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Donald Trump inauguration: Who will be there - and who won't?
Sir Elton John, Celine Dion and Ice-T among the stars who have turned down the prestigious gig
Donald Trump's team is struggling to find high-profile names to perform at his inauguration on 20 January.
Although the ceremony is seen as being so prestigious that artists don't even earn an appearance fee, few are willing to lend their names to the event this time round.
Here's a run-down of the situation.
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The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Radio City Rockettes and Jackie Evancho, the BBC reports. The Missouri State University Chorale and the Marching Tornados from Talladega College are the latest to accept an invitation.
Who?
The Tabernacle Choir is a 360-strong group named after the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Utah. They've been around for more than a century (obviously with members changing over the years). The Rockettes are a New York dance company also with historic roots. They've been performing at the Radio City Music hall since 1932. And don't say you've never heard of Evancho? She came second in America's Got Talent six years ago, at the age of ten.
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"Jackie Evancho's album sales have skyrocketed after announcing her inauguration performance. Some people just don't understand the 'Movement'", Trump tweeted - although, as one Twitter user helpfully pointed out, it actually dropped 41 spots on the Billboard 200 that week.
The Marching Tornados raised eyebrows with their acceptance, as its school, HBCU, is a historically black college, the BBC reports. These are set up to help African-Americans so Trump's record of racially insensitive comments has raised hackles among students that the band will be appearing. Other such colleges, including Howard University which performed at Barack Obama's first inauguration, have refused invitations.
The Missouri State University Chorale will perform a newly commissioned piece titled Now We Belong, according to the Kansas City Star.
Hmm, not exactly an all-star line-up, is it? Who said no?
Sir Elton John and Celine Dion reportedly declined requests to perform – John's publicist even issued a strong denial after a Trump transition team member said he would be singing. "Incorrect. He will NOT be performing," he clarified.
Rapper Ice-T also apparently rejected the opportunity, tweeting: "I just got call to perform at the Inauguration…. I didn't pick up and Blocked the number."
Bizarrely, classical singer Andrea Boccelli, a friend of Trump, offered his services but was turned down, says CNBC. The businessman told Boccelli: "We're not in that kind of a framework," said inauguration committee chairman Thomas J Barrack Jr.
The Guardian reports that the Beach Boys are considering an offer, but no decision has been made.
And former X Factor contestant Rebecca Ferguson tweeted she would only accept her invitation if she could perform Strange Fruit, the powerful anti-lynching ballad sung by Billie Holiday and later Nina Simone, the BBC reports. There's no word on whether her offer has been accepted.
There has also been speculation that Kanye West, who has appeared publicly with Trump, could be drawn in.
So drumming up star power has been a struggle then?
According to the Wrap, the inaugural committee is struggling to find people in the left-leaning entertainment industry, but had their hearts set on names "like Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars".
"They're calling managers, agents - everyone in town to see who they can get and it's been problematic," an unnamed source said. The committee is also apparently willing to pay "anything" – six or seven figures – to performers, the website added.
More shockingly, two talent bookers told NY Mag they had actually been offered ambassador positions if they lured big ticket names, with one saying the "serious" offer almost caused him to drop the phone.
"Never in a million years have I heard something so crazy," he added.
Trump's team have denied both news reports.
Who's going to be watching?
Stars are queuing up for tickets – at least according to Trump. The president-elect tweeted: "The so-called 'A' list celebrities are all wanting tixs to the inauguration, but look what they did for Hillary, NOTHING. I want the PEOPLE!"
That suggests the crowd will be chiefly made up of everyday Joe Bloggs.
Who performed at previous inaugurations?
President Obama was able to attract Aretha Franklin to his ceremony, while Beyonce sang at the ball that followed.
Even George W Bush managed to get Ricky Martin to show at a Lincoln Memorial concert tied to his first inauguration – although the singer caught some flack from his fans afterwards, Variety says.
