Inaugural celebration to bring stars together
Sunday's inaugural celebration for Barack Obama at the Lincoln Memorial is a coveted gig for music's top names.
Beyonce, U2, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Usher, Shakira, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban and James Taylor are among the musicians scheduled to perform Sunday afternoon. The president-elect and his family are due to attend, with Obama expected to speak, The Associated Press reports.
Other performers include Stevie Wonder, Renee Fleming, Garth Brooks, Mary J. Blige, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend and Jennifer Nettles. Historical passages will be read by Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington, with other celebrities expected to join them.
The theme for the show, titled "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial," is less about celebration than national unification.
"The list of stars is impressive. But this is not a show biz, glitzy occasion. It's going to be rooted in history, remembering the great president (Lincoln) who led us through difficult times," executive producer George Stevens Jr. said.
The artists won't be performing their big hits, but will be asked to perform material appropriate to the occasion.
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