Rock legends take on stage for Sandy victims
Steven Van Zandt, guitarist of the E Street Band, scolded "the oil companies" and "Wall Street guys" for not doing more to help.
Photos: Musicians performs for Hurricane Sandy victims |
"Even with the music business not what it used to be ... we are proud to be here," he said.
The concert was broadcast live on television, radio, movie theaters, on Facebook and iHeartRadio, and streamed on digital billboards in New York's Times Square, London and Paris.
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More than 130 people were killed when Sandy pummeled the East Coast of the United States in October. Thousands more were left homeless as the storm tore through areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, causing billions of dollars in damage.
Throughout the show, celebrities shared memories of growing up in New York City or the Jersey Shore, and offered shout-outs to first responders.
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"Watching my hometown get pummeled was devastating to watch," said actor-comedian Crystal, who grew up on Long Beach, Long Island. "It's a helpless feeling of what's in store for us maybe in the future."
As the show neared its finale, organizers said it had raised $30 million from corporate sponsors, ticket sales and donations. The total raised from called-in pledges will take more time to calculate, said a spokesman for the Robin Hood foundation, the concert's major beneficiary.
Donations raised from the concert produced by Clear Channel Entertainment and the Weinstein Co, will all go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which will provide money and materials to groups helping people hardest hit by the storm.
New Jersey is expected to take 40 percent of the total, while the rest will be divided up between New York City, Long Island and Connecticut.
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