Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Simon Cowell's Helping Haiti Single Tops Charts

Simon Cowell's Helping Haiti charity single hit number one on the UK charts after selling 450,000 copies in its first week of release.

The track -- recorded by a host of top artists including Rod Stewart, Alexandra Burke and Susan Boyle -- has become one of the biggest selling songs of the last decade already by the time it hit the top spot yesterday, raising a huge amount of money for victims of the earthquakes.

Alexandra Burke, who flew to Haiti to help the aid effort, said: "It's fantastic the single is at number one and that helping Haiti is on everyone's agenda. I've seen where this money will go and that it will really make a difference and help those who need it. Thank you to everyone who has bought this single."

Leona Lewis said that sales of the song, which is a cover of the R.E.M. tune "Everybody Hurts," was a great achievement, but she encouraged people not to stop buying and downloading it.

She said: "I'm so pleased that so many people are supporting this record. There are still so many in Haiti that need our help so please keep giving."

All money raised from the single will go directly to helping victims of the earthquakes, after the British government waived VAT on the single and REM said they wouldn't collect writing royalties on the song.

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