Unspeakable tragedies beget all-star charity spectacles, and the earthquake in Haiti is no exception. Soon-to-be-former American Idol curmudgeon Simon Cowell (right) will flex his celebrity muscle by drawing some of the British Isles' biggest music stars to re-purpose and re-record a song by a most decidedly American band — "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M.
NME reports the details, including R.E.M.'s approval:
R.E.M.'s manager Bertis Downs told The Sun that the band are waiving all royalties for the song, which is raising money for the Helping Haiti fund and the Disasters Emergency Committee.
"We are deeply touched the song has been chosen for this Haiti campaign," Downs said. "It means a lot that the song the guys wrote all those years ago will be used for such an important appeal."
Which British superstars did Cowell draft for "Everybody Hurts?" Check out the current list of participating celebs and the original video for "Everybody Hurts" after the jump.
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2010.
