Beyonce will perform the national anthem for President Obama's inauguration on Jan. 21.(Photo: Charles Sykes, AP)
Beyoncé, James Taylor and Kelly Clarkson will perform the patriotic
songs at the second inauguration of President Obama on Jan. 21, the inauguration committee will announce today.
Beyoncé,
who's also starring at the Super Bowl halftime show next month, will
sing the national anthem, always a tough tune to pull off well.
Taylor, the Sweet Baby James icon of '70s folk-rock, will sing America the Beautiful.
And Clarkson, the first winner of American Idol (2002), will sing My Country, 'Tis of Thee,
the song with different lyrics but the same tune as the British
national anthem. At the first Obama inaugural ceremony in 2009, soul
diva Aretha Franklin sang it while wearing a memorable hat.
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More announcements about entertainment at the inauguration are expected in coming days.
All
this will take place during the public swearing-in ceremonies on the
Capitol steps, when President Obama delivers his second inaugural
address before a crowd likely to top more than 1 million.
Obama
will officially take the oath of office at the White House on Jan. 20,
as per the Constitution, but the repeat swearing-in ceremony, the
inaugural parade, the lunch with Congress and the inaugural balls will
take place on Monday.
In 2009, an estimated 1.8 million people
turned up on the National Mall to watch the historic inauguration of the
nation's first black president; this time, in light of the economic
situation, the inauguration will be more low-key, with fewer people
expected and only two official balls.
USA Today