Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Ahead of inauguration, D.C. is the place for seeing stars

Forget Hollywood: Washington D.C. has become star-spotting central as dozens of celebrities both big and small are flocking to the nation’s capital for Tuesday’s inauguration.

More than 160 celebrities have confirmed appearances or performances at inaugural activities related to President-elect Barack Obama’s swearing-in ceremonies on Tuesday.

While January is hardly the time to leave sunny Southern California for wintry Washington, the weather hasn’t seemed to deter the VIPs. It seems everyone who is anyone (and, presumably, is an Obama supporter) will be in town.

For example:

• Music legends Sting, James Taylor, U2, Moby, Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks and Stevie Wonder will appear at a range of inaugural events.

• The hop-hop community will be especially well-represented: Akon, Usher, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Ne-Yo, Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J, Nelly and the Beastie Boys are expected at various venues across town.

• Pop and R&B divas Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Lopez, and Mariah Carey all have confirmed appearances, as well.

• Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Steven Spielberg, and Susan Sarandon are just some of the Hollywood heavyweights who will come to D.C. for inauguration. Funnymen Jack Black, Chris Tucker and Steve Carell also will turn up to show their support for the country’s 44th president.

Obama’s swearing-in celebrations will be unlike any presidential parties Washington has ever seen.

There's a little more than the Ricky Martin concert and the handful of country singers (Clint Black, Lyle Lovett and Nell Carter) that we at George W. Bush’s swearing-in in 2001.

Former President Bill Clinton’s inaugurations were done on a larger scale than Bush’s, but they, too, were relatively low-key. Both included two days of free concerts on the National Mall (Hootie and the Blowfish and Sheryl Crow were among those who performed). Maya Angelou headlined in 1993, while Clinton’s second inaugural gala featured Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rogers, Yo-Yo Ma and the cast of "Chicago.”

The ever-growing list of VIPs expected to attend Obama’s inauguration stands to expand even further if celebrities arrive with their famous +1s. Ashton Kutcher, Faith Hill, Will Smith, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Samantha Ronson are all half of celebrity couples but so far there has been no mention of their partners attending any inaugural events. This means it simply remains to be seen if Kutcher’s wife, Demi Moore; Hill’s hubby, Tim McGraw; Smith’s leading lady, Jada Pinkett Smith; Parker’s main squeeze, Matthew Broderick; or Ronson’s girlfriend, Lindsay Lohan, will stop by to celebrate alongside their significant others.

Vocal Obama supporters like Sheryl Crow and Will.i.am (who recently won a Global Media Award for the “Yes We Can” video he produced in support of the Obama campaign) are among those confirmed, while others Obama fans -- including Scarlett Johansson, Barbra Streisand, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sarah Silverman and Paris Hilton -- have not announced any inaugural plans in D.C.

Politically inclined Angelina Jolie and notorious Bush-hater Michael Moore have not yet confirmed any inaugural appearances, either – but many others have lined up to share the politically-tinted spotlight as the nation gears up to welcome its 44th president.

Here’s a list of the A, B and C-listers expected to attend inaugural events over the next few days:

Adrian Grenier, Al Gore, Alan Cumming, Alfre Woodard, Alicia Keys, Amy Brenneman, Angela Bassett, Anita Baker, Anne Hathaway, Aretha Franklin, Ashley Judd, Ashton Kutcher, Barry Levinson, Bettye Lavette, Beyoncé Knowles, Biz Markie, Blair Underwood, Bow Wow, Bradley Cooper, Brendan Fraser, Bruce Springsteen, Cedric the Entertainer, Chaka Khan, Chris Tucker, Chuck D, Citizen Cope, Common, Connie Britton, Cyndi Lauper, Dana Delany, Danny Glover, Dave Chapelle, De La Soul, Denzel Washington, Diddy, Dionne Warwick, DJ DJ Tiz, Doug E. Fresh, Ed Harris, Ellen Burstyn, Elvis Costello, Faith Hill, Fall Out Boy, Fallout Boy, Forest Whitaker, Gabrielle Union, Garth Brooks, George Clinton, Giancarlo Esposito, Gloria Reuben, Graham Nash, Halle Berry, Harry Belafonte, Heather Graham, Heather Headley, Herbie Hancock, Hill Harper, Il Divo, Jack Black, Jackson Brown, James Taylor, Jamie Foxx, Jane Krakowski, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Nettles, Jessica Alba, Joan Baez, John Cusack, John Legend, John Mellencamp, John Singleton, Jon Bon Jovi, Josh Groban, Josh Lucas, Joss Stone, Justin Jones, Kal Penn, Kanye West, Kerry Washington, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Kim Raver, Korto Momolu, Laura Linney, Lawrence O’Donnell, Lisa Marie Presley, LL Cool J, Ludacris, Lynn Whitfield, Macy Gray, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Magic Johnson, Marc Anthony, Marcia Cross, Mariah Carey, Marisa Tomei, Maroon 5, Martin Luther King III, Mary J. Blige, Matthew Modine, Maura Tierney, Melissa Etheridge, Michael Stipe, Miley Cyrus, Moby, Monica, Muhammad Ali, NAS, Ne-Yo, Nelly, Oprah, Patricia Arquette, Pete Seeger, Peter Sarsgaard, Phillip Bloch, Queen Latifah, Rachael Leigh Cook, Renée Fleming, Richard Schiff, Rihanna, Robert Randolph, Ron Howard, Rosario Dawson, Rufus Wainwright, Russell Simmons, Samantha Ronson, Santogold, Sarah Jessica Parker, Shakira, Sheryl Crow, Slash, Slick Rick, Spike Lee, Star Jones, Steve Carell, Steven Spielberg, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Sue Kramer, Susan Sarandon, T.I., Tamara Tunie, The Beastie Boys, The Jonas Brothers, Tiger Woods, Tim Daly, Tim Robbins, Tom Cavanagh, Tom Fontana, Tom Hanks, Tony Goldwyn, Tony Plana, Trudie Styler, U2, Usher, Wendie Malick, Will Smith, Will.i.am, Wilmer Valderrama, Wyclef Jean, Young Jeezy.

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