Motley Crue will announce at a press conference today that they will donate all proceeds from a specially recorded rendition of their hit song "Home Sweet Home" to the hurricane relief efforts of Mercy Corps (http://www.mercycorps.org) and the American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org).

Scheduled for a concert in Nashville on Sept. 10 as part of their "Carnival of Sins" world tour, Motley Crue was anxious to do their part to help raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Upon learning that MTV/VH1/CMT's "ReAct Now" benefit concert was being broadcast from Nashville that same day, they joined the effort immediately.

Traveling overnight from a concert the night before in Birmingham, AL, the band hooked up with Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington and Grammy-winning producer Desmond Child in Nashville. The group performed the song for that evening's MTV/VH1/CMT's "ReAct Now" benefit concert. Within hours of the television performance they had arranged for a 26-member gospel choir and 25-piece orchestra to record a new studio version of the classic hit at Nashville's famed Oceanway Studios. Motley Crue then proceeded directly to the Starwood Amphitheater to play their previously scheduled concert, a nearly impossible logistical challenge with the band arriving within minutes of show time.

"It was a whirlwind 24 hours, but everyone rose to the occasion," said the song's Executive Producer and Motley Crue manager, Allen Kovac, CEO of 10th Steet Entertainment. "We're just hoping this song and this video keep inspiring people to give of themselves because this tragedy isn't going away, even after the film crews and journalists move on to their next assignment."

"The chance to perform with these guys for such a great cause is something really special," said Chester Bennington. "Hopefully, people will embrace it in the way it was intended. The song really does fit the sentiment and something special happened when we pulled it together. Everyone felt as if they were doing something really important." Said Nikki Sixx, "This song, both musically and lyrically, relates to many of the things that are happening now, as the hardest hit areas set out to rebuild."

The song will be available exclusively on iTunes starting today (9/27). Distributed by The Orchard, the track will later be carried by all other major digital music services in the US including eMusic, Napster, MSN, Real/Rhapsody, and Yahoo!/Musicmatch. The Orchard will also supply the single through its distribution partnerships with leading mobile companies.

Motley Crue, Chester Bennington and The Orchard are donating 100% of their proceeds to be evenly split between Mercy Corps and the American Red Cross.
A specially produced music video for the single will make its debut as part of AOL Music's First View program today (9/27). The video will be available exclusively at http://www.aolmusic.com for 24 hours before it's available anywhere else. Later it will appear on all major music television outlets.

Though the sentiment applies to all areas affected by the hurricane, the music video focuses primarily on New Orleans. Crue vocalist Vince Neil said the city had a special meaning for him since it's where he first proposed to his wife. "It happened right on Bourbon Street," he said. "And to see what's happened there is just terrible. I can't believe it." Added Tommy Lee, "We tend to be desensitized by the non-stop media coverage of the relief effort, thinking there's nothing more we can do. We're just happy to have a song and a video that keeps the awareness of how monumental this task is and that we have to keep trying to do everything we can to help."

Among those who volunteered or donated services to this effort were: Oceanway Studios, Capitol Studios, Desmond Child, The Orchard, Encore Video, Ascent Media, Future Disc, Bau-Da Design Lab, Venice Beach Editorial, TBWA Chiat Day, CBS Newspath, MTV Networks, Pop Flash Productions, Tenth Street Entertainment, Motley Crue, Allen Kovac, Chester Bennington, Mike "Cheez" Brown, Rob McDermott, P. R. Brown, The Mix Room, Jason Lewis, Scoop Marketing, Baker Winokur Rider, Tour-New-Orleans.com, Special Ops Media, WireImage, Flashenhanced.com and many individuals.

The making of "Home Sweet Home" is the culmination of the cooperative effort put in by Motley Crue, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, producer Desmond Child, the various musicians and crew members, as well as the band's Tenth Street Entertainment management, who all worked for free to put together a moving musical event on such short notice...with proceeds earmarked for those who need them most.

Added Sixx, "Chester was originally scheduled to play the MTV "ReAct Now" benefit concert in Los Angeles but when he heard what we were doing he wanted to help with this song and video and chose to do his performance in Nashville with us. He flew in late the night before and was in the studio early the next morning. Chester is a real artist that will be making a difference for a long time."

"I have to really give it up to these guys for what they've done," said Bennington.

"Considering they had a show the night before and then another the night after, it's a testament to how awesome a rock band they are and how much this cause means to them."

A CD single release is planned for the song for traditional retail outlets and will include exclusive behind-the-scenes "making of" documentary.

Click here for the eCard for the single