Special Coverage 2008 Fall Movie PreviewThe Must ListBox Office ChallengeSound Bites
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CAPITOL AFFAIR If the New York show's lineup was very VH1 (which was, in fact, a corporate sponsor of the show and aired it commercial-free), the Washington show was very MTV. It opened around 1 p.m. Sunday with Backstreet Boys performing ''The Star-Spangled Banner'' and ended nearly 12 hours later with Michael Jackson leading a singalong of his forthcoming benefit single, ''What More Can I Give.'' In between, there were appearances by Mariah Carey, 'N Sync, Train, O-Town, and P. Diddy, who gave what, by most accounts, was one of the more rousing performances, turning his Biggie Smalls elegy ''I'll Be Missing You'' into a tribute to the terror victims.

Also present were some veteran stars, from soul legends James Brown and Al Green to Aerosmith, Rod Stewart, Bette Midler, Huey Lewis, and Carole King, fresh from her own anthrax scare at Congress' Hart Office Building.

At the Nashville show, old songs took on unexpected new meanings. Martina McBride's spurned-lover song ''Independence Day,'' with its line ''The guilty must pay,'' became a fist-waving anthem. George Strait's jokey ''The Fireman'' took on a somber new overtone. Lee Ann Womack's comforting ''I Hope You Dance'' also took on new resonance. Other performers included Tim McGraw, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Hank Williams Jr., Keith Urban, Vince Gill, Montgomery Gentry, Sara Evans, and Trisha Yearwood. Toby Keith and Travis Tritt appeared in filmed segments.

Questions we still have about the three concerts: How come Janet Jackson did the New York show via satellite but didn't appear at the show spearheaded in Washington by brother Michael? Where were New York no-shows Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Rock, Denis Leary, Marc Anthony, and U2's Bono and the Edge? Where were D.C. no-shows Ricky Martin and MC Hammer? (And did anyone notice Hammer's absence?) What happened to Nashville no-shows George Jones and Earl Scruggs? (Health problems, apparently; Jones claimed voice problems, while Scruggs reportedly fell ill during the show and had to leave before his appearance.)


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