Stevie Wonder, Common team for cancer fundraising TV special

Chandra Wilson and MJ Rodriguez are among the celebrities helping to raise money for cancer research.

Aug 12, 2021

Stevie Wonder and Common will perform together for the seventh Stand Up to Cancer telethon, with Anthony Anderson, Sofia Vergara and husband-and-wife Ken Jeong and Tran Ho as hosts.

Brittany Howard also will perform on the hourlong special on Aug. 21 (8 p.m. EDT), with Matthew McConaughey, Chandra Wilson, Kate del Castillo, Jennifer Garner, MJ Rodriguez, Tony Hale, Maura Tierney, Jaime Camil and Max Greenfield among the celebrities helping to raise money for cancer research.

Reese Witherspoon and her media entrepreneur husband, Jim Toth, are serving as executive producers.

Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life - An All-Star GRAMMY Salute - Show — Honoree Stevie Wonder performs onstage during Stevie Wonder: Songs In The Key Of Life – An All-Star GRAMMY Salute at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on February 10, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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The event, which is held every other year, will be carried simultaneously and commercial-free on 60-plus U.S. and Canadian broadcast, cable and streaming outlets, including the ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC networks. Families who have been affected by the disease, including that of an 11-year-old boy with lymphoma, will share their stories.

As prelude to the TV special, the group is holding a week-long fundraising initiative starting Friday, with celebrities and social media stars “joining forces across social platforms” for the cause, Stand Up to Cancer said.

In this combination photo, Anthony Anderson, from left, attends the premiere of Dave Chappelle’s untitled documentary on June 19, 2021, in New York, Ken Jeong attends An Unforgettable Evening on Feb. 27, 2020 in Beverly Hills, Calif., Tran Ho arrive at the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 6, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif. and Sofia Vergara attends “America’s Got Talent” season 15 red carpet on March 4, 2020, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo)

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Since its founding in 2008, Stand Up to Cancer said it has raised more than $600 million for research that has contributed to federal approvals for nine new cancer therapies and 258 clinical trials. In 2017, the organization began developing a health-equity initiative to help underserved communities by increasing the diversity of enrollment in cancer clinical trials and fund research that addresses cancer inequities.

Also known as SU2C, the organization is a division of the charitable Entertainment Industry Foundation. Katie Couric, among its founders, is set to appear on the special.

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