Usher Starts Up Hurricane Benefit
Usher wants to be startin' something good this fall.
The R&B megastar announced Thursday he will headline a benefit concert, Project Restart, in his native Atlanta to aid those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
"When I thought about what I could do to help, I decided that I wanted to do something direct and personal for the evacuees," he said in statement.
Usher will admit free of charge around 5,000 displaced Gulf Coast residents currently living in the greater Atlanta area.
The concert is set to take place Oct. 9 at the city's Phillips Arena.
Remaining tickets for the concert will go on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. ET.
Usher hopes to raise further money by offering up a limited number of VIP seats and corporate suites for the fundraiser.
Proceeds from Project Restart, which has the blessing of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, will go to the Project Restart Objective, a charity providing temporary housing for those who lost their homes to the hurricanes. In addition, Usher's New Look Foundation will team up with Freddie Mac with the goal of placing 1,000 families in homes in 13 different states via funds raised from the gig.
While Usher is the only confirmed act on the bill so far, the "Burn" singer says some of his "celebrity friends" will make an appearance at the fundraiser.
A full list of confirmed openers is expected to be announced soon.
"This isn't just another concert to benefit the victims," says Usher. "This is a movement to uplift the survivors and give them hope."
Per Thursday's press release, the first city that will benefit from Project Restart will be Houston. The Grammy-winning artist plans to visit the city soon and award a new home to a Katrina victim.
Meanwhile, one of the extras on the chart-topper's forthcoming Truth Tour DVD is a behind-the-scenes look at the superstar's charitable work.
The three-disc set, which also features live footage from a recent Truth Tour performance in Atlanta, will be available for purchase beginning Nov. 8 exclusively at Best Buy locations nationwide.
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