Paul McCartney Offers Charity Single; More Acts On Board For N.Y. Benefit

NEW YORK (AP) - In addition to his scheduled benefit concert in New York on Oct. 20, Sir Paul McCartney has announced plans to issue a benefit single for charity as well.

"From a Lover to a Friend" will be released worldwide on Oct. 29 with all proceeds going towards helping the families of firefighters and police officers who perished in the World Trade Center disaster. McCartney's father was a volunteer firefighter in Liverpool, England, during World War II.

"I have great admiration for the courage those guys showed,'' McCartney said in a statement released Wednesday (Oct. 10). "I hope that the sales of this new single will help raise money for the firemen and the families.''

The song is taken from McCartney's upcoming album, Driving Rain, due Nov. 13 on Capitol Records.

In other news, McCartney's Concert for New York is gaining celebrities. The Backstreet Boys, Michael J. Fox, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Jimmy Fallon, Reese Witherspoon, and Ryan Phillippe, and Paul Shaffer as musical director have just signed on for the Oct. 20 event at Madison Square Garden. The Boys had to cancel its San Diego performance on this night to join the benefit.

The event, which will be televised on VH1, also includes the previously announced Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, the Who, Bon Jovi, James Taylor, John Mellencamp, Macy Gray, Goo Goo Dolls, Melissa Etheridge, Marc Anthony, Five for Fighting, India.Arie, Jim Carrey, Meg Ryan, Susan Sarandon, David Spade, Julia Stiles, Denis Leary, John Cusack, and various members of New York sports teams.

A limited number of premium tickets are still available through the Robin Hood Foundation's Web site at www.robinhood.org.