Following Bono's Nov. 16 bike accident in Central Park, adjustments have been made to the lineup for the World AIDS Day (RED) concert in Times Square tonight. Kanye West and Carrie Underwood will perform at the event while Chris Martin (Coldplay) and Bruce Springsteen will stand in for Bono with U2 members Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr., according to U2's website.
The event begins promptly at 7:30 p.m. ET at Duffy Square in Times Square and will be broadcast live on YouTube, and streamed on across the country on iHeartRadio channels. It will also be featured as part of ESPN's Monday Night Countdown.
"This year is a World AIDS Day like no other," said Bono, speaking from Dublin, Ireland. "The world reached a tipping point in the fight against AIDS - more people were newly added to life-saving treatment than were newly infected with the virus. A lot of people are calling it the beginning of the end of AIDS.
"We wouldn't be at this point without American leadership, people from the left and the right. Today, 13 million people have access to life-saving treatment, up from 300,000 just over ten years ago. Americans don't know the role they've played in this fight. Tonight's event is to inform them and thank them."
Bono had quite the rough November this year. First the door on his private jet blew off, and then he got into the bicycle accident that forced the band to have to cancel U2's planned Tonight Show residency. Bono's injuries ended up being more severe than initially thought. He had to undergo hours of multiple surgeries. He broke his arm in six spots, fractured his eye socket as well his shoulder blade. Doctor's said that "he will require intensive and progressive therapy" to heal from these injuries, though a "full recovery is expected."
