Haiti Telethon Raises $57 Million

Friday's "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon raised more than $57 million in earthquake relief funds in the first 24 hours after it aired live on more than 50 domestic networks and in 60 countries.

The figure does not include contributions by corporations or large private donations, which will be factored in later. It also does not include proceeds from online music downloads of the broadcast, which featured headline performances by Wyclef Jean, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Sting, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera and several others.

The "Hope for Haiti Now" album became the biggest one-day preorder in iTunes history and became the No. 1 iTunes recording in 18 countries. The studio version of "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)," the original track performed by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z, and Rihanna during "Hope for Haiti Now," rose to become the No. 1 song on iTunes in 12 countries.

Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, Emeline Michel were also among the artists appearing on the telethon, along with two group performances: by Keith Urban, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow in Los Angeles, and by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z, and Rihanna in London.

"The public has set a new standard of giving for a relief telethon with "Hope for Haiti Now," said Lisa Paulsen, prexy and CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, which is ensuring proper fiduciary oversight and administration of all donated funds.

"Hope for Haiti Now" will continue accepting donations for six months at http://www.hopeforhaitinow.org/ as well as by phone, text message and mail.

Haiti Telethon: What You Didn't See on TV

Hollywood came together to support Haiti on Friday night – and reunited a few famous exes in the process.

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, who split five years ago, were both on the same soundstage at L.A.'s CBS Studios where he presented and she manned the phones at the Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief, but they did not cross paths, according to a source.

Justin Timberlake, who sang a soulful rendition of "Hallelujah" with Tennman artist Matt Morris, bumped into his ex, Cameron Diaz, off camera. "They ran into each other after he performed and she was in the phone bank and then they talked," the source says.

"The celebrities were so low-key. Everyone drove themselves, there were no handlers, no entourages," adds the source. "Everyone was in a good mood. Most people showed up early and many celebrities, including Chevy Chase, Olivia Wilde and David Archuleta, stayed after the telethon was over so they could keep answering phone calls.

The A-list event was co-hosted by George Clooney and Wyclef Jean and presented by MTV Networks and broadcast on nearly a dozen channels.

Making Connections

"Celebs were catching up with each other and sitting down with staff and just chatting, talking about how sad the situation in Haiti was and how happy they were to help. The success of the night put a lot of people in a euphoric mood and a lot of people made plans to get together later," the source adds.

• Before the show started, early arrivals Reese Witherspoon and Julia Roberts were deep in conversation when Drew Barrymore came over to join them before all three women took their seats at the phone bank.

• Penelope Cruz approached organizer Clooney, who a source says was "very hands-on" during the telecast, and told him, "You're a genius," after he brought so many people together for the event, which raised money by encouraging viewers to call 1-877-99-Haiti to pledge money for the cause.

• Backstage: Newlywed Kevin Jonas ran into Zac Efron's girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens and expressed his hope that "the four of us" would hang out soon.

• In the greenroom, Chris Rock noshed on a cupcake from Crumbs bakery while talking to Ben Stiller. Morgan Freeman and Halle Berry chatted about her daughter Nahla. And Leonardo DiCaprio drank white wine while Archuleta rejoiced when he found papaya on the fruit platter.

• Christian Slater rocked out while watching Madonna's performance of "Like a Prayer" via satellite from New York; Pussycat Doll frontwoman Nicole Scherzinger and Rose McGowan were inseparable most of the night; Rande Gerber dutifully waited for wife Cindy Crawford in the green room while she worked the phones.

"It was a great night," says the source. "It was surreal to see so many celebrities together in one place."

After-Party

For many of the stars, the fun continued at L.A.'s Tower Bar at the Sunset Tower Hotel where Clooney, DiCaprio, Witherspoon, Daniel Craig, Kid Rock, Aniston and Gerard Butler stopped by for some dinner and cocktails after the telethon.

"Everyone seemed really happy, almost giddy," an onlooker said. "They were obviously celebrating the huge amount of money that they raised, and cutting loose at the same time."

Hope for Haiti Now: Jay-Z, Rihanna, Bono & The Edge Perform "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)"

Jay-Z, Rihanna, Bono and The Edge perform "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)" at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon:

Hope for Haiti Now: Mary J. Blige's "Hard Times"

Mary J. Blige sings "Hard Times" at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon:

Hope for Haiti Now: Beyonce Sings "Halo"

Beyonce sings "Halo" at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon:

Hope for Haiti Now:Christina Aguilera Sings "Lift Me Up"

Christina Aguilera sings "Lift me Up" at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon:

Hope for Haiti Now: Alicia Key's "Prelude to a Kiss"

Alicia Keys performing "Prelude to a Kiss" at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon:

Hope for Haiti Now: Jennifer Hudson's "Let It Be"

Jennifer Hudson performing the Beatle's "Let It Be" at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon:

Hope for Haiti Now: Madonna's "Like A Prayer"

Madonna performing "Like a Prayer" at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon:

How the Hope for Haiti Now Telethon Came Together

Nobody helps a charity event come together quicker than George Clooney.

Two days after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Judy McGrath, the CEO of MTV Networks, was starting to plan a benefit for the devastated nation when her phone rang. "My assistant said, 'George Clooney is on the phone,' " she said. Her reaction? "That's just Brad Grey [CEO of Paramount Pictures] fooling around.”

But the call wasn't a prank. Clooney was on the line offering his help. "He jumped in with such incredible commitment," says McGrath. "And he had already spoken to Bono, Wyclef, Sting and Bruce [Springsteen]." The result? Hope for Haiti Now – a star-studded two-hour telethon airing Friday that will feature musical performances from Los Angeles, New York City and London, plus live reporting from CNN's Anderson Cooper in Haiti.

"We've all seen that music plays a role in horrible times," says McGrath. "It's healing and mobilizing. If we bring the music and George brings his incredible advocacy and all his relationships, we'll have something really strong."

For the last few days, the group has been working around the clock to put together a great show with special performances by Springsteen, Shakira, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson and Taylor Swift among others.

Proceeds from the telethon will be split evenly between The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, United Nations World Food Programme, Oxfam America, Partners in Health, The Red Cross, UNICEF and the Yele Haiti Foundation.

"I won't feel right about this unless we raise tons and tons of money," says McGrath.

The show will be the most widely distributed telethon in history and will air on more than 25 networks.

Music Stars Sign Up for Haiti Telethon

Justin Timberlake, Rihanna and Christina Aguilera are among the music stars set to perform at Friday’s Hope for Haiti Now telethon for earthquake relief.

The two-hour event will air on several networks at 8:00 pm (ET), hosted by George Clooney in Los Angeles, Wyclef Jean in New York and CNN's Anderson Cooper in Haiti.

Sting will be joined in New York by Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson and Shakira.

Timberlake and Aguilera will take the stage in Los Angeles, along with Alicia Keys, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift and a group performance by Keith Urban, Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow.

In London, the lineup includes Rihanna, Bono, Coldplay, Jay-Z and The Edge.

How Telethons Help: Haiti Will Be George Clooney's Third

In response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti that has killed up to tens of thousands of people, George Clooney and MTV Networks are organizing a megawatt line up of musicians, film and television stars for a national telethon looking to be successful in raising funds as previous disaster telethons have in the past.

"He's been on the phone for three days straight with almost no sleep," Clooney's rep told PEOPLE when he skipped the Critics' Choice Awards Friday in order to prepare for the Haiti telethon. "George knows how to do this well. It's his third one." The Up in the Air actor and humanitarian was involved in organizing both the September 11th and the South Asia tsunami telethons.

With specific details still being worked out, the two-hour telethon, airing January 22nd, will be similar to past disaster events featuring musical performances and an all-star ensemble of Hollywood celebrities offering viewers the opportunity to pledge money.

Just how helpful are the celebrity telethons? Here's a look:

SEPTEMBER 11TH

From giant corporations to Hollywood's finest, the star-studded national telethon for victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks was deemed a huge success. Called America: A Tribute to Heroes, the show raised more than $100 million with all proceeds going to the September 11th Fund, the United Way and the New York Community Trust – all which provide immediate support in cities affected by the events.

Planned in just seven days, the telethon aired live from New York, Los Angeles and London on September 21, 2001, and was shown uninterrupted on 35 separate broadcast and cable networks simultaneously. It was seen by 59.3 million viewers.

Film producer Joel Gallen helmed the telethon along with Clooney, and team up again for the Haiti telethon. Gallen said his job was made a little easier with the acceptance of every celebrity he approached on extremely short notice. With musical performances from Bruce Springsteen, U2, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder all signed on, Gallen said it was Clooney who suggested having multiple stars, from Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise to Julia Roberts handle the phones – and speak directly to charitable donors.

The show was capped off with two emotional songs: Celine Dion singing "God Bless America" and Willie Nelson leading an all-star version of "America the Beautiful."

SOUTH ASIA TSUNAMI

Using the same format of the September 11th telethon, Hollywood joined forces again in an effort to collect money for the Red Cross after a tsunami ripped through South Asia immediately following a December 26, 2004, quake that devastated Indonesia, Thailand and other neighboring countries.

Clooney, one of the lead organizers of NBC's tsunami relief telethon, Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope telethon aired on January 15, 2005 and featured performances by Madonna, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Christina Aguilera, Wonder again and others.

NBC carried the two-hour telethon and ran it on six other NBC Universal-owned channels. The concert was seen at least in part by some 19.5 million total viewers.

In addition to the musical acts on the show, Clooney, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio and Halle Berry joined a team of celebrities who answered phones, taking pledges from viewers. The tsunami relief telethon raised $18.3 million for the American Red Cross International Response Fund. Jennifer Aniston

HURRICANE KATRINA

Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis (among others) manned the phones for Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast, on September 9, 2005, to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The telethon was broadcast on more than 29 channels and raised an estimated $30 million for the American Red Cross and Salvation Army. Jennifer Aniston was one of the volunteer celebs who made a direct appeal for funds. "All across the Gulf coast some babies are still separated from their parents," said the actress. "These children will need a life time of support – support that you and I can begin to provide right now. So please help."

And with the help of such musical performances by Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Dixie Chicks and Neil Young, the telecast was seen by 22.2 million viewers.