Billy Crystal Opens FireAidLA Charity Concert for Wildfire Victims, Says He Lost His House in Palisades Fire

CRYSTAL Hi everybody I ░░░░░░░░ Billy Crystal Cheering and ░░░░░░░░ Hello L A and ░░░░░░░░ watching around the world ░░░░░░░░ us Welcome to FireAid ░░░░░░░░ are gathered here at ░░░░░░░░ Kia Forum Cheering and ░░░░░░░░ Which is Steve Balmer ░░░░░░░░ guest house Laughter And ░░░░░░░░ we will be over ░░░░░░░░ the and fantastic Intuit ░░░░░░░░ Our goal is simple ░░░░░░░░ to raise more money ░░░░░░░░ the Dodgers spent on ░░░░░░░░ agents Cheering and Applause ░░░░░░░░ all kidding aside when ░░░░░░░░ donate to FireAidLA org ░░░░░░░░ tonight s broadcast Steve ░░░░░░░░ and is wonderful wife ░░░░░░░░ will match it dollar ░░░░░░░░ dollar Cheering and Applause ░░░░░░░░ just as I was ░░░░░░░░ on stage I got ░░░░░░░░ that our first big ░░░░░░░░ of the night has ░░░░░░░░ in It s from ░░░░░░░░ band called U2 Cheering ░░░░░░░░ Applause And it s ░░░░░░░░ 1 million which really ░░░░░░░░ 2 million thanks to ░░░░░░░░ and Steve And at ░░░░░░░░ you too can help ░░░░░░░░ by calling in We ░░░░░░░░ an amazing evening of ░░░░░░░░ of incredible performers coming ░░░░░░░░ to help those in ░░░░░░░░ And also you ll ░░░░░░░░ hearing from a number ░░░░░░░░ people who were tragically ░░░░░░░░ by these fires and ░░░░░░░░ am one of them ░░░░░░░░ these were the clothes ░░░░░░░░ wore when I fled ░░░░░░░░ house with my wife ░░░░░░░░ like so many of ░░░░░░░░ did on January 7th ░░░░░░░░ was all I had ░░░░░░░░ it for a week ░░░░░░░░ N95 mask I looked ░░░░░░░░ an evacuee or someone ░░░░░░░░ just robbed a 7 ░░░░░░░░ But everybody s been ░░░░░░░░ supportive This young girl ░░░░░░░░ must have been 20 ░░░░░░░░ up to me and ░░░░░░░░ she understood my pain ░░░░░░░░ she had lost TikTok ░░░░░░░░ a day Laughter Everybody ░░░░░░░░ a thing I wanted ░░░░░░░░ be here tonight because ░░░░░░░░ little over 23 years ░░░░░░░░ was just a month ░░░░░░░░ 9 11 I was ░░░░░░░░ to welcome the audience ░░░░░░░░ the Concert for New ░░░░░░░░ at Madison Square Garden ░░░░░░░░ with ground zero still ░░░░░░░░ I walked out to ░░░░░░░░ grieving audience holding up ░░░░░░░░ with pictures of their ░░░░░░░░ ones on them asking ░░░░░░░░ you seen them It ░░░░░░░░ all I could do ░░░░░░░░ get my first words ░░░░░░░░ And tonight here I ░░░░░░░░ talking to all of ░░░░░░░░ in pain but now ░░░░░░░░ m also one of ░░░░░░░░ hurting thousands asking Have ░░░░░░░░ seen my school Have ░░░░░░░░ seen my church Have ░░░░░░░░ seen my house Have ░░░░░░░░ seen my town Have ░░░░░░░░ seen the 29 people ░░░░░░░░ lost their lives Have ░░░░░░░░ seen them On that ░░░░░░░░ in 2001 we were ░░░░░░░░ the loss of hundreds ░░░░░░░░ firefighters and police officers ░░░░░░░░ first responders Tonight we ░░░░░░░░ here together to thank ░░░░░░░░ and all those who ░░░░░░░░ toward danger while we ░░░░░░░░ to shelter and safety ░░░░░░░░ and Applause When we ░░░░░░░░ finally able to get ░░░░░░░░ to our house in ░░░░░░░░ Palisades which we had ░░░░░░░░ in for 46 years ░░░░░░░░ thousands of you our ░░░░░░░░ now looked like this ░░░░░░░░ onto the grounds and ░░░░░░░░ fell to my knees ░░░░░░░░ I wailed I had ░░░░░░░░ cried like that since ░░░░░░░░ was 15 years old ░░░░░░░░ I was told that ░░░░░░░░ father had just died ░░░░░░░░ remember looking in the ░░░░░░░░ back then with my ░░░░░░░░ life ahead of me ░░░░░░░░ What is my life ░░░░░░░░ be like without him ░░░░░░░░ folks I m 76 ░░░░░░░░ old without a mirror ░░░░░░░░ a lot less life ░░░░░░░░ ponder thinking what is ░░░░░░░░ life going to be ░░░░░░░░ without our home And ░░░░░░░░ I heard screams from ░░░░░░░░ daughters Dad Dad Dad ░░░░░░░░ And my girls Jennie ░░░░░░░░ Lindsey brought over this ░░░░░░░░ from a burnt out ░░░░░░░░ Years ago I bought ░░░░░░░░ rocks with one word ░░░░░░░░ in them and I ░░░░░░░░ them around gardens They ░░░░░░░░ welcome patience dream And ░░░░░░░░ one I held in ░░░░░░░░ hands laughter I learned ░░░░░░░░ the power of laughter ░░░░░░░░ in 1963 in our ░░░░░░░░ house sitting alone said ░░░░░░░░ guy I heard big ░░░░░░░░ coming from the family ░░░░░░░░ our modest living room ░░░░░░░░ I came down the ░░░░░░░░ to see my dear ░░░░░░░░ in the midst of ░░░░░░░░ sorrow telling stories and ░░░░░░░░ magic tricks and make ░░░░░░░░ entire family laugh and ░░░░░░░░ changed my life I ░░░░░░░░ at that moment even ░░░░░░░░ your worst pain folks ░░░░░░░░ s okay and it ░░░░░░░░ important to laugh Applause ░░░░░░░░ I dedicate and I ░░░░░░░░ my like then and ░░░░░░░░ career then has been ░░░░░░░░ to do that throughout ░░░░░░░░ difficult times and I ░░░░░░░░ proud of that But ░░░░░░░░ I held that rock ░░░░░░░░ my hands this was ░░░░░░░░ only thing that was ░░░░░░░░ I felt it was ░░░░░░░░ message from that 15 ░░░░░░░░ old me saying it ░░░░░░░░ gonna be okay And ░░░░░░░░ will be okay Cheering ░░░░░░░░ Applause With your help ░░░░░░░░ the country and here ░░░░░░░░ the room we ll ░░░░░░░░ again we re going ░░░░░░░░ listen to music again ░░░░░░░░ we will be okay ░░░░░░░░ tonight from Altadena to ░░░░░░░░ to the Pacific Palisades ░░░░░░░░ s show the world ░░░░░░░░ we are We re ░░░░░░░░ Angeles one city one ░░░░░░░░ L A strong Cheering ░░░░░░░░ Applause)