iLounge

R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe has released a charity EP exclusively on the iTunes Music Store that will benefit Hurricane Katrina survivors. The EP features six versions of the song “In the Sun,” including duets with Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Justin Timberlake, and will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. All proceeds will go directly to Mercy Corps, via the In The Sun Foundation, to aid those in the Gulf Coast affected by the tragedy.

“The news cycle has moved on and I don’t want the public to forget about those who were affected by Katrina or to believe that everything is fine now,” says Stipe. “Things are not fine. The storm is still impacting people’s lives in very real ways and many have been left desperate. I want to remind each of us that as humans, and certainly as Americans, it is our responsibility to help those in need.”