Coronavirus: Star-studded ‘One World’ virtual concert raises $128M for front-line pandemic workers

FILE PHOTO: Lady Gaga performs onstage during AT&T TV Super Saturday Night at Meridian at Island Gardens on February 01, 2020, in Miami, Florida. She hit a more intimate stage Saturday, April 19 for the "One World: Together at home" concert, where she was joined by a host of entertainers performing remotely.

FILE PHOTO: Lady Gaga performs onstage during AT&T TV Super Saturday Night at Meridian at Island Gardens on February 01, 2020, in Miami, Florida. She hit a more intimate stage Saturday, April 19 for the "One World: Together at home" concert, where she was joined by a host of entertainers performing remotely.

Social distancing never sounded so good.

Organizers of “One World: Together at Home” announced early Sunday the star-studded virtual concert took in commitments totaling almost $128 million to support front-line novel coronavirus pandemic workers.

"$127.9 million for COVID-19 relief. That is the power and impact of One World: #TogetherAtHome," Global Citizen tweeted, following the live broadcast.

Urging unity and promoting social distancing to curb the spread of the deadly virus, “One World” was organized by international advocacy group Global Citizen and performer Lady Gaga to benefit the World Health Organization’s ongoing pandemic response efforts. The show was hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.

The virtual benefit featured musicians, health experts and global leaders praising medical workers and food employees, among others, for risking their lives daily to combat the virus responsible for more than 2.3 million infections worldwide and more than 161,000 global deaths.

“What I’d like to do tonight, if I can, is just give you permission to, for a moment, smile,” Lady Gaga told viewers before belting out her rendition of “Smile,” the jazz standard popularized by Nat King Cole.

The more than 8-hour broadcast also featured distant performances by the Rolling Stones, Billie Eilish, Kacey Musgraves, John Legend and Sam Smith, Lizzo, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello and Sir Paul McCartney.

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