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Now Over: NPR's coverage of the special inaugural celebration has finished. The concert will not be archived online. However, you can see photos from the event by clicking the link below.
Bruce Springsteen performs "The Rising" at We Are One, backed by a 125-piece choir.
Click the photo to launch a video message from President-elect Barack Obama.
January 18, 2009 - NPR will be the only radio broadcaster of the concert "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration," the star-studded kickoff of official inaugural festivities, starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18. The event, which is free and open to the public at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be broadcast by NPR to public radio stations nationwide, and will be available as a simultaneous stream on this page and at the Web sites of many stations. For more information, find your local station by visiting NPR.org/stations.
The lineup of performers mixes some of today's biggest pop stars with iconic musical luminaries. Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Herbie Hancock, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder and many more artists are all scheduled to appear on stage. (A full list appears below.) In addition, an assortment of leading actors will read historical passages throughout the special.
According to the Presidential Inaugural Committee, "The Sunday afternoon performance will be grounded in history and brought to life with entertainment that relates to the themes that shaped Barack Obama, and which will be the hallmarks of his administration." The concert portion will start around 2:30 p.m. At the end of the performance, Obama will address the crowd.
NPR's Lisa Simeone will anchor the three-hour broadcast. Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic Tim Page will also be on hand to preview the music at Obama's inauguration.
Note: This concert will not be archived on NPR.org.
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Scheduled To Perform:
Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Mstr. Sgt. Caleb Green, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, Bettye Lavette, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Pete Seeger, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, U2, Usher, will.i.am and Stevie Wonder.
With:
Jack Black, Steve Carell, Rosario Dawson, Jamie Foxx, Tom Hanks, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah, Laura Linney, Denzel Washington
The concert special will be broadcast on many NPR stations throughout the country, including (but not limited to):
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