Simon Cowell organising Haiti charity song featuring Leona Lewis; they'll sing Everybody Hurts by REM

The Haiti charity song being organized by X Factor star Simon Cowell will be a cover of REM's Everybody Hurts.

The Haiti charity song being organized by X Factor star Simon Cowell will be a cover of REM's "Everybody Hurts," sources told Sky News Thursday.

Simon Cowell also revealed Leona Lewis is the latest star name who has agreed to take part in his charity single to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

X Factor judge Cheryl Cole has already confirmed she will lend her vocals to the song.

Cowell said he received a call from Prime Minister Gordon Brown asking him to put a Band Aid-style single together.

Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Robbie Wiliams and Wyclef Jean have been rumored to be among the host of showbiz stars expected to contribute.


The Cowell stable of talent, featuring the likes of Britain's Got Talent runner-up Susan Boyle, could also be featured.

Gordon Brown said he believes the single will make a "huge" amount of money for the rescue efforts.

"I have already talked to Simon Cowell and I said there would be an exemption from VAT for a charity single," he said.

"The agony and anguish for the people that we are seeing on our television screens is something that British people want to respond to," Brown said

"Simon Cowell can make a huge amount of money to help the people of Haiti."

Madonna and Beyonce will also be performing special concerts to raise money for relief efforts.

Actor George Clooney is organizing a Hope For Haiti Now global benefit on Friday that will feature former US President Bill Clinton, actors Ben Stiller, Brad Pitt, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry and Julia Roberts.

Meanwhile, alternative rock band Radiohead will be playing a concert in Los Angeles to raise money for Haiti with tickets for 1,300 people being auctioned off, Spinner.com reported.

The concert will be held on Sunday, January 24 at the Music Box Theatre with all proceeds to benefit Oxfam Haiti.

An auction for tickets started on Thursday, 8 p.m. (PST) and will conclude at 11 a.m (PST) on Saturday, January 23.

However, not to be outdone, fellow musician Coldplay frontman Chris Martin will auction off his jacket on eBay as part of an auction in aid of Haiti relief, AFP reported.

The auction, which goes live on website eBay at 9 a.m. (GMT) Friday and runs for 10 days, also features a guitar used by Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys, VIP tickets to the Glastonbury music festival, a specially written piece of music by Blur singer Damon Albarn and a painting donated by Scottish singer Annie Lennox.

The band the Magic Numbers will also come and play an acoustic set in the house or garden of the highest bidder.

Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio has become the latest star to back the Haiti earthquake relief effort, donating US$1 million.

His ex-girlfriend Gisele Bundchen has donated $1.5 million to the relief effort while Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated $1 million to Medecins sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders for the organization's operations in Haiti.

Actress Sandra Bullock also gave a $1 million donation, according to data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Canada has also announced a telethon on Friday night which will feature some of the country's biggest stars including singer Celine Dion, director James Cameron and actor Michael J. Fox.

The Canadian government pledged this week to donate up to $129 million (CA$135 million) to the relief efforts, on top of the $4.7 million the government has already donated.

So far, Canadians have privately contributed more than $37 million and the government has said it will match those funds.

Immediately following the multi-network broadcast of Canada for Haiti, the U.S. benefit Hope for Haiti Now will air on the same networks in Canada.

A telethon in Holland on Thursday collected nearly $58.2 million in donations.

The Netherlands government would contribute double the amount pledged during the telethon, said Development and Cooperation Minister Bert Koenders, who took part in the day-long event on Dutch radio and television stations.

The U.S. Government also passed a Bill on Thursday that allows donations for Haitian earthquake victims to be deducted from taxpayers 2009 returns, instead of 2010.

Last week's magnitude 7 quake in Haiti killed at least 75,000 people according to Haitian government officials, and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

Source:heraldsun.com.au/