. "And African American communities at large have been severely affected in this crisis. Those with preexisting conditions are at an even higher risk. This virus is killing black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America. A recent report from my home city of Houston, Texas, showed that COVID-19 deaths within Houston city limits, 57% of fatal cases are African American. Please protect yourselves."
Lizzo also joined in for a powerful rendition of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" before leaving fans with a special message. “Thank you to everyone working hard to keep us safe. Thank you to everyone staying home and keeping themselves safe," she said. "I love you. We got this. We’ll get through this together."
Jennifer Lopez went the extra mile for her performance of Barbra Streisand's "People," live from Miami where she's self-isolating with fiancé Alex Rodriguez and her twins Emme and Max. Lopez was surrounded by lights as she told fans, "There's one thing I realize more than anything during this whole time, and it's how much we all need each other.
Taylor Swift performed "Soon You'll Get Better" from her latest album "Lover" on piano, allowing the emotional lyrics to serve as her message to viewers.
The night ended with a surprise collaborative performance by Gaga, Celine Dion, John Legend, Andrea Bocelli, and Lang Lang of "The Prayer."
To date, WHO and Global Citizen's have raised a combined $127 million in commitments from corporate partners and philanthropists in support of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
The full event can be viewed in full above.
For the latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19), including how to protect yourself and what to do if you think you are sick, please visit coronavirus.gov.
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