Jim D, I wondered about their choice of Celine D. to sing, "God bless America, land that I love, " too! Not that Celine shouldn't have been there, but why that song for her? The concert was for freedom loving people and peace-loving people everywhere, but that song is a patriotic USA song and it would make sense to have it sung by a Yank. Why not have Celine sing something like "Imagine," or "Let There Be Peace On Earth?"

Re 'Spaw's comments on Kate Smith: I did notice, in fact, that the female component of the telethon was particularly young, slim, and good-looking (by contrast to the male contingent). Where were the older and/or fatter women -- Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Tina Turner, Pat Benatar, Patty La Belle, Diana Ross, etc.?

Yeah, it's for a good cause, but why buy into the unnecessary notion that male rock stars can be old, fat, and ugly, but the Kate Smith types should not be seen or heard by the greater world audience?

"Spaw, do you make comments like that about Meatloaf, Iz, or Barry White?

Seems to me that on the Ken Burns "Jazz" series, he reports that Ella Fitzgerald had trouble getting a contract because she was "too unattractive and too fat!" Aren't we lucky that somebody had different (read: better) values!?

Genie