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CNN Saturday Morning News

Celebrities Hold Tribute Telethon

Aired September 22, 2001 - 09:53   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: America's celebrities lending their talents to help victims' families, a tribute telethon went out around the world last night, and it was a sight to see.

Mary Murphy, senior writer for "TV Guide," is live in L.A. We'll talk with Mary after we hear a short sample, again, from last evening.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, MUSICIAN: This is a prayer for our fallen brothers and sisters.

(singing): There's a blood-red circle on the cold, dark ground, and the rain is falling down.

TOM HANKS, ACTOR: We are merely artists and entertainers here to raise spirits.

WILL SMITH, ACTOR: My friend and I want you to remember that...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: Again last night, an amazing sight, Muhammad Ali and so many others chipped in. Neil Young singing "Imagine," Willie Nelson concluding things with an encore presentation later in the evening.

Wish it was on earlier last night. I had to go to bed early.

Mary Murphy up this morning early in L.A. Mary, good morning to you.

MARY MURPHY, SENIOR WRITER, "TV GUIDE": Morning, Bill, how are you?

HEMMER: I'm doing just fine. Listen, do we know just yet how much money was raised?

MURPHY: No, we don't know the amount of the money yet because they're still raising money. They're going to do it until, I think, Tuesday. We don't know how many people watched, we don't know how much money.

But I was interesting, watching the clips, because when, you know, Tom Hanks said, you know, We're not healers, you know, we're here to raise the spirits, in fact, I think last night they were healers, part of the healers of the American psyche.

It was an amazing, amazing show that Hollywood pulled together last night in a very quick, very quick way to do it.

HEMMER: Yes, Mary, I think back about 60 years ago when leading entertainers like Bob Hope came forward, even going overseas many times. Are we seeing part of that in what we heard and saw last night?

MURPHY: Yes, I think so. You know, it was in so many ways, I mean, watching Willie Nelson and Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks singing, you know, "God Bless... " Not "God Bless America," but "America the Beautiful," these kind of patriotic things that we have don't usually see from Hollywood, I think were very inspirational.

And also I was thinking about during the campaign, when I was interviewing, you know, then-Governor Bush, talking to me about the fact that he really, he and the, he -- he was not friends with the people in Hollywood, and didn't feel very welcome here, my, how that has changed, you know, within a week. The people in Hollywood are really in support of this government, and it was an amazing sight to see.

I listened to it on the radio and watched it on television.

HEMMER: Oh, really? Was there a difference for you?

MURPHY: Yes, there was. On the radio, they had great commentary. They told you who was on, they told you who was speaking, who was working the phone banks as it was going through. On television, you just were able to look at it. But on the radio you were able to hear it.

And I actually liked both of them, and but I really felt that this was something, I know Bob Hope went abroad, but this was really unprecedented in terms of patriotism in our time for Hollywood.

HEMMER: Yes. Mary, we have some pictures from last night, going to show our viewers as we watch them take us (inaudible). I got about 15 minutes last night before I had to go to bed with an early call this morning.

But Springsteen led it off last night in a song that appeared to be new, "My City of Ruins."

MURPHY: Yes, Springsteen kind of set the tone. And he was amazing, only because people have such trust in him and his blue- collar roots in America. It was a perfect tone.

Mariah Carey, I don't know who this is on the screen right now. But I know when Mariah Carey sang last night, coming out of, you know, two emotional nervous breakdowns to sing "Heroes," this was an amazing thing with Muhammad Ali, you know, defending his religion with Will Smith, who was playing Muhammad Ali in the movie coming up, very, very touching and informative. Celine Dion, of course we had a Canadian singing "God Bless America," and in some ways it was even more touching than having an American sing.

Billy Joel, great, with the fireman's helmet on top of the piano, and singing about New York and the spirit of New York. It was very well produced, that's the thing that, you know, people don't realize, that they've got all these people together, usually demanding limousines and hair and makeup, and they were just there.

HEMMER: VCR alert indeed, huh, Mary? Mary Murphy, live from L.A., thanks for sharing your thoughts. It was an extraordinary night last night. Thank you, Mary.

MURPHY: Thank you.

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