Stars line up for Haiti telethon

NEW YORK, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira and Sting are to perform on a celebrity telethon to benefit Haiti's earthquake victims.

The stars will perform in New York for Friday's "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief," MTV Networks said Tuesday.

Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder and Taylor Swift are slated to take the stage in Los Angeles for the event. Keith Urban, Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow are planning to perform together.

Coldplay, and a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z and Rihanna are scheduled for London.

All performances are to be available for purchase from Apple iTunes Store with proceeds benefiting select Haiti relief funds.

Wyclef Jean is to serve as host of the New York portion of the telethon, while George Clooney will be master of ceremonies in Los Angeles and CNN's Anderson Cooper will handle on-air duties from Haiti.

MTV said the telethon will feature more than 100 of the biggest names in film, television and music supporting the cause with testimonials and by answering phones during the telethon.

The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and United Nations World Food Program have joined the list of relief organizations that will benefit from "Hope for Haiti Now," which also includes Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF and Yele Haiti Foundation.

The two-hour telethon will air on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, CMT, PBS, TNT, Showtime, Comedy Central, Bravo, E! Entertainment, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, G4, CENTRIC, Current TV, Fuse, MLB Network, EPIX, Palladia, SoapNet, Style, Discovery Health, Planet Green, and Canadian networks including CBC Television, CTV, Global Television and MuchMusic Friday night.