Hollywood stars to shine at inauguration kickoff
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - People who want to celebrate President-elect Barack Obama's move to the White House early can start the party on Sunday, when stars of music, movies and television perform in Washington, D.C.
Bono, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder are among the stars who will sing at an inauguration kickoff at the Lincoln Memorial, the Presidential Inaugural Committee said on Monday.
"The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial" will be shown on U.S. cable TV channel HBO, which will allow viewers across the United States with access to cable or satellite television to view it for free.
Other stars performing are: Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher, Shakira, James Taylor and Will.i.am.
Also, celebrities will read historical passages at the event. The readers include actors Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington and activist Martin Luther King III, the son of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
The event at the Lincoln Memorial will be free and open to the public, the Presidential Inaugural Committee said. HBO will show the event on TV on Sunday at 7 p.m.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
