Elton John’s ‘Living Room’ Concert Raises $8 Million for Coronavirus Relief

Photo Credit: Fox

Elton John’s “Living Room Concert for America” raised nearly $8 million for coronavirus relief.

The concert aired on Sunday and featured acts from Billie Eilish, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, and others. Each musician performed from their home in an hour-long event. The Living Room concert aired on Fox and iHeartRadio stations.

Viewers are encouraged to support two charitable organizations to help victims and first responders. Feeding America and First Responders Children’s Foundation were the promoted organizations. YouTube will have the benefit special available to stream through Wednesday on the site.

Other artists with performances during the live event included Camila Cabello, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Backstreet Boys, Dave Grohl, Tim McGraw, H.E.R., and more. Tim McGraw’s performance featured him playing guitar with three other musicians – who all played remotely together.

“We could do a whole concert like this,” McGraw said, referring to the remote call-in.

The Living Room concert also featured heartfelt messages from many celebrities, thanking first responders. Ciara, Demi Lovato, Ellen DeGeneres, Lizzo, Melissa McCarthy, Ryan Seacrest, and more shared their thanks.

YouTube will be making a donation to support coronavirus relief while the special airs. You can catch it below, courtesy of iHeartMedia’s YouTube channel. As mentioned, it will only be available to stream until Wednesday.

The coronavirus pandemic is sweeping across the United States, with New York City the epicenter. At the time of writing, the US is reporting 205,438 cases of coronavirus, with 4,528 deaths.

The Recording Academy launched its own coronavirus relief fund through its MusiCares philanthropic arm. Eligible professional musicians can receive up to a $1,000 grant to pay essential bills like rent and mortgages.

Elsewhere, indie musicians are turning to live streaming on sites like Twitch to help make ends meet. Twitch is even partnering with SoundCloud to fast-track artists to monetize their streams. Meanwhile, the U.S. government is passing a record $2.2 trillion stimulus to help Americans weather the pandemic — let’s just hope it’s enough.