More Stars Align for Hurricane Help

The stars are coming out in droves to support Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Numerous musicians and actors have signed on to appear on Friday's multi-network benefit, Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast, which will be broadcast commercial-free by ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The WB and UPN and will also air on a multitude of cable networks, including E!

Among the artists scheduled to perform are Sheryl Crow, the Dixie Chicks, Alicia Keys, Randy Newman, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart and Neil Young, while celebs such as Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Ellen DeGeneres, Jack Nicholson, Chris Rock, Ray Romano and Sela Ward are expected to make appearances.

The special will also be broadcast in at least 95 countries around the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and virtually all of Asia and the Middle East.

Elsewhere, increasing numbers of Hollywood types continue to work towards easing the suffering of hurricane victims. Kevin Smith has announced an online auction at his Website, ViewAskew.com, where prizes include a dinner at the filmmaker's home and a walk-on role in the upcoming Clerks 2: The Passion of the Clerks, which begins production in October. "We just wanted to do our part," Smith said. "This seemed a way to involve our fans and raise awareness of the disaster, while providing a little extra help for the victims." Willie Nelson launched a radio ad campaign urging people to donate funds to help farmers who suffered severe losses due to the hurricane through FarmAid.org. Complete news coverage, ways you can help, message boards, more
BosPoker.com will host a celebrity poker tournament Friday where the top eight finishers will compete for $100,000 to be donated to the American Red Cross. Participants include Hilary Duff, Joel Madden, Hank Azaria, Shannon Elizabeth, Ron Livingston, Jennifer Tilly, Danny Masterson and Jeremy Sisto. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association donated $250,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Rust Records Nashville will partner with the American Red Cross to put on a series of concerts beginning Sept. 16 featuring the label's artists. The first concert will take place in Morehead City, North Carolina with country stars BlackHawks and Shane Owens. David Banner announced that he will host a benefit concert through his Heal the Hood Foundation on Sept. 17 in Atlanta. Performers scheduled to appear at the show include Nelly, Young Jeezy and Twista. Timbaland spoke up in an effort to challenge his peers to open their wallets and aid in relief efforts. "Every day on TV I see more destruction, hurt and pain on the faces of ordinary people who need our help. If you can afford to splurge on materialistic treats for yourself like cars, jewelry and clothes, then you can also afford to forego those luxuries for a moment and give to people who desperately need that money for basic necessities," the music producer said. He said he planned to donate toys, clothing and basic necessities when he visits shelters in Dallas and Houston this week. Oprah Winfrey devoted Tuesday and Wednesday's episodes of her show to covering the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on location. Stars including Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Chris Rock, Lisa Marie Presley, John Travolta, Kelly Preston and Faith Hill joined the talk show host in visiting with victims of the storm and delivering food and supplies. MTV, VH1 and CMT's benefit special, ReAct Now, airs Saturday, featuring performances from the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, the Neville Brothers and Kanye West.

Last week, an estimated 13.8 million tuned in for NBC's star-studded fundraising event, A Concert for Hurricane Relief, which was also aired by MSNBC and CNBC. The network has not yet released the amount of money raised by the event.

In addition, the annual Jerry Lewis Telethon raised over $1 million last weekend for hurricane relief, as well as close to $55 million it raised for its traditional beneficiary, the Muscular Dystrophy Association.