1 BENEFIT ALBUM A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS, VOL. 5 STARS SHERYL CROW, TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS, JON BON JOVI, MACY GRAY, STEVIE NICKS, WYCLEF JEAN, STEVIE WONDER, DIDO, DARLENE LOVE, B.B. KING, JOHN POPPER AND MORE Christmas is a time for giving--and no album series in music history has given more than A Very Special Christmas. Since its first album in 1987, A Very Special Christmas has donated more than $50,000,000 to the Special Olympics cause, the largest amount ever raised for a charity by a series of benefit albums. Now this Christmas is complete with A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 5 (A&M/UME), released October 30, 2001. One hundred percent of the album’s gross proceeds are donated to the Special Olympics organization, which provides year- round sports training and competition opportunities to developmentally disabled children and adults in more than 140 countries. Featured this holiday season are Sheryl Crow (“Run Rudolph Run”), Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (“Little Red Rooster” and “Christmas All Over”), Jon Bon Jovi (“Blue Christmas”), Macy Gray (“This Christmas”), Stevie Nicks (“Silent Night”), Wyclef Jean (“Little Drummer Boy”/“Hot, Hot, Hot”) and Stevie Wonder (duets with Jean on “Merry Christmas Baby” and Kimberly Brewer on “I Love You More”). Also featured are Dido (“Christmas Day”), Eve 6 (“Noel”), City High (“Faithful”), Darlene Love (“White Christmas”), B.B. King & John Popper (“Back Door Santa”), SR-71 (“X-Mas”) and Powder (“Christmas Don’t Be Late”). Many of these holiday covers and original songs were recorded live at the Special Olympics benefit concert held last year at the White House. The remaining songs were inspired by that moving performance and later recorded in the studio. A Very Special Christmas has been a phenomenal success since its conception in 1987, when producer Jimmy Iovine created the first of the compilations as a way of memorializing his father who had died during the holiday season the year before. Iovine’s wife, Vicki, suggested the record benefit Special Olympics, for whom she was working as a volunteer. The project logo and album art, a simple but evocative mother-with-child, was drawn by the late Keith Haring. The album featured a stellar line-up, with contributions from some of the music world’s most talented and respected artists. Certified quadruple platinum, it led its creators to start a series of Christmas albums. A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 2 (1992) went platinum and A Very 2 Special Christmas, Vol. 3 (1997) earned gold. A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 4 – Live From Washington, DC was released in 1999. A Very Special Christmas is a music gift that keeps on giving. ### PRESS CONTACT: Sujata Murthy, Universal 310-865-7812 Todd Nakamine, Universal 310-865-7797 RADIO CONTACT: Elliot Kendall, Universal 310-865-9852 .