By Tim Saunders on
Usher is the latest star to confirm that money raised from performances for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has been donated to charity.
Following last week’s announcements that Nelly Furtado and Beyoncé have donated earnings from shows to charity, Usher said: “I am sincerely troubled to learn about the circumstances surrounding the Nikki Beach St. Bart’s event that took place on New Year’s Eve 2009. I will be donating all of my personal proceeds from that event to various human rights organizations.”
Usher followed his statement by donating to Amnesty International on Friday.
“Amnesty International activists are working globally to press the international community to support Middle East activists,” a spokesperson from Amnesty International said. “Usher’s donation will support this urgent work to counter the brutal conditions like those imposed by Gadhafi and other leaders across the Middle East,”
Mariah Carey has also answered questions about her performance fees, and says that she was unaware that her show in 2008 was linked to Gadhafi. She is embarrassed “to have participated in this mess.”
“I was naive and unaware of who I was booked to perform for,” the singer said. “Going forward, this is a lesson for all artists to learn from. We need to be more aware and take more responsibility regardless of who books our shows. Ultimately, we as artists are to be held accountable.”
The 40-year-old singer has announced that she will donate the proceeds from her new song, “Save The Day”, to human rights issues.
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