Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe 'THE CONCERT FOR NEW YORK' The Backstreet Boys have canceled a previously scheduled show in San Diego, Calif., so they can take part in "The Concert For New York." Advertisement They join an all-star line-up of Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, The Who, Bon Jovi, James Taylor, John Mellencamp, Macy Gray, Goo Goo Dolls, Melissa Etheridge, Marc Anthony, Five For Fighting and India.Arie for the one-night-only event, Oct. 20 at New York's Madison Square Garden. The four-hour concert will benefit the Robin Hood Relief Fund supporting victims of the Sept. 11th attack. Paul Shaffer and his band from "The Late Show with David Letterman" will be the house band. Advertisement "The Concert For New York City" will be aired live on VH1 (at 8 p.m. ET). Five thousand members of the New York Fire, Police and Rescue crews and their families will be in attendance as guests of honor. (Web site: robinhood.org) PAUL McCARTNEY Paul McCartney says all proceeds from the sale of his new single will be donated to relief for the families of firefighters killed or still missing in the wake of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. The song, "From a Lover to a Friend," will be released Oct. 29, nine days after McCartney appears at an all-star concert at Madison Square Garden to raise funds for victims and heroes of the terrorist attack and the rescue and recovery effort that followed it. In a statement issued Wednesday, McCartney described his initial reaction as he witnessed the destruction of the towers from an airplane on the ground at a New York airport. "Out of the window of the plane I could see the towers smoking and in flames and, like everybody, I could not believe what was happening," he said. "As the airport was then closed, I stayed in New York for a week after the attack and I was able to also witness the tremendous heroism that has come out of the city, including the bravery of the firefighters. Advertisement "I have great admiration for the courage those guys showed," said McCartney, whose father was a volunteer fireman in Liverpool, England, during World War II. McCartney's first new studio album in four years, "Driving Rain," hits stores Nov. 13. WHITNEY HOUSTON Whitney Houston's recording of "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the No. 1 Soundscan single in the country, and has been certified platinum for U.S. sales in excess of 1 million copies. Houston's record company, Arista, announced the new sales figures. Houston, the Whitney Houston Foundation For Children Inc. and Arista Records have agreed to donate royalties and net proceeds from all sales of the single to the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund and the New York Fraternal Order of Police. "When I first performed 'The Star-Spangled Banner' in 1991, we were in the midst of the Gulf War and the country was united," said Houston in a statement released by Arista. "This anthem has always been the musical symbol for the United States of America. I am proud to be able to participate in this way." Houston first performed her version of "The Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV in 1991. She made it the closing track of "Whitney -- The Greatest Hits" last year. Advertisement That collection has gone double-platinum in the United States and has sold nearly 10 million copies around the world. (Thanks to UPI Hollywood Reporter Pat Nason) AFROMAN Afroman is starting to get high on the charts around the globe. His single "Because I Got High" -- from his (Universal Records) debut CD "The Good Times" --- tops the charts in New Zealand, in the top-5 in Australia, Sweden and Holland, and No.6 in Denmark. Afroman is currently on tour in the United States through October. In early November, he'll travel to Netherlands to film the video for "Crazy Rap," the second single from "The Good Times." "Crazy Rap" will be released to radio Oct. 29. (Web site: universalrecords.com) CREED Creed's new single "My Sacrifice" has been released to radio stations worldwide. To mark the occasion, the band and its label, Wind-Up Records, are offering a "virtual pager" that'll notify fans of exclusive Creed audio and video content whenever it becomes available --- as well as news of the band's TV appearances and upcoming tour. The Creed "virtual pager" is downloadable at retail, radio and music Web sites. "Weathered," Creed's upcoming album, is due out Nov. 20. INCUBUS Advertisement Bestbuy.com has chosen Incubus and its upcoming CD "Morning View" (on the Epic/Immortal label) for their premiere foray into advance album previewing with online pre-order. Available now exclusively through Bestbuy.com, fans who purchase "Morning View" are sent an e-mail with an account number which lets them immediately access the album online, on demand and in its entirety, prior to the album's arrival in stores Oct. 23. "Morning View" is the band's third full-length CD, and was named for the Malibu, Calif., house where for six months, the five band-mates became roommates to write and record this new album. Incubus is on tour now through December in support of the new album.
