Michael Jackson
Photo: Epic

Mariah Carey, Ricky Martin, Tom Petty, Carlos Santana, Celine Dion and Shakira have joined Michael Jackson in asking "What More Can I Give" on a benefit single for September 11 relief efforts.

Also new to the lineup, according to an announcement from Jackson's publicist on Wednesday (October 17), are: Gloria Estefan, Usher, Julio Iglesias, Reba McEntire, Luther Vandross, Brian McKnight, Aaron Carter, Jon Secada, Billy Gilman, Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman, Alejandro Sanz, Christian Castro, Olga Tañón, Juan Gabriel, Luis Miguel, Thalía, Ziggy Marley and 3LW.

Previously announced contributors include Destiny's Child, Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter and Mya. Lovebirds Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were also named as participants when plans were first announced, but there was no mention of them in the latest update. A source close to the project said the two were never confirmed.

"What More Can I Give" will be released in both English and Spanish versions. It was unclear which artists will appear on which one. Jackson penned the song and is producing the English version, while KC Porter is overseeing production of the Spanish rendition. A release date has not been announced.

Jackson has been flying to studios around the country to record with the stars, according to his publicist. Santana recorded his guitar part in San Francisco with Porter last week, while other sessions have taken place in New York and Los Angeles.

The enigmatic pop legend has said he hopes the single will raise $50 million. "I believe in my heart that the music community will come together as one and rally to the aid of thousands of innocent victims," Jackson said in a statement. "There is a tremendous need for relief dollars right now, and through this effort each one of us can play an immediate role in helping comfort so many people."

In 1985, Jackson, Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie and Harry Belafonte led a group of artists in recording "We Are the World," which benefited famine-relief efforts in Ethiopia.

For more information on and audience reaction to the attacks, including tips on how you can help, see "9.11.01: Moving Forward."

Share your thoughts on the attacks in Afghanistan in You Tell Us.

• Michael Jackson
• Mariah Carey
• Ricky Martin
• Celine Dion
• Tom Petty

Ricky Martin
Photo: Maggie Rodriguez

Gloria Estefan and Jon Secada premiered "El Ultimo Adios" — a song the two recorded with a virtual supergroup of Latin music luminaries including Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez — at the White House on Friday, the same day the charity single was sent to radio stations.

The song, also recorded in English and titled "The Last Goodbye," will raise money for the American Red Cross and the United Way to assist families of victims of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, according to a publicist for Estefan Enterprises in Miami.

Producer Emilio Estefan Jr. put together the lineup, which featured more than 70 artists including Shakira, Christina Aguilera, José Feliciano and Tito Puente Jr. While basic tracks were recorded in Miami, most of the artists added their vocals from studios in New York; Los Angeles; Madrid, Spain; Mexico City; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Corpus Christi, Texas.

"In the four minutes of this song, we are sending a message of unity and hope that will last a lifetime," Emilio Estefan Jr. said in a statement. "Different music genres were represented, [and] all the artists sang together to inspire faith and hope to all affected by this tragedy."

Gloria Estefan and Secada, who co-wrote "El Ultimo Adios" with Peruvian singer/songwriter Gian Marco, performed the song at a White House event celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. They were joined by more than a dozen artists including jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. A CD with both the English- and Spanish-language versions will be released in November, according to the publicist.

For more information on and audience reaction to the attacks, including tips on how you can help, see "9.11.01: Moving Forward."

• Gloria Estefan
• Jon Secada
• Ricky Martin
• Jennifer Lopez

Carlos Santana
Photo: Billy Tompkins

Winners of the second annual Latin Grammy Awards will receive their trophies, but the ceremony — originally scheduled for last Tuesday — will not be restaged, the Recording Academy announced Friday.

Academy officials, who had said shortly after the terrorist attacks that the show was canceled and would not be rescheduled, spent this week reconsidering the idea with their partners. They determined it would be "simply impossible" for the show to go on, Michael Greene, CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement.

The academy is still determining how to announce and award the winners.

"We all are emotionally devastated by recent events, as is everyone, and we're disappointed that we will not be able to give this year's deserving nominees their chance to show the world what we already know about them — that they are world-class musical artists," Greene said.

Artists who had been scheduled to appear at the Los Angeles ceremony included co-host Christina Aguilera, Santana, Nelly Furtado, Jennifer Lopez, Luis Miguel, Juanes, Jon Secada, Thalía, Marc Anthony, Alejandro Sanz and Destiny's Child.

For more Grammy news, check out the MTV News Grammy Archive.

• Santana
• Christina Aguilera
• Thalia
• Nelly Furtado
• Jennifer Lopez

Christina Aguilera
Photo: RCA

Christina Aguilera will co-host the second annual Latin Grammy Awards next week, and Marc Anthony and Destiny's Child have signed on as performers.

Aguilera is nominated in the Record of the Year category for the song "Pero Me Acuerdo de Ti" and is in the running for Best Female Pop Vocal Album with Mi Reflejo. Her co-host for the evening will be actor Jimmy Smits, who also co-hosted last year's event.

"Bootylicious" trio Destiny's Child will join previously announced performer Alejandro Sanz on one of the Spanish singer's tunes.

Just three weeks before show time, the Recording Academy moved the ceremony from Miami to Los Angeles, citing concerns that anti-Castro protesters would disrupt the show. More than 100 Cuban-exile groups planned to protest the ceremony's inclusion of artists from the communist country (see "Latin Grammys Relocated To Avoid Miami Protests"). The show will be held at the Forum in Inglewood, California, on September 11 and will be broadcast on CBS from 9-11 p.m. (ET/PT).

Gloria Estefan, last year's co-host and big winner, has said she is upset by the move and will not attend the event. Other previously announced stars scheduled to appear include Nelly Furtado, Jennifer Lopez, Luis Miguel, Juanes, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jon Secada, Thalía, and Alejandro and Vicente Fernandez. Additional performers and presenters will be announced.

For more Grammy news, check out the MTV News Grammy Archive.

• Christina Aguilera
• Destiny's Child
• Alejandro Sanz
• Marc Anthony
• Gloria Estefan

Backstreet Boy Howie D
Photo: Jive

LFO, Jon Secada, Aaron Carter and the Monkees will help Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough raise money for his lupus foundation in his hometown of Orlando, Florida, on June 1.

Bringing together pop stars from every decade since the '60s, the concert at Hard Rock Live will also feature performances by Youngstown, Deborah Gibson, the Pointer Sisters and Rascal Flatts. The show is part of a two-day event dubbed Lupus 2001, benefiting the Dorough Lupus Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Dorough and his family after his sister, Caroline Dorough-Cochran, died from the disease in 1998. Dorough will host the concert and may join his guests onstage for the encore, but he'll save his solo set for the following night at SeaWorld. That event will include a dinner and an auction featuring music, film, fashion and sports memorabilia, plus a killer whale show and fireworks.

The Dorough Lupus Foundation seeks to aid victims of lupus who cannot afford treatment, increase awareness about the disease and help fund research for a cure. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, with two-day combo tickets going for $300 each, concert-only tickets for $175 and passes for the auction and dinner for $150.

Lupus 2000, held in Universal City, California, on June 25, featured such performers as Gibson, Tito Puente Jr. and O-Town and raised $100,000 (see "Backstreet's Howie Raises $100,000 For Charity").

• Backstreet Boys
• Aaron Carter
• LFO
• Jon Secada
• The Monkees

Jon Secada
Photo: Andrew Melick

The Latin Grammy Awards will be livin' la vida loca in Miami this year, the Latin Recording Academy announced Wednesday (April 4).

The second annual Latin music awards ceremony is scheduled for September 12 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Academy President Michael Greene said during a press conference there.

"Bringing the show to Miami, one of North America's primary gateways to Latin music and people, is an important next step for the continued growth and impact of the Latin Grammys," Greene said, according to a press release.

The Latin Grammy Awards will feature performances from several top Latin artists and will be broadcast domestically on CBS and internationally in more than 120 countries. Last year's inaugural show in Los Angeles marked the first time a largely Spanish-language program was aired in the United States during prime time. (MTV's parent company, Viacom, also owns CBS.) The nominations in the 40 categories awarded by the Latin Recording Academy will be announced this summer.

The Latin Grammy Fest, a month of concerts and workshops involving Miami's Latin community, will precede this year's ceremony.

Several Latin artists, including Jon Secada, Carlos Ponce and Tito Nieves, were on hand for Wednesday's announcement, along with Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas and Miami Beach Mayor Neisen Kasdin.

For more Grammy news, check out the MTV News Grammy Archive.

• Jon Secada
• Carlos Ponce