Concert to raise money for King memorial

Concert to raise money for King memorial

WASHINGTON (AP) — Quincy Jones, Russell Simmons and Tommy Hilfiger are among those spearheading a concert to raise money to build a memorial to The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall.

The Dream Concert will be held Sept. 18 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the memorial fund announced Tuesday. Performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

The group working to build the King memorial has raised $79 million of the $100 million needed to complete and maintain the memorial.

"I'm honored that such a diverse and committed group of leaders have come together for a concert to help raise the remaining funds," said Harry Johnson, president and chief executive of the memorial fund.

The memorial is slated for a space on the Tidal Basin between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. It will include a sculpture of King and 14 quotations from the slain civil rights leader. The memorial is scheduled to be completed in 2008.

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Producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis will serve as artistic directors for the fundraising concert. Also lending support as members of the event's host committee are Muhammad Ali, Angela Bassett, Jamie Foxx, Whoopi Goldberg and Michael Jordan, among others.

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