An All-Star Concert to Build a Dream

NEW YORK, Sept. 18 -- Musical dream team? Check. An impassioned concert fit for a certain King? That, too.

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Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder took the stage Tuesday night at Radio City Music Hall after a Jessye Norman medley, a blazing set by Carlos Santana and a rare Garth Brooks sighting at the appropriately named Dream Concert.

The star-studded show -- so studded with musical stars that Babyface and Ludacris were relegated to the undercard and Usher and LL Cool J were mere presenters -- was a benefit for the planned $100 million Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial on the Mall in Washington.

Let freedom sing!

"I'd like to do a song that I think is appropriate for this moment that we're in," Wonder said in introducing "Love's in Need of Love Today," about ending hatred.

Forever the artist-activist, he proffered additional social commentary on the super-charged "Living for the City." During "Visions," on which Wonder was joined by the neo-soul singer India.Arie, he riffed some, declaring: "Stop the hate, stop the war, stop the segregation!"

Appropriately, Wonder closed the dreamy 3 1/2 -hour show with "Happy Birthday," his 1980 song promoting the push to have King's birthday, Jan. 15, designated a national holiday. The campaign prevailed in 1983, and at the concert, Wonder was given an award for his role.

"We know the key to unify all people is in the dream that you had so long ago," he sang with joyful abandon, swaying from side to side.

Franklin sang of "Respect," as always -- and also of faith, in a fiery gospel song.

Semiretired country star Brooks performed the moving "Abraham, Martin and John," which was written by Dick Holler (and recorded by Dion, then Smokey and Marvin and so on) shortly after King and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated in 1968.

"Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin?" Brooks sang. "Can you tell me where he's gone?"

Brooks also sang the churchy "We Shall Be Free" as a single fan in a cowgirl hat roamed the aisles of the orchestra. Mostly, the well-heeled crowd was well behaved, although it did perk up and get up after Wyclef Jean exhorted the audience to bring up the energy a notch.