UPDATE: Stars Gathered For Katrina Benefit Concert

Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys and Chris Rock were among the celebrities that gathered yesterday night to perform at Hurricane Katrina benefit concert, in order to raise money for Katrina victims.

The show opened with Randy Newman's song that he wrote about another hurricane which devastated Louisiana in 1927, followed by U-2, Rod Stewart, and Mary J. Blige.

"Tonight let's show people on the Gulf Coast that they have friends all over the world, friends who care, who understand and are there to give them shelter from the storm," said comic Ellen DeGeneres,

The program, named "Shelter From The Storm: A Concert For The Gulf Coast," was broadcast by six major networks in 100 countries, ABC Family, Bravo, E!, TBS, USA Network, FX and Oxygen, which carried the special live and commercial-free.

Contributions were being solicited for the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army. Chris Rock, Jennifer Aniston, and Jack Nicholson were among the stars who signed on to ask for contributions.

Chris Rock could not resist scaring producers, looking into the camera and saying: "George Bush hates midgets."

"We've all heard the question," Rock said. "Why didn't these people just leave when they had the chance?

"But now we realise that not everybody can just jump into their SUVs and drive to a nice hotel.

These people depend on public transportation and these people can't afford a nice hotel, because some of them work there. Now it's your chance to help them."