Sir Elton John reveals he will donate $1M to HIV/Aids charity to ensure it isn’t ‘forgotten’ amid coronavirus during live-stream with Miley Cyrus
- The singing icon, 73, admitted he was concerned HIV/Aids suffers would be hit with a ‘double whammy’
- Elton said he is working with his Aids Foundation and the new funds would be available in the ‘next few months’
- Elton is currently is self-isolating in Los Angeles with his husband David Furnish and the couple’s two sons, Zachary, nine, and Elijah, seven
Sir Elton John has revealed he pledged $1million ($815,000) to his Aids Foundation in the hope that it isn’t forgotten amid the coronavirus pandemic on Friday.
The singing icon, 73, admitted he was concerned HIV/Aids suffers would be hit with a ‘double whammy’ due to the strain on the health service, during a Bright Minded live-stream with Miley Cyrus.
Elton said he is working with his Aids Foundation and the new funds would be available in the ‘next few months’.
Generous: Sir Elton John has revealed he pledged $1million ($815,000) to his Aids Foundation in the hope that it isn’t forgotten amid the coronavirus pandemic
Sir Elton said: ‘I’m going to stick to my guns with the Aids Foundation and make sure because of this global pandemic that’s happening that the people who are suffering from another global pandemic don’t get forgotten.’
He added: ‘That’s what my foundation has tried to do, help the marginalised, help the poor, help the people who mustn’t get left behind.
‘That is my main focus in the next three months, to make sure these people on the HIV and Aids lifeline we give them, don’t get forgotten.’
Concerns: The singing icon, 73, admitted he was concerned HIV/Aids suffers would be hit with a ‘double whammy’ due to the strain on the health service, during a Bright Minded live-stream with Miley Cyrus
Elton is currently is self-isolating in Los Angeles with his husband David Furnish and the couple’s two sons, Zachary, nine, and Elijah, seven.
As well as pledging money to his HIV/Aids charity, Elton has also played a huge part in raising money to COVID-19 relief.
The iHeart Living Room Concert For America Sunday raised more than $8 million dollars in donations earmarked to Feeding America and the First Responders Children’s Foundation, showrunners said on Monday.
Giving: Elton said he is working with his Aids Foundation and the new funds would be available in the ‘next few months’
‘I wouldn’t have guessed ten days ago that we’d be putting on a concert in primetime with no planning and no notice and pulled it off that way,’ Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier told Variety. ‘This is a moment where bringing people together, if we can do it, is really important.’
The Elton John-hosted event featured an all-star lineup that included Mariah Carey conferencing in her backup singers; Tim McGraw performing from his diving board; and Camila Cabello and boyfriend Shawn Mendes performing her single My Oh My while seated intimately close on a chaise lounge.
Fox and iHeart organized the benefit in a week with round-the-clock attention to booking talent and editing it into an hour-long broadcast, which at least 5.5 million viewers took in Sunday, according to the publication.
Living room concert! As well as pledging money to his HIV/Aids charity, Elton has also played a huge part in raising money to COVID-19 relief
What a show: Mariah Carey (left) conferenced in backup singers and Camila Cabello cozied up to Shawn Mendes (right) in iHeart’s all-star remote benefit show this Sunday