America: A Tribute to Heroes was a benefit concert organized by actor George Clooney and broadcast by the four major United States television networks in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon. Done in the style of a telethon, it featured a number of national and international entertainers performing to raise money for the victims and their families, particularly but not limited to the New York City firefighters. It aired September 21, 2001, uninterrupted and commercial-free. It was released on December 4, 2001 on compact disc and DVD.
On a dark stage illuminated by hundreds of candles, twenty-one artists performed songs of mourning and hope, while various actors and other celebrities delivered short spoken messages. The musical performances took place at three studios in Los Angeles (CBS Television City), New York, and London, while the celebrity messages took place at Los Angeles. Some of the musicians including Neil Young and Eddie Vedder were heard working the phone banks taking pledges. The money raised amounted to about $30 million, and was given to the United Way's September 11 Telethon Fund.
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine selected this concert, along with the later The Concert for New York City, as one of the 50 moments that changed rock and roll. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6085455/the_moments
A two-hour telethon, which aired on all the major TV networks (and a host of cable networks), where celebrities raised money for the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, and the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. Written by Brian Henke
