VH1 HONORS: 

 

Thu 10 Apr 1997

    Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angles, CA, USA
       

Living For The City (with Stevie Wonder &

Steve Winwood)

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Los Angeles' Universal Amphitheater was chock-full of celebrities and the people who love them for Thursday's VH1 Honors. Considering that the show benefited the channel's Save the Music initiative, which helps fund school music programs, it sounded like an impressive Live Aid-type mega-concert, or at least an adult, VH1 version of one.

The channel did have a good cause, plenty of famous people (Sean Penn, David Spade, Ellen DeGeneres) and plans for the requisite all-star jams. And it was a bit like Live Aid -- only it mostly resembled the concert's last fifteen minutes, where all the musicians took the stage together and rambled through classic rock songs.

The show began on a promising note when Stevie Wonder and Steve Winwood took the stage and played rousing versions of "Higher Ground" and "Gimme Some Lovin.'" Sheryl Crow kept up that mood with "Everyday is a Winding Road" and a duet with Emmylou Harris on the Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes".

But after The Artist Formerly Known as Prince delivered an impassioned performance of "Holy River," the pace slowed considerably. Steve Winwood joined Chaka Khan on "Higher Love." Next was "Living in the City," performed by Stevie Wonder, George Michael and Steve Winwood.

 

Notes:

the concert was recorded and broadcasted by VH1.