Jerry sang and joked around with Martin Short, one of many talented comic performers who acknowledge Jerry as a career inspiration.

National Chairman Jerry Lewis launched his 34th annual MDA Telethon with those words, and led off with a lively opening number, "Sitting on Top of the World." The broadcast started at 9 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 5, and lasted 21½ hours. The Telethon was broadcast by some 200 TV stations and was Webcast live on the Internet in English, Spanish and Japanese.

By show's end, when Jerry performed his signature closing, "You'll Never Walk Alone," he truly had cause to feel "on top of the world." The event had raised a record in pledges and contributions of $53,116,417 to help MDA in the war against 40 neuromuscular diseases.

"I'm thrilled and grateful for the support of our viewers, and filled with hope that the dollars we've raised will translate into new research breakthroughs to help us conquer muscle-wasting diseases," an exultant Jerry said after the show.

TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY

Whether he was singing, clowning around or making urgent pleas in support of MDA research, Jerry exuded confidence and easy good humor throughout the broadcast. It was all the more remarkable considering that Jerry was still recovering from a bout of viral meningitis, a serious and debilitating illness which had its onset during his performing tour in Australia in early August.

Although he heeded doctors' advice to conserve energy when possible, Jerry couldn't imagine letting his fans down by not appearing on the broadcast he initiated way back in 1966. When show time rolled round, Jerry was there, and he remained there for most of the marathon event, although crushing head pains and double vision caused by the meningitis forced him to sit out some of the Telethon.

Fortunately, he was able to hand over the reins to his trusted colleagues, Telethon anchor Ed McMahon and Telethon co-hosts Walter Anderson, Jann Carl, Norm Crosby and Cynthia Garrett.

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!

Telethon Anchor Ed McMahon's friendship and support helped prevail over health troubles and deliver another Telethon smash.

All things considered, it was a remarkably smooth broadcast, interweaving singers, comedians, impressionists, magicians, dancers and other performers with informational segments about families waging daily battles against neuromuscular diseases.

Jerry really seemed to revel in the company of other comic performers. He kibitzed with comedian Martin Short and joined him in a rousing rendition of "No Business Like Show Business." He swapped quips with "Politically Incorrect" host Bill Maher, and honored the late, great king of one-liners, Henny Youngman, with a medley of favorite Youngman jokes.

Other comic talents that answered Jerry's call and joined him on the Telethon included Carrot Top, Jeff Ross, Bob Zany, Kevin Meaney, Shecky Green, Max Alexander, Wayne Brady and Diane Ford.

LeAnn Rimes, Celine Dion, Suzy Bogguss, Lorna Luft, Frank Sinatra Jr., Jack Jones, the Goo Goo Dolls, Duran Duran, Maureen McGovern, Pam Tillis, Diane Schuur, Three Dog Night and Monica Mancini were among the fantastic musical performers who appeared. Special segments courtesy of VH-1 brought rock stars such as Sheryl Crow, the Dave Matthews Band, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

STARS GALORE

Dance sensation Savion Glover performed. Charo played flamenco guitar and sang "La Vida Loca." "Seinfeld" star Jason Alexander belted out two touching songs in great Broadway style. Tom Wopat and the cast of "Annie Get Your Gun" did a number. And Jerry conducted the Young Musicians Foundation orchestra in a spirited rendition of "Eine Kleine Nacht Musik" by Mozart.

Virtuoso violinist Rachel Barton played. Robin Chavez, an operatic singer affected by dermatomyositis, one of 40 diseases targeted by MDA, performed a stunningly beautiful aria.

Other celebrities ranging from Judge Judy to Larry King and Ricardo Montalban to Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf delivered special appeals to get the phones ringing.

The Telethon also featured historical highlights, including Jerry performing with Johnny Carson, Robert Goulet, Mel Torme, Sammy Davis Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Tony Bennett, as well as the historic Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis reunion that Frank Sinatra orchestrated in 1976.

INFORMATION, INSPIRATION

Jerry welcomed back the peerless singer he refers to as "the Telethon's diva," Maureen McGovern.

MDA National Goodwill Ambassadors Aubrey and Nicholas Olson, who have Friedreich's ataxia, appeared with their family. MDA National Youth Chairperson Mandy Van Benthuysen, who has limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD), introduced representatives of youth organizations that helped MDA during the past year.

Viewers got to see historic footage of Donavon Decker, a 36-year-old air traffic controller from Huron, S.D., receiving the first gene therapy injections ever performed on a person with muscular dystrophy. Decker has LGMD. It was only a few days before the broadcast that MDA-funded scientists received the final regulatory clearance to implement this initial safety trial of gene therapy for LGMD.

Glenn Harwood of Crofton, Md., who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), appeared live on the broadcast with his wife, using voice synthesis technology to communicate to the audience his hopes that new treatments and, ultimately, a cure will be found for ALS. Other families told their own stories about the uncompromising reality of living with a progressive neuromuscular disorder.

WORLDWIDE IMPLICATIONS

Suzy Bogguss was part of the sensational lineup of country music performers who graced Telethon '99.

This year's Telethon was the world's first live, multilingual Internet event, with streaming video in English, Spanish and Japanese, the three most common languages of the Web. CyraCom International provided the United Nations-style translations, and the streaming audio and video were courtesy of RealNetworks' Real Broadcast Network.

"Who could have predicted a decade ago that people in dozens of nations across the globe would be able not only to access our Telethon live via home computers, but also to hear it in their own languages?" Jerry commented. "This weekend, that's exactly what happened."

Jerry considers it appropriate that the Telethon is now seen by a global audience, since he believes that MDA-funded research will eventually have global implications. "Neuromuscular diseases exist everywhere," he said. "It's our hope and expectation that when our scientists develop new, effective treatment methods, doctors all over the globe will be able to make use of that new knowledge."

Meantime, on each Telethon, Jerry will continue to strive to raise that "one dollar more," while advancing steadily toward the goal -- the complete eradication of neuromuscular diseases -- that remains one of the essential, unshakable passions of his life.