Stars Turn Out to Fete Mandela

Concert honoring 90th birthday draws huge crowd to London's Hyde Park

By Marie Morris, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 27, 2008 4:45 PM CDT

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Stars Turn Out to Fete Mandela — Nelson Mandela speaks as Will Smith, Annie Lennox, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Geri Halliwell look on, at the 46664 charity concert for Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday in London, Friday, June 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Edmond Terakopian)

A benefit concert for Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday drew a constellation of music stars to London today, the BBC reports. Will Smith kicked off the festivities, and Leona Lewis was a hit with the crowd, but the star of the show, as expected, was Mandela. "Even as we celebrate, let us remind ourselves that our work is far from complete," he said.

"Where there is poverty and sickness, including AIDS, where human beings are being oppressed, there is more work to be done," he added. "Our work is for freedom for all." (More Nelson Mandela stories.)

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