ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Latest on a tribute concert to the late megastar Prince (all times local):
10:15 p.m.
Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan had the crowd partying like it was 1999 all over again at a tribute concert to the late mega star Prince.
Khan brought Wonder onstage Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul to duet on Prince’s “I Feel for You,” a 1984 hit for Khan. Wonder got the sold-out audience cheering with his signature harmonica riffs.
Wonder and Khan then performed Prince’s hit “1999,” with the crowd clapping and dancing along.
Friends and former bandmates of Prince celebrated the Oscar and seven-time Grammy winner, who died of an accidental painkiller overdose in April.
Before the concert, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman read a proclamation on the outdoor plaza declaring Thursday Prince Day in Minnesota’s capital.
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7:20 p.m.
Singer Christina Aguilera has canceled her scheduled appearance at a tribute concert to the late Prince as she fights a “vocal illness.”
Singer Jessie J will replace Aguilera in the lineup for Thursday night’s concert at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Aguilera said in a statement, “It is with a heavy heart that I cannot perform this evening and join the amazing talent onstage to pay tribute to the legend that was Prince. He will remain in our hearts and inspire our music until the end of time.”
A representative for Aguilera said she “has been advised by her doctors not to perform due to a vocal illness she has been trying to shake all week.”
Pop star John Mayer bowed out of the concert earlier, citing a “change of schedule.”
5 p.m.
Prince’s sister says she hopes a tribute concert to the “Purple Rain” superstar will bring closure to his grieving fans.
Tyka (TYE’-kuh) Nelson describes the Thursday night concert at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul as a public memorial to Prince, who died in April at his Paisley Park recording complex.
Nelson says she sees that fans of her brother are grief-stricken, and that makes the celebration of Prince’s life and music “so, so important.” She says there “definitely” will be future concerts.
Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera and Chaka Khan are among featured performers paying tribute to Prince. Nelson says that seeing his friends and former bandmates perform would mean a lot to Prince.
The arena will seat 17,000 for the sold-out concert.
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12:05 a.m.
Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera and Chaka Khan are among the performers who will honor Prince at a Minnesota concert.
Tori Kelly, Anita Baker and Doug E. Fresh also are part of Thursday night’s lineup at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Prince’s ex-wife, Mayte Garcia, has been added to the concert, and Prince will be represented by members of his inner circle, including Morris Day & The Time.
Pop star John Mayer has bowed out, citing a “change of schedule.”
The Prince family-sanctioned concert originally was planned for the Minnesota Vikings’ new U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, but was moved to the smaller Xcel Energy Center, home of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.
Prince died of an accidental painkiller overdose at his Paisley Park recording complex in April.
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