Yesterday was a big day for President Barack Obama as well as the celebrities in attendance for the 57th inauguration. Kelly Clarkson (who came with new fiance Brandon Blackstock) performed “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” while Beyonce Knowles (in an Emilio Pucci gown) cranked out the national anthem — and even got hugs from President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama afterward.
Looking on from the audience were Katy Perry and boyfriend John Mayer as well as Eva Longoria in a beautiful pink trench coat. And in an awesome snafu, Boston Celtics great Bill Russell was misidentified as Morgan Freeman by ABC announcer George Stephanopoulos.
At the official inaugural balls, such bold-faced names as Alicia Keys, Usher, John Legend, the cast of “Glee,” Brad Paisley, Nick Cannon, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Marc Anthony and Chris Cornell are expected to appear.
One celeb who had a less-than-fun inauguration experience? Lupe Fiasco, who was asked to leave the stage at a pre-inauguration concert in Washington, D.C. “Lupe Fiasco performed at this private event, and as you may have read, he left the stage earlier than we had planned,” concert organizers said in an email to reporters. “But Lupe Fiasco was not ‘kicked off stage’ for an ‘anti-Obama rant.’ We are staunch supporters of free speech, and free political speech. This was not about his opinions. Instead, after a bizarrely repetitive, jarring performance that left the crowd vocally dissatisfied, organizers decided to move on to the next act.”
