GWEN Stefani and Lady Gaga are being credited for ‘quietly saving the day’ after they helped organize the A-list lineup for the FireAid concert, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.
The star-studded music festival took place last night over two different venues in Los Angeles and raised millions of dollars for victims impacted by the devastating wildfires that ravaged Southern California this month.
In addition to Gwen and Lady Gaga, other A-listers that performed included: Stevie Nicks, Katy Perry, Billie Eillish, Dr. Dre, Olivia Rodrigo, Green Day, Earth, Wind and Fire, Joni Mitchell and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Some of the musicians performed at the Intuit Dome, the home of the Los Angeles Clippers, while others sang at the Kia Forum just down the street.
In between acts, victims of the tragic fires and first responders who worked tirelessly to put out the flames went on stage to share their stories.
The concert was live-streamed around the world, racking in millions of dollars of donations which are being matched by Steve Ballmer – owner of the Los Angeles Clippers and their venue The Intuit Dome.
According to an insider, there were “a lot of people who helped put this event together,” including the “incredible” Irving Azoff – the former CEO of Ticketmaster.
However, a pair of pop icons are being hailed for stepping in and using their star power for good.
“A lot of people used their roster of contacts to help. You know who really stepped up to the plate though – Lady Gaga.
“She’s not even a native Angeleno but she really was on the phone calling people she knew trying to get this organized so quickly.
“She saved the day with a few crises’ we were about to be in,” the source claimed.
They continued: “Gwen Stefani was also an unbelievable resource getting onboard quickly and having others join her.
“It wasn’t difficult to get people to want to help but in order to get something of this magnitude together this quickly – that’s the effort of a lot of people but Gaga and Gwen were two of the biggest champions.
“We have a very clear goal of breaking the World Record for the largest amount of money raised from a benefit concert and we don’t believe there’s any reason to not exceed that goal tonight.”
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The U.S. Sun has reached out to concert organizers for comment.
While Lady Gaga, 38, is a New Yorker, Gwen, 55, was born and raised in Anaheim – about 30 minutes outside of Los Angeles.
The Hollaback Girl singer credits the Southern California culture for influencing her musical style, both with No Doubt and her solo career.
RAISING THE STAKES
According to event organizers, over $60m was raised before the day of the show with millions more expected to trickle in following the concert.
The first big personal contribution of the night came from U2 – who pledged $1m towards wildfire relief.
Other surprises from the night included the addition of some unannounced guests who got the venue rockin’ with 20,000+ other people.
At one point in the evening, the remaining members of Nirvana reunited onstage to play the band’s songs once again.
Resources for the Los Angeles wildfires
As wildfires continue to grow in and around Los Angeles cities, residents can reach out for help with resources and aid offered by organizations throughout the area.
To keep track of the live fire movements, residents can download the Watch Duty app or use its website.
You can register for emergency notifications through Alert LA County.
A comprehensive list of resources is available here.
Available shelters for evacuating residents include:
- Calvary Community Church
- Ritchie Valens Recreation Center
- Pan Pacific Recreational Center
- Westwood Recreation Center
- Pasadena Civic Auditorium
- Pomona Fairplex
- Stoner Recreation Center
Available animal shelters include:
- Agoura Animal Care Center
- Baldwin Park Animal Care Center
- Carson Animal Care Center
- Downey Animal Care Center
- Lancaster Animal Care Center
- Palmdale Animal Care Center
- Pomona Fairplex
- Industry Hills Expo
- Antelope Valley Fair
Free meals are being distributed to evacuees at restaurants and kitchens including:
Sources:
Not only did the band get back together for the charity event, but drummer Dave Grohl brought out a very special guest who some thought “channeled their inner Kurt Cobain”.
Drummer Dave Grohl, bassist Krist Novoselic, rhythm guitarist Pat Smear were joined on-stage by four special guests.
During the set, the group played a several Nirvana songs with their guest artists.
St. Vincent took on Breed, Kim Gordon sang School, Joan Jett performed Territorial P***ings, while Violet Grohl – Dave’s 18-year-old daughter sang All Apologies.
Violet’s rendition of All Apologies left fans in tears, with one person even saying how she “channeled Kurt Cobain”.
If you would like to donate to those impacted by the California wildfires, both short-term and long-term, you can do so by clicking here to be directed to the FireAid site.
