While the 'Fantasy' hitmaker shares her message of hope through the performance, filmmaker Tyler Perry reminds in a pre-recorded video that people need to realize how much they take for granted.
- Apr 13, 2020
AceShowbiz - Mariah Carey is paying tribute to the healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic with a special performance. Two days before her message of hope was shared on Joel Osteen's special Easter Sunday service, the "Fantasy" hitmaker taped a moving rendition to her 1993 hit single, "Hero".
Before kicking off her performance, the 50-year-old told viewers, "I'm just doing my best to try and celebrate with you this Easter, this Holy Week." She added, "Quite the unique time in history, a time that doesn't allow us to be together in person and be festive and worship with one another. But I'm grateful that so many of us are staying home, staying safe and in doing so, keeping each other safe."
In the video recorded from the comfort of her home, the "All I Want For Christmas Is You" songstress went on to urge fellow Americans to "set aside our differences and come together for fellowship and hope." She continued, "We come together to lift each other up during this time of uncertainty, no matter what our views, no matter what our beliefs, no matter what our differences are."
Giving a shoutout to "the heroes making our daily lives possible," Carey said, "I want to take time to acknowledge and honor the sacrifices of those who work every day, taking care of their communities in this time of need and uncertainty." She then proceeded to sing a version of her 1993 song, accompanied on the piano by long-time musical director Daniel Moore.
Carey was not the only celebrity sending a taped message to be played at Osteen's virtual service. Filmmaker Tyler Perry has also made an appearance to remind Osteen's congregation that "this is a moment in our country and our world that's a reset for all of us to take a minute and realize how much we take for granted."
"How much just going for a walk with the dog we take for granted, how much just being able to hang out with people we take for granted, how much we've taken for granted the time that we spend with our loved ones, how much we take for granted even going to the house of worship," the man behind "Madea" character continued.
The 50-year-old went on to note on the silver lining in this crisis. "I've never seen other people asking people to pray this much. I've never seen so many people praying, calling out to God, it's a beautiful thing in all this tragedy," he pointed out. "In all of this our prayer and my hope is with the first responders and everything they're doing to keep us safe."
Believing that this COVID-19 crisis will "come to end," the "Vice" actor expressed his hope that people would "not return to being so busy that we don't see God." He added, "So much to do that we don't take the time to send love to people around us, that we don't return vitriol and mean-speak of evil of each one and everybody. That we learn to love and embrace each other."
