Elton Tops ‘Idol Gives Back’ Lineup

“Idol Gives Back” is a live production taking place at Pasadena Civic Auditorium April 21 and will air live on Fox on the East Coast while the West Coast settles for a tape-delayed account of the evening. TV show time is 8 p.m. on both coasts while the actual concert begins at 5 p.m. Pasadena time.

Also appearing at the charity event will be The Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, Jeff Beck, Joss Stone and Mary J. Blige. Elton’s appearance is on behalf of the Elton John AIDS Foundation

Created by Simon Fuller, “Idol Gives Back” has raised more than $140 million for various charity groups, including Children’s Health Fund, Feeding America, Malaria No More, Save The Children’s U.S. Programs and the United Nations Foundations.

“Idol Gives Back” also welcomes a new not-for-profit partner – The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

This is one of those charity events that, along with raising funds for good causes, gives corporations opportunities to do the right thing. This year’s concert / TV special welcomes back corporate sponsors News Corp., Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola, AT&T and ExxonMobil.

But “Idol Gives Back” is more than a concert and a TV special. There’s also the “Help Me Give Back” program that works with individuals and teams to raise money for the charity organization, and includes an auction featuring one-of-a-kind items such as an “American Idol” season pass, a pair of autographed sneakers from “Idol’s newest judge Ellen DeGeneres and even a meet-and-greet with Simon Cowell.

Tickets are still available and run from $50 to $250. For more information about the show as well as how you can make a donation to the cause, click here for the “Idol Gives Back” Web site.