Published : Oct. 17, 2011 - 11:16
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Lady Gaga enjoyed her “first real Marilyn moment” with former President Bill Clinton.
“I always wanted to have one, and I was hoping that it didn’t involve pills and a strand of pearls,” she joked.
In this July 4, 2011 file photo, singer Lady Gaga attends a news conference in Taipei, Taiwan to promote her new album "Born This Way". AP-Yonhap News
The envelope-pushing pop superstar was one of several musicians who performed Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl during a concert celebrating the 10th anniversary of Clinton’s foundation, which has sought to improve global health, strengthen economies worldwide, promote healthier childhoods and protect the environment for the past decade.
Emerging from atop an all-white treehouse, Lady Gaga sported a wavy blond hairdo and red lips like Marilyn Monroe, who famously crooned “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. Lady Gaga similarly serenaded Clinton and changed several of her lyrics to reference him, including swapping the title of “Bad Romance” for “Bill Romance.”
“I thought, ‘My God. I get Lady Gaga, and I will have a heart attack celebrating my 65th birthday,” Clinton later said.
Clinton, who turned 65 on Aug. 19 but celebrated his birthday at a posh Hollywood party Friday night, sat between wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea in the front row throughout Saturday’s event at the outdoor venue set against the Hollywood Hills. Other famous attendees included Maria Bello, Ashton Kutcher, Jason Segel, Ellen DeGeneres, Colin Farrell and Chevy Chase.
“I am the only person in history who got to be President and then had a post-presidential birthday party attended by both Lady Gaga and the Secretary of State,” Clinton joked on stage. “I want to thank Hillary because we met 40 years ago this year. When I met her, she was already doing the kind of work you see here long before it was cool.”
Ticket prices for “A Decade of Difference: A Concert Celebrating 10 Years of the William J. Clinton Foundation,” which was streamed live on Yahoo.com, ranged from $50 to $550. Other performers included Motown legend Stevie Wonder, country star Kenny Chesney, Somali rapper K’Naan, Colombian crooner Juanes and R&B singer Usher.
Usher kicked off his performance with a take on Joe Cocker’s rendition of the Beatles classic “With a Little Help From My Friends” before launching into his hits “Yeah” and “OMG.” The R&B singer accidently split his pant legs while dancing to reveal his bare left leg. The wardrobe malfunction didn’t stop Usher, who continued with his routine, telling the crowd: “I work hard.”
Bono and The Edge of U2 closed the concert with a mostly acoustic set that included such tunes as “Desire,” “One” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” which Bono sang directly to Clinton. The duo -- who were accompanied by a string quartet and Edge’s laptop -- closed with “Miss Sarajevo.” Bono tackled the operatic part of the tune originally sung by the late Luciano Pavarotti.
Clinton himself is no stranger to performing. The saxophone-playing politician memorably belted out “Heartbreak Hotel” when he visited Arsenio Hall’s show during his 1992 presidential campaign. Clinton didn’t pick up the instrument Saturday night, despite a plea from Lady Gaga, who informed him: “I wish you were playing sax with me tonight, baby.”
레이디가가•보노 클린턴재단행사 참석
미국의 팝가수 레이디 가가와 아일랜드 록그룹 유투( U2)의 보컬 보노, 컨트리송 가수 케니 체스니 등 세계 각국에서 인기를 끌고 있는 가수들이 한자리에 모인다.
이들은 오는 15일 미국 캘리포니아주(州) 로스앤젤레스의 야외음악당 할리우드 볼에서 열리는 빌 클린턴 전 미국 대통령 재단이 주최하는 자선행사에 함께 참석한다.
클린턴 재단의 매트 매케나 대변인은 15일 로스앤젤레스의 야외음악당 할리우드 볼에서 빌 클린턴 전(前) 대통령의 자선활동 성과를 기념하는 "변화의 10년"(Decade of Difference) 콘서트를 개최한다고 14일 밝혔다.
이번 콘서트에는 레이디 가가와 보노, 체스니는 물론 소말리아 출신 래퍼 케이 난과 콜럼비아 가수 겸 작곡가 후아네스 등 쟁쟁한 각국 가수들이 총출동한다.
클린턴 재단은 클린턴 전 대통령이 지난 2001년 백악관을 떠난 뒤 10년간 진행해 온 자선활동 성과를 돌아보고 이번 콘서트를 통해 자선기금을 마련할 계획이다.
아칸소주(州) 리틀록에 거점을 둔 클린턴 재단은 개발도상국에서 에이즈 치료 및 예방 프로그램을 실시하고 있다.
또 온실가스 감축과 식습관 개선 캠페인 등 국제•사회적 이슈를 다루는 활동에 도 공헌하고 있다.