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Janet Jackson, Ziggy Marley Shine At APLA Benefit
05/31/1999 4:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen
(5/31/99, 1 a.m. PDT) - Janet Jackson, along with Gucci designer Tom Ford and Time-Warner chairman Gerald Levin, were honored for their support of HIV/ AIDS causes Thursday (May 27) at AIDS Project Los Angeles's 11th annual Commitment To Life fundraiser and show. "We felt like we needed to be here. So many people are still suffering," said Delious Kennedy of All-4-One. "If it's as simple as singing a song to raise awareness, how could we say no?" Ziggy Marley opened the show, held at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, with a cover of his father's "Get Up, Stand Up." Screen/ TV/ stage star Nathan Lane hosted the event. All-4-One, Edwin McCain, and 98 Degrees played two songs each, while Warren Beatty, Brendan Fraser, movie mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg (the "K" in DreamWorks SKG), Carrie Fisher, and Rupert Everett all gave speeches or presentations. Taylor Dayne covered a Dusty Springfield tune with a little help--guitar accompaniment by producer Don Was, who was the evening's music supervisor. The event was closed with Marley performing his "One Bright Day," followed by a ensemble version of "Get Up, Stand Up," featuring Marley, 98 Degrees, McCain, and Lane. "I get nervous whenever we are going to sing live, but having your career peers in the room adds butterflies," said Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees. "I grew up listening to Janet Jackson and now she will be listening to me. It's a dream come true. It was like that at the American Music Awards too. I was hitting a high note, and all of a sudden I realized Whitney Houston was sitting in the front row watching us. I almost threw up." McCain felt equally grateful to sing his hit "I'll Be," noting that "this is one of those moments where I am grateful I dropped out of college." The event raised $2 million for APLA's direct care programs. Over the last 10 years, Commitment To Life has honored business and entertainment professionals who have made an exceptional contribution to the fight against AIDS. Past honorees include Elton John, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, David Geffen, Rosie O'Donnell, Tom Hanks, and Hillary Rodham Clinton. To read an Edwin McCain feature, click here. -- Midnight Jones, Los Angeles Got news tips, comments, or questions? Send them to newstips@launch.com.
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