Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon FAQ's
The first incarnation of what would be the MDA
Telethon was in the form of a series of specials produced in the 1950s, some
featuring Jerry Lewis with partner Dean Martin. Even after the trauma of the
Martin and Lewis breakup in 1956, Lewis remained committed to helping MDA
and finding new ways to garner support for its cause.
The first Telethon was held in June 1955 at
Carnegie Hall in New York. The 16 1/2-hour show raised $600,000 for MDA and
was broadcast on DuMont station WABD.
The first MDA Labor Day Telethon was
broadcast in 1966 by just one station in New York City. It was the first
televised fund-raising event of its kind to raise more than $1 million.
An “interactive” show long before the
computer age popularized the term, the Telethon derives its drama from the
ever-increasing fund-raising total posted on the tote board –- by hand in
1966, now electronically. Jerry’s goal of raising “one dollar more”
than the previous year’s amount has been more than met almost every year,
thanks to the generosity and compassion of the American public.
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| Lewis,
Sinatra and Martin |
Everyone has a favorite moment from the
Telethon, whether it's a Frank Sinatra performance, a great rock number from
John Lennon, Led Zeppelin or Michael Jackson, or a classic bit of
song-and-dance teamwork between Lewis and his close friends.
Certainly one of the most unforgettable
moments occurred on the 1976 broadcast, when Frank Sinatra brought Lewis'
estranged partner, Dean Martin, onstage for an impromptu reunion. The comedy
duo had barely spoken for 20 years. The surprise embrace Lewis received from
his old friend provided one of the most touching moments in the Telethon's
remarkable history.
Johnny Carson helped answer phones in 1969,
the first Telethon to raise over $2 million.
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| John Lennon |
John Lennon and Sonny & Cher were among the
great performers to appear on the show in 1972 – the first Telethon seen
outside the continental United States.
Sammy Davis Jr. help his friend Jerry for many
years on the Telethon, including the first in 1966.
Some of the comedians who have appeared on the
Telethon are Steve Allen, Woody Allen, Louie Anderson, Jack Benny, Milton
Berle, Erma Bombeck, Carol Burnett, George Burns, Red Buttons, Sid Caesar,
Charlie Callas, Drew Carey, Johnny Carson, Bill Cosby, Norm Crosby, Billy
Crystal, Rodney Dangerfield, Jeff Foxworthy, Gallagher, Jackie Gleason,
Whoopi Goldberg, Shecky Greene, Buddy Hackett, Harvey Korman, Rich Little,
Bill Maher, Howie Mandel, Dick Martin, Jackie Mason, Eddie Murphy, Bob
Newhart, Rosie O'Donnell, Carl Reiner, Don Rickles, Roseanne, Rita Rudner,
Soupy Sales, Jerry Seinfeld, Martin Short, Rip Taylor, Danny Thomas, Robin
Williams and Henny Youngman, to name a few.
Some of the famous singers and musical groups
who have graced the Telethon stage are Alabama, Frankie Avalon, the B-52s,
the Bee Gees, Tony Bennett, Clint Black, Blondie, Michael Bolton, Jon Bon
Jovi, Garth Brooks, Vikki Carr, Cher, the Coasters, Perry Como, Harry
Connick Sr. and Jr., the Cranberries, Johnny Cash, Harry Chapin and Ray
Charles, Phil Collins, the Charlie Daniels Band, Sammy
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| Celine Dion |
Davis Jr., Doris Day, Celine Dion, the Doobie
Brothers, Gloria Estefan, Fabian, Lola Falana, Ella Fitzgerald, Roberta
Flack, Connie Francis, Aretha Franklin, Crystal Gayle, Dizzy Gillespie,
Merle Haggard, Marvin Hamlisch, Engelbert Humperdinck, 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, Led Zeppelin, John Lennon, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Liberace,
Little Richard, Loretta Lynn, Barry Manilow, Ziggy Marley, Wynton Marsalis,
Reba McEntire, Liza Minnelli, Dean Martin, Paul McCartney, Menudo, Willie
Nelson, the Oak Ridge Boys, Tony Orlando, Patti Page, Dolly Parton, Pointer
Sisters, Queen, Lou Rawls, LeAnn Rimes, Chita Rivera, Smokey Robinson, the
Rolling Stones, Diana Ross, Santana, Bobby Sherman, Frank Sinatra, Lynyrd
Skynyrd, the Spice Girls, Ringo Starr, Sonny & Cher, Mel Torme, the
Village People, and the Who.
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," “Contact,”
“Annie Get Your Gun,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Fiddler on the
Roof,” “The Full Monty” and “Hairspray.”
Stage, film and TV actors have also appeared
on the Telethon since 1966, including Alan Alda, Ed Asner, Yul Brynner,
Raymond Burr, Richard Burton, James Caan, Jackie Cooper, Carol Channing,
Robert DeNiro, Kirk Douglas, Patty Duke, Sandy Duncan, Peter Falk, Dennis
Farina, Michael J. Fox, Kelsey Grammer, Charlton Heston, Don Johnson, Jack
Klugman, Burt Lancaster, Frank Langella, Angela Lansbury, Peter Lawford,
Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Mary Tyler Moore, Pat Morita, Carroll
O'Connor, Jack Palance, Gregory Peck, Bernadette Peters, Tony Randall, Lynn
Redgrave, Lee Remick, Burt Reynolds, Debbie Reynolds, Gena Rowlands, Telly
Savalas, George C. Scott, Brooke Shields, Suzanne Sommers, Mr. T, Forrest
Tucker, Robert Wagner, Denzel Washington, Carl Weathers, Sigourney Weaver
and Natalie Wood.
Jerry Lewis has been MDA’s number-one
volunteer for more than 50 years. Despite battling debilitating pulmonary
fibrosis, severe back pain and a heart attack in recent years, the MDA
National Chairman has never missed a Telethon.
Jerry has been closing the Telethon with the
theme song for “his kids,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone” for over 40
years.
Jerry Lewis receives no pay for his tireless
year-round work for MDA.
Other celebrities who serve as Telethon
co-hosts and performers receive no pay for their efforts either.
No one knows why Jerry Lewis, MDA’s
number-one volunteer, chooses to devote so much time to helping people with
neuromuscular diseases. He feels it isn’t important why he’s
involved; rather, it’s important that he’s involved.
Ed McMahon is the anchor of the broadcast, and
the 2007 show will be his 40th MDA Telethon.
In 1998, the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon made
history as the first telethon seen around the world via Internet simulcast,
hosted by RealNetworks on MDA’s Web site.
The 2007 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon is the 42nd
annual Labor Day show. It will be broadcast on 190 “Love Network”
stations across the country and can be seen on the Internet at www.mda.org.
For 15 to 20 minutes each hour, the Telethon
"cuts away" from the main stage to allow "Love Network"
stations to broadcast appeals and information about MDA programs in their
individual markets. They also tie in special events that help boost pledges
and donations.
Some 40 million viewers in North America watch
the MDA Telethon each year.
Some 250,000 volunteers across the country
will be involved in the Telethon over this Labor Day weekend.
The Telethon is the single most important
fund-raising event of the year for MDA. Funds raised help the Association
carry on its fight against more than 40 neuromuscular diseases, including a
worldwide program of basic and applied research, a nationwide network of
comprehensive medical and support services, and extensive professional and
public education.
No tickets are available to see the national
Telethon live. We wish it were otherwise, but the best seat in the house is
often right in front of your television screen.
The Telethon moved to Las Vegas in 1973 after
seven years in New York City. It was broadcast from the Los Angeles area for
11 years and last year returned to Las Vegas.
The 2007 Telethon will air live from the South
Point Hotel and Casino on Las Vegas Boulevard.
