George Clooney, who helped organize previous telethons for both 9/11 and South Asian tsunami relief, has partnered with MTV Networks to produce Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief, which will air inescapably this Friday, January 22 at 8 pm ET on pretty much every local and cable channel. The musical lineup for the two-hour event was announced today by MTV with a pair of one-night-only collaborations scheduled: Bono and The Edge will play alongside Jay-Z and Rihanna in London, while Kid Rock, Keith Urban, and Sheryl Crow will team up in L.A. Also appearing from various cities: Coldplay, Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Sting, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, and Taylor Swift. iTunes will offer $.99 song downloads of all performances starting Saturday. Proceeds will go to Haiti relief charities.
Clooney, who will host the event from Los Angeles (Wyclef Jean anchors in New York and Anderson Cooper will be on hand in Haiti), has called on over 100 celebrities to participate in the event, including answering phones. If you call in, you probably have something like a 1 out of a 100 shot at speaking to Brad Pitt.