Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga to headline Joe Biden's inauguration
- Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez will be headlining the swearing-in ceremony for President-elect Joe Biden
- The Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Biden's hometown of Wilmington, Silvester Beaman ,will give the benediction
- Andrea Hall, a career firefighter, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance
- Amanda Gorman, the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate, will recite a poem
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The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced that Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez would headline the swearing-in ceremony for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
The national anthem is to be sung by Gaga, who has a history of advocacy alongside Biden and campaigned for him during the general election, CNN reported.
As the president-elect and vice president-elect will be sworn in on Wednesday 20 January, pop star Jennifer Lopez is also expected to perform on the Western Front of the US Capitol.
Source: UGC
Amanda Gorman, the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate who will give the poetry reading, and Andrea Hall, president of Fulton County, Georgia's International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 3920, who will deliver the Pledge of Allegiance, are other participants.
Hall, per the inauguration committee, is also the first Black woman in the history of the department to be promoted to the rank of Fire Captain.
The IAFF was the first union in the primary to support Biden when he first launched his camp.
The invocation will be delivered by Father Leo J. O'Donovan, a long-time friend of the Bidens and a former President of Georgetown University.
The blessing will be given by Reverend Silvester Beaman, Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Biden's hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
The inaugural committee CEO Tony Allen said in a statement the participants represented one clear picture of the grand diversity of the nation.
According to him, they will help honour and celebrate the time-honoured traditions of the presidential inauguration as President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris take the oath of office.
"They are also committed to the President-elect and the Vice-President-elect's steadfast vision of a new chapter in our American story," he said.
"...in which we are an America united in overcoming the deep divisions and challenges facing our people, unifying the country, and restoring the soul of our nation," he added.
A celebrity-filled prime-time special for the night of the largel virtual inauguration in lieu of the traditional celebrations is also being prepared.
The special will be hosted by Tom Hanks and it will also feature performances from Jon Bon Jovi, who campaigned with Biden in Pennsylvania, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake and Ant Clemons.
Fans of the musicians have shared their excitement at the news on social media.
In other news, Briefly.co.za reported that outgoing United States (US) President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka, has plans to attend Democrat Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, to the chagrin of his father.
According to a report by Daily Mail, Ivanka will attend the ceremony to mark the commencement of Biden's new four-year term as president of the United States, to save her political career.
"Ivanka is worried that her promising political career is in jeopardy and she's doing whatever she can to save her reputation," a source intimated to the publication."
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Source: Briefly News
Sibusisiwe Lwandle (Head of Entertainment) Sibusisiwe Lwandle is the Head of Entertainment at Briefly News (joined in 2019). She holds one Bachelor of Arts (BA) and one Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree from the University of Cape Town and the University of KZN respectively. She has over 10 years of experience in journalism, having worked in print, online and broadcast media. She has worked at Independent Media and 1KZNTV and has contributed columns to the Washington Post. Passed set of trainings by Google News Initiative. Email: sibusisiwe.lwandle@briefly.co.za
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
