Williams, Hart, Fergie among All-Star performers
Pharrell Williams and his hip-hop group N.E.R.D. will perform at half-time of next month's NBA All-Star Game, the league announced Thursday, with actor-comedian Kevin Hart opening festivities and introducing teams. The 67th annual clash of elite NBA talent will be staged February 18 in Los Angeles and also feature pre-game national anthems, the American sung by Fergie and the Canadian performed by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. Williams, an 11-time Grammy Award winner, was nominated for his second Academy Award last year as a co-producer of the Best Picture candidate Hidden Figures. The 44-year-old American was also nominated for Best Original Song for his hit "Happy" in 2014. N.E.R.D. -- short for No-one Ever Really Dies -- released its fifth album last month and the first single, "Lemon" featuring Rihanna, became Williams' 19th song on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Hart, 38, is about to embark on a global comedy tour and stars in the current movie release "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle." Fergie, 42, is an eight-time Grammy winner while the Barenaked Ladies celebrate their 30th anniversary this year with a tour.
