Celebrities Fill Democrat Voter Drive

Thu Apr 25, 9:46 AM ET

NEW YORK (AP) - Michael Jackson and Tony Bennett headlined a concert at the Apollo Theater to raise money for the Democratic Party's nationwide campaign to encourage more people to vote.

The event at the historic concert hall in Harlem on Wednesday night also featured former President Bill Clinton and comedian Chris Tucker. "I love the Apollo. I love being in Harlem," Clinton said before introducing Jackson to the cheering crowd. The theater, just blocks from Clinton's New York office, has been a performance venue for more than eight decades, featuring artists from Billie Holiday to James Brown. Earlier Wednesday, Clinton and Tucker joined Democratic National Chairman Terry McAuliffe and the Rev. Al Sharpton on an outdoor stage at the New York University campus for a voter registration rally. The events were among 30 planned in 13 states Wednesday, including five in the city. "This is not rocket science — you know what you think, you know what you believe, you can figure out who's most likely to be a good representative for you in all of these elections," Clinton told thousands of cheering students at NYU. "It takes a little time, it takes a little trouble, but it'll have a huge impact on you and your children and the world you live in." Freshman Chris Banks skipped his early afternoon sociology class to register as an independent and to hear Clinton speak. "It's important to have a say in what's going on," Banks, 19, said after filling out a registration card. "If you don't vote, you can't complain, and it's good to be involved." McAuliffe said the launch of the Democratic Party's "Every Vote Counts" drive was timed to allow about six months of work before the November elections. "We want to make sure we have time to get them registered, then we need to educate them on the issues, then we need to mobilize them to get them to vote," he said.

By CHAKA FERGUSON, Associated Press Writer

Thursday, April 25, 2002 @ 09:46 AM ET

Originally located at Yahoo.com

Michael Jackson Sings For Bill Clinton In Harlem

Thu Apr 25, 1:07 PM ET

The Democratic Party brought its Every Vote Counts voter registration efforts to the forefront Wednesday night in New York. Michael Jackson, Chris Tucker, Tony Bennett and other celebrities joined the likes of former President Bill Clinton and members of the Democratic National Committee at Harlem's Apollo Theatre for a concert fundraiser. Tucker co-hosted the event with actress Cicely Tyson. Ruben Blades, k.d. lang and Tony Bennett performed, as did Jackson. M.J. sang a medley of songs that included "Black or White" and "Smooth Criminal," and was joined by Jane's Addiction guitarist and former Red Hot Chili Pepper Dave Navarro for a portion of his set. (Click here for photos from the event) The event raised $2.5 million, according to a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee. The Every Vote Counts program aims to promote awareness about the importance of voter registration and to educate people about the process in hopes of thwarting discrimination when they go to register. —Shaheem Reid

Originally located at MTV.com