One of the industries that have been greatly affected by the disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic is the music industry. With governments and health officials urging people to practice social distancing at all times, concerts and music festivals have been postponed or canceled.
Despite this, various music celebs are still finding ways to inspire and touch people through their music. Some of them have been doing mini Livestream concerts from their homes or studios to keep their fans entertained while people are in self-isolation. Others dove into their pockets and donated substantial funds to aid in COVID-19 relief efforts. One of them is Rihanna.
The We Found Love singer recently donated $5 million for coronavirus relief through the Clara Lionel Foundation, a nonprofit organization she founded in 2012. The funds are intended for various aspects in the fight against the epidemic such as personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical professionals, ramped up testing in Haiti and Malawi, and support for food banks in the U.S.
Aside from that, Rihanna has previously donated $2.1 million to various charities supporting victims of domestic violence who are trapped with their abusive partners amid the shelter-at-home orders. She has also donated PPEs to frontliners in New York.
Rihanna is not the only celebrity who has stepped forward and gave support to their communities. Cardi B announced via an Instagram post on April 8 that she has teamed up with fashion brand Fashion Nova to pledge $1,000 every hour for the next 42 days until they reach $1 million. These funds will be given to deserving people who are struggling amid the crisis. To make sure that they do need the money, fans have to say the Please Me rapper and her team how it can help their situation.
Also helping out her fans is Taylor Swift, who has been quietly giving $3,000 packages to Swifties who are in need.
Eminem donated a pair of rare Jordan 4 Retro Eminem x Carhartt sneakers to raise funds for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. The Lose Yourself rapper’s $20,000 limited-edition shoes, which is one of only ten pairs in existence, will be auctioned off through StockX. He has also been donating cups of his famed Mom’s Spaghetti to healthcare frontliners in Detroit.
Music stars like Shakira, Shawn Mendes, and Ciara have also helped out their communities. Colombian singer Shakira donated ventilators and thousands of N95 masks to healthcare workers in her hometown Barranquilla.
Canadian pop star Shawn Mendes and The Shawn Mendes Foundation granted $175,000 to Toronto-based The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). Meanwhile, R&B singer Ciara and her husband, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, pledged a million meals to help Food Lifeline provide nutritious meals to those in need in Western Washington.
Jay-Z, Meek Mill, and Madonna have all teamed up with REFORM Alliance to provide masks to frontline workers of correctional facilities and inmates. Jay-Z and Meek Mill donated 130,000 surgical masks, while the Queen of Pop gave 100,000 masks.
Music icons are also pitching in. Elton John’s charity, the Elton John Foundation, has been working to help fight AIDS since 1992. They are continuing to do so amid the coronavirus pandemic by establishing a COVID-19 emergency fund, which will be used by their frontline partners to respond to the effects of the pandemic on HIV care in marginalized communities.
Country music icon Dolly Parton is doing her part by donating $1 million to help Vanderbilt University’s research efforts in finding a cure for the sickness.
Lady Gaga, meanwhile, is supporting food banks by donating to America’s Food Fund, which was launched by Titanic star Leonardo DiCaprio. The organization is directly supporting nonprofit organizations Feeding America and World Central Kitchen.