In the days following Hurricane Katrina's late August devastation of New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities, the music community responds with numerous initiatives to raise funds. Among the efforts:

In addition to performances by Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Harry Connick Jr., Wynton Marsalis and Aaron Neville, the NBC Universal-staged "A Concert for Hurricane Relief" (More...) features numerous celebrities pleading for viewers to donate. Among those is Kanye West, who attracts much attention by veering from the script and stating, "George Bush doesn't care about black people."

The controversial statement becomes a touchstone in the media as the U.S. government's admitted slow response to aid victims of the storm becomes apparent. Jay-Z is among the first to voice his support of West following the remark. More...

U2, Alicia Keys, Garth Brooks, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart and the Dixie Chicks are some of the artists to perform during "Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast," a live multi-network telethon. More...

Neil Young, Green Day, Big & Rich, Trent Reznor and the Red Hot Chili Peppers perform during Viacom's "ReAct Now: Music and Relief" telethon for Hurricane Katrina victims on MTV, VH1, CMT and related channels. More...

Rock act Korn inks a deal with Virgin, which includes a partnership with parent company EMI Music for touring, music publishing, merchandising and sponsorship. More...

A heart condition causes Nine Inch Nails drummer Jerome Dillon to be hospitalized twice during the opening dates of the band's fall tour, forcing postponement of several shows. Australian drummer Alex Carapetis is eventually picked to replace Dillon on the road. More...

R&B singer D'Angelo is hospitalized after being injured in a car accident. More...

Universal Pictures buys the worldwide rights to hip-hop duo OutKast's untitled movie musical. More...

Apple introduces the next line of music-listening innovations by revealing the super-small iPod Nano and a Motorola mobile phone that uses Apple's iTunes.

LEGALITIES:

The Seattle-based Experience Hendrix files a second lawsuit to stop the marketing and sales of all unauthorized Jimi Hendrix recordings through U.K. indie label Purple Haze Records. More...

Beanie Sigel is acquitted on charges he shot and nearly killed a man two years ago on a crowded city street.

Courtney Love is sentenced to 180 days in jail for violating her probation.

Tom Waits files a lawsuit against a unit of automaker General Motors Corp. and a German advertising agency for allegedly using a sound-alike in a series of European ads.

Jimmy James Johnson is sentenced to a year in prison and three years probation after pleading guilty to punching rap mogul Dr. Dre at the 2nd annual Vibe Awards in 2004.

Model Tyson Beckford sues Sean "Diddy" Combs-owned companies, alleging that his image and likeness were used without consent to promote a clothing line after his contract expired.