The City of Angels was serenaded by over two dozen artists Thursday during a star-studded benefit that raised money for those affected by the devastating L.A.-area fires.
The FireAid concert, which spanned over five hours, was held at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome, which are adjacent to each other in the Inglewood area. Lady Gaga closed the show by performing numbers from the 2018 film "A Star Is Born," as well as an original song she wrote for the benefit.
Other performers included: the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Katy Perry, No Doubt, Earth Wind & Fire, Dr. Dre, Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morissette, Stevie Nicks, Anderson .Paak, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Mike Campbell and Olivia Rodrigo. Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, the surviving members of the band Nirvana, also made a surprise appearance, performing some of the band’s songs with St. Vincent, Kim Gordon, Joan Jett and Grohl’s daughter, Violet.
The wildfires, fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, erupted the second week of January, killing at least 29 people and destroying entire neighborhoods and blocks. Many who took the stage paid homage to L.A., thanking first responders and highlighting the city’s resilience in the aftermath of the fires.“I think that this is just such a beautiful reflection of what music does, is bring people together in this way,” said performer Gracie Abrams, who grew up in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which was among the areas that were hit hardest by the natural disasters. “And I’m just inspired by all of you in this community, and I love Los Angeles very much.”
Music mogul Irving Azoff and his wife, Shelli, pulled together FireAid in the days after the fires broke out, working in conjunction with Live Nation and the Los Angeles Clippers, according to the FireAid website. Azoff, the former CEO of Ticketmaster and a giant in the music industry, told The Wrap that he and fellow organizers managed to wrangle 25 streaming partners for the concert, which made it easy for those not in L.A. to follow along from home.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from the concert will go toward fire relief efforts, organizers said. Steve Ballmer, who owns the Clippers, and his wife, Connie, pledged to match every donation made.
“This has been a horrible scary time," said Lady Gaga, who closed the benefit concert. "But during these times, I feel like people come together and we see how much we need each other. And I want to always remember us just like this.”
In addition to the lineup of artists, the event brought to the stage a mix of speakers, including firefighters and people who lost their homes in the fires. Among them was 10-year-old Grayson Roberts, from Altadena, whose family lost everything.
“When life gives you lemons or burnt houses, you make lemonade,” Grayson told a cheering crowd with a smile on his face.
And that's a wrap!
Almost six hours later, the massive FireAid benefit concert came to an end.
Lady Gaga debuts song written 'just for tonight'
For her final song of the night, Lady Gaga performed a new original number — which she said she and her fiancé, Michael Polansky, wrote “just for tonight, just for you.”
“When I was thinking about what to sing tonight, I thought I wanted to do something hopeful for you, and I was thinking about my songs, and there wasn’t anything that seemed quite right,” she said.
"All I need is time," she repeated as she debuted the number. "All I need is time to heal my broken wings and then I'll soar."
Lady Gaga wants to 'always remember us just like this'
“This has been a horrible, scary time. But during these times, I feel like people come together and we see how much we need each other,” Lady Gaga told the audience.
The comment led into her performance of “Always Remember Us This Way,” also from the 2018 film “A Star Is Born.”
Lady Gaga closes benefit concert
After being introduced by Jimmy Kimmel, Lady Gaga sat onstage at her piano to perform "Shallow," a song from the film "A Star Is Born," which she won an Oscar for in 2019.
Jimmy Kimmel thanks L.A. community for showing up for one another
Late night host Jimmy Kimmel made an appearance as the show began to close out, noting to the crowd that the city "needed a good night."
"We got a lot of bad nights, but here we are sharing love and music and probably the norovirus," Kimmel said. "But I think it’s worth it. What a magical show, what an incredible night."
He shouted those who were affected by the fires, as well as all those who showed up to volunteer and donate, in addition to the first responders and incarcerated firefighters.
"This is a tragedy that hurt everyone who lives here, and it will continue to hurt for many years," he said. "But it’s also brought us much closer together, and I am very grateful, especially for our firefighters."
Sting returns to stage to join Stevie Wonder
Sting returned to perform “Higher Ground” with Stevie Wonder, a song they've performed together before.
Stevie Wonder says there's 'no time for blaming' in aftermath of fires
Sitting before a keyboard onstage, Stevie Wonder started off his set with a message of unity.
“We have no time for blaming. We have no time for shaming,” he said. “We need to have prayer and come together as a united people of the world.”
He went on to perform “Love’s in Need of Love Today," followed by "Superstition."
Billie Eilish returns to stage for acoustic set
Billie Eilish, who opened the show earlier with Green Day, is back onstage for a set with her brother, Finneas. The pair started off with “Wildflower,” then transitioned to "The Greatest."
"It’s a really, really scary time, and it’s been so devastating. L.A. is like my favorite place in the world and my only home," Eilish said, adding that she and Finneas grew up in the city.
They ended their set with "Birds of a Feather."
Peso Pluma performs just before midnight
Dressed in all white, Peso Pluma entered the stage with a performance of “La Bebe.”
Sting performs 'Message in a Bottle'
Sting, introduced by Olivia Rodrigo, kicked off his set with The Police's "Message in a Bottle."
He's among the final artists slated to perform tonight, as the clock nears midnight local time.