|
Famous singers and musical groups who have graced the Telethon stage include Alabama, Peter Allen, Paul Anka, Ann-Margret, Frankie Avalon, the B-52s, Burt Bacharach, Mo Bailey, Count Basie, the Bee Gees, Tony Bennett, Clint Black, Blondie, Michael Bolton, Jon Bon Jovi, Boy George & Culture Club, Sarah Brightman, Garth Brooks, Julie Budd, the Byrds, Glen Campbell, Irene Cara, Kim Carnes, Vikki Carr, Cher, Petula Clark, Roy Clark, the Coasters, Perry Como, Harry Connick Sr. and Jr., Barbara Cook, the Cranberries, Johnny Cash, Harry Chapin and Ray Charles.
Other fan favorites include Dorothy Collins, Phil Collins, Michael Crawford, Billy Ray Cyrus, Vic Damone, the Charlie Daniels Band, Mac Davis, Sammy Davis Jr., Dennis Day, Doris Day, Celine Dion, the Doobie Brothers, Jimmy Durante, En Vogue, Gloria Estefan, Fabian, Lola Falana, Jose Feliciano, the Fifth Dimension, Ella Fitzgerald, Roberta Flack, Arlene Francis, Connie Francis, Aretha Franklin, Crystal Gayle, Debbie Gibson, Dizzy Gillespie, Leslie Gore, Robert Goulet, Amy Grant, Merle Haggard, Marvin Hamlisch, M.C. Hammer, Al Hirt, Clint Holmes and Engelbert Humperdinck.
More musical masters include Enrique Iglesias, Julio Iglesias, Michael Jackson, Waylon Jennings, Billy Joel, Jack Jones, Quincy Jones, Tom Jones, the Judds, B.B. King, Kiss, Eartha Kitt, Patti LaBelle, Frankie Laine, Julius LaRosa, Steve Lawrence, Led Zeppelin, John Lennon, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Liberace, Little Richard, Lorna Luft, Loretta Lynn, Chuck Mangione, Barry Manilow, Ziggy Marley, Wynton Marsalis, Mindy McCready, Reba McEntire, Midori, Liza Minnelli, Dean Martin, Paul McCartney, Menudo, Willie Nelson, the Oak Ridge Boys, Tony Orlando, Patti Page, Dolly Parton and the Pointer Sisters.
Also numbered among the Telethon's musical stars are Queen, Eddie Rabbitt, Lou Rawls, Helen Reddy, Buddy Rich, LeAnn Rimes, Chita Rivera, Smokey Robinson, the Rolling Stones, Diana Ross, Santana, Diane Schuur, Bobby Sherman, Frank Sinatra, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Spice Girls, the Spinners, Ringo Starr, Kaye Stevens, Neil Sedaka, Doc Severinsen, Sonny & Cher, the Temptations, John Tesh, Mel Tillis, Pam Tillis, Tiny Tim, Mel Torme, Randy Travis, Tommy Tune, Jerry Vale, Ben Vereen, the Village People, Bobby Vinton, Dionne Warwick, the Who, Andy Williams, Barry Williams, Tammy Wynette, Wynonna, XuXa, Yanni and Pia Zadora.
In addition, casts of many Broadway shows have lit up the Telethon stage, including "Annie," "Beauty and the Beast," "Damn Yankees," "Phantom of the Opera," "Sarafina," "South Pacific" and "Starlight Express."
Artisans of Acting
Many stage, film and TV actors have appeared on the Telethon since 1966, including Danny Aiello, Jack Albertson, Alan Alda, Robert Alda, Jason Alexander, Eve Arden, Lucie Arnaz, Ed Asner, John Astin, Sir Richard Attenborough, Kaye Ballard, Robert Blake, Tom Bosley, Wilford Brimley, Yul Brynner, Raymond Burr, Richard Burton, James Caan, James Coco, Robert Conrad, Jackie Cooper, Carol Channing, Broderick Crawford, Scatman Crothers, Tony Danza, Robert DeNiro, Kirk Douglas, Patty Duke, Sandy Duncan, Peter Falk, Dennis Farina, Lou Ferrigno, Fannie Flagg and Michael J. Fox.
Other denizens of drama include James Franciscus, Jack Gilford, Lou Gossett Jr., Elliott Gould, Kelsey Grammer, Lorne Greene, Robert Guillaume, Mark Hamill, Woody Harrelson, Julie Harris, Helen Hayes, Charlton Heston, Judd Hirsch, Sam Jaffe, Don Johnson, Van Johnson, Richard Kiley, Jack Klugman, Burt Lancaster, Frank Langella, Angela Lansbury, Peter Lawford, Lucy Lawless, Ida Lupino, Shirley MacLaine, Ricardo Montalban, Mary Tyler Moore, Pat Morita, Kate Mulgrew, Carroll O'Connor, Edward James Olmos, Jack Palance, Gregory Peck and Bernadette Peters.
More celebrated thespians who guested on the Telethon include Tony Randall, Phylicia Rashad, Lynn Redgrave, Lee Remick, Burt Reynolds, Debbie Reynolds, Cliff Robertson, Gena Rowlands, Telly Savalas, George C. Scott, Brooke Shields, Kevin Sorbo, Robert Stack, Maureen Stapleton, Rod Steiger, Suzanne Sommers, Dean Stockwell, Sally Struthers, Loretta Swit, Mr. T, Forrest Tucker, Robert Wagner, Denzel Washington, Carl Weathers, Sigourney Weaver, Jack Webb and Natalie Wood.
A Celebration to Come
For Lewis and many loyal Telethon viewers, the most important stars on the Telethon aren't necessarily household names.
They're the families fighting neuromuscular diseases who come to share their stories on the Telethon and the scientists who report on progress in the quest for treatments and cures.
This year, among the families who'll be appearing live with Lewis and his co-hosts will be that of 9-year-old Lauren Carter from Oceanside, Calif. Lauren has spinal muscular atrophy and is serving as MDA's 2000 National Goodwill Ambassador.
Along with her parents, Ken and Traci, and her younger brother, Dalton, Lauren has been traveling the country, speaking to people about the importance of supporting MDA.
"She's doing a fabulous job," says Lewis of his youngest national volunteer. Lewis will be pleased if he meets his goal of one additional dollar in pledges raised, but he says he'll save the real celebration for the day when effective treatments and cures are developed to defeat neuromuscular diseases once and for all.
"We're getting closer," he says. "What with stem cells and gene therapy and so many other kinds of exciting research possibilities, it's just a matter of time.
"The more people who watch the Telethon and make a pledge to support the research, the sooner we'll be able to make it happen." 
|
