Aerosmith's Steven Tyler
Photo: Amy V. Cooper

Maybe the Red Sox will swing the stick with more authority this year after someone with loads of experience racking up hits helps them kick off their 2002 season.

Boston's favorite bad boy, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, will offer his rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before more than 33,000 fans at Fenway Park on Monday (April 1), when the BoSox take on the Toronto Blue Jays, according to a stadium spokesperson.

Across the country in Oakland, where the A's face off against the Texas Rangers later that night, guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani will perform what will no doubt be a technically precise version of the national anthem.

In New York Monday, Art Garfunkel will sing prior to the Mets' showdown against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and contemporary gospel singer Yolanda Adams is scheduled to give a soaring version of the paean to patriotism the following day in Houston for the Astros-Brewers opener.

Traditional country singer/songwriter Tracy Byrd will perform in Cincinnati before the Reds-Cubs game, and 22-year-old country star Chely Wright will sing in Kansas City before the Minnesota Twins look to trump the hometown Royals. Both games will take place Monday.

• Aerosmith
• Art Garfunkel
• Yolanda Adams
• Joe Satriani

John Lennnon
Photo: Capitol

"Come Together: A Night for John Lennon," a tribute concert for the former Beatle featuring Stone Temple Pilots, Beck and Alanis Morissette, will be broadcast live from New York after being postponed in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks.

The event will take place and air on October 2, according to a TNT spokesperson. The sixth installment of the cable network's TNT Master's Series was to be taped last Thursday and broadcast on what would have been Lennon's 61st birthday, October 9 (see "Beck, STP, Alanis Come Together For John Lennon").

The fundraising concert has been renamed "Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words & Music, Dedicated to New York City & Its People." In addition to its original beneficiaries — the Violence Policy Center and the Brady Center To Prevent Gun Violence, united with the Million Mom March — the event will assist the American Red Cross, the September 11th Fund, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the New York Fraternal Order of Police WTC Fund, the National Organization for Victim Assistance and the Twin Towers Fund.

The show's lineup, which also features Nelly Furtado, Lou Reed, Marc Anthony, Moby, Seal, Cyndi Lauper and Shelby Lynne, has been updated to include Dave Matthews, the Isley Brothers and Yolanda Adams. Additional artists are expected to be announced shortly.

Tickets for the postponed event, which is scheduled to take place at Radio City Music Hall, will be honored on October 2.

• John Lennon
• Dave Matthews Band
• Dave Matthews
• Stone Temple Pilots
• Beck

Destiny's Child frontwoman Beyoncé Knowles

LOS ANGELES — Destiny's Child, R. Kelly, LL Cool J and Yolanda Adams were recognized as role models for people of color Thursday night at the NAACP's 32nd Annual Image Awards, taking home trophies in the event's musical categories.

Gospel singer Adams led the pack with four awards, including Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Song for "Open My Heart." The ballad also won Best R&B/Soul Single, Female, at Wednesday night's Soul Train Music Awards. Kelly matched his double-win showing at Soul Train, nabbing Outstanding Male Artist and Outstanding Music Video for "I Wish." Destiny's Child were named Outstanding Duo or Group for "Say My Name," while LL Cool J picked up the prize for Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Artist for his album G.O.A.T. Featuring James T. Smith — The Greatest of All Time. The first phase of the two-part Image Awards, held at the Universal Amphitheater, honored black entertainers, writers and professionals in music, media, literature and daytime television. The second phase, to be held Saturday (March 3), will honor people in film and television as well as present special awards such as Entertainer of the Year. The two shows will be combined for broadcast March 9 on Fox. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People honors projects and individuals of all races who help promote "positive images of people of color," according to a statement from the organization.

Winners in the musical categories awarded Thursday: Outstanding New Artist
Carl Thomas, Emotional

Outstanding Male Artist
R. Kelly, "I Wish"

Outstanding Female Artist
Yolanda Adams, "Open My Heart"

Outstanding Duo or Group
Destiny's Child, "Say My Name"

Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Artist
LL Cool J, G.O.A.T. Featuring James T. Smith — The Greatest of All Time

Outstanding Jazz Artist
Grover Washington Jr., The Best of Grover Washington Jr.

Outstanding Gospel Artist — Traditional
Aaron Neville, "Mary Don't You Weep"

Outstanding Gospel Artist — Contemporary
Yolanda Adams, "Open My Heart"

Outstanding Music Video
R. Kelly, "I Wish"

Outstanding Song
Yolanda Adams, "Open My Heart"

Outstanding Album
Stevie Wonder, At the Close of the Century

Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special
Yolanda Adams, "Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards"

• Destiny's Child
• R. Kelly
• Yolanda Adams
• LL Cool J

Destiny's Child
Photo: Columbia

After celebrating the Fourth of July, Destiny's Child, the Roots, Jill Scott and Joe will be among the artists heading to the Big Easy to perform at the seventh annual Essence Music Festival, slated for July 5-7 in New Orleans.

Kelly Price, Carl Thomas, Yolanda Adams, Bilal, Teena Marie, Jeffrey Osborne, Patti Austin and comedian Steve Harvey will also appear at the 2001 edition of the R&B, hip-hop, rap and jazz fest, according to an announcement made Friday (February 16) by Essence magazine.

Essence performances will be staged at both the Louisiana Superdome and the nearby Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The latter is also the site of the Empowerment Seminar series, which will showcase various African-American scholars, artists and business and social leaders.

Organizers are still hammering out a night-by-night schedule and lineup for the 2001 Essence Music Festival. They said they would likely add several more headlining acts in the next few weeks.

Tickets for the Essence fest are available via Ticketmaster, and more information about the concert can be found at www.essence.com.

• Destiny's Child
• The Roots
• Jill Scott
• Joe
• Kelly Price