On Sunday evening, Sir Elton John hosted iHeart Living Room Concert for America, an hour-long, commercial-free special honoring the health professionals and first responders battling the coronavirus outbreak, and encouraging viewers to donate to Feeding America and the First Responders Children’s Foundation. A-list stars such as Mariah Carey, Billie Eilish, and Alicia Keys participated by playing intimate performances, with John serving as master of ceremonies. And while the event was a largely joyous affair, at one point John, a longtime AIDS activist and founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, warned that the mistakes made during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s cannot be repeated during the current COVID-19 pandemic.“Not long ago, there was another infectious disease that was ignored,” John stated sternly. “It took musicians, actors, dancers, but it also took writers and bankers and lawyers and sons and daughters and best friends. Day in and day out, the disease got worse, because we did nothing. Too many forgot about compassion and decency, and so millions and millions of people perished from AIDS. But this time, we aren't going to let that happen. So, stay home for the ones you love.” While John’s comments divided Twitter, almost everyone watching iHeart Living Room Concert for America seemedtoenjoy the actual feelgood performances — which the participating all-stars all shot at home, using their personal cell phones and video equipment, in the name of social distancing. In fact, when the Backstreet Boys crooned their 1999 classic “I Want It That Way,” they took social distancing to a whole other level, staying way farther apart than just six feet. Instead, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, AJ McLean, and Howie Dorough performed as a clever virtual quartet, singing separately in self-quarantine and mingling their five-part harmonies digitally. For the latest news on the evolving coronavirus outbreak, follow along here. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHO’s resource guides.
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