Stars
Come Out For UK Charity
From St Lucia Mirror, Jun
2002
Singing legends Diana Ross, Shirley Bassey and Rod Stewart are to share the bill
at an outdoor spectacular in aid of The Prince’s Trust charity for young people.
The famous names will head the line-up for the Safeway Picnic 2002 to take place
in London’s Hyde Park on June 29.
Last year Luciano Pavarotti topped the bill for the show in its inaugural year
alongside singing sensations Russell Watson and Charlotte Church, and Violinist
Vanessa Mae. But this year the even has gone "pop" with Ronan Keating and
Gabrielle also performing.
Between them the five acts have notched up more than 150 top 30 singles in the
United Kingdom and some 300 million record sales worldwide. The superstar
quintet is expected to perform to a crowd of 75,000 in the park with a
repertoire of hits from five decades.
The stars were recruited after Safeway customers voted them the acts they would
most like to see perform live. The concert is the highlight of a six-week-long
Safeway event called World Favourites, bringing together a vast collection of
favourite foods from around the world to shoppers in the UK. An onsite
supermarket is being built by Safeway especially for the Hyde Park
concert-goers.
Diana Ross said of her involvement: "I am honoured that the fans have asked for
me and it is all the more meaningful because of the involvement of The Prince’s
Trust. With the opportunity to share the stage with artists I truly admire, this
a special day indeed."
Gabrielle said: "I’m really thrilled to have been asked to appear on the same
bill as such legendary artists. I know it will be a fantastic day and I hope
everyone enjoys it as much as I will."
Rod Stewart added: "I’ve never played in Hyde Park before – except the odd game
of football – and am really looking forward to it. The picnic will be a great
day out with such a talented bill."
Ronan Keating said: "It’s great to be part of the Safeway Picnic this year. The
show will be on the last day of my UK tour so I’ll be on a roll and can’t wait
to step out in front of such a huge crowd in Hyde Park."
Karen Bray, Safeway Marketing Director, said: "It’s part of our commitment to
customers that Safeway will offer only the best, whether that be in our stores
or at the biggest picnic concert of the summer.