John Legend has performed at the opening of a new mall at the site of Ground Zero in New York.
The All Of Me hitmaker sang for thousands of shoppers lining the balconies of the new Westfield shopping mall at the Oculus at the World Trade Center on Tuesday (16Aug16).
The new development, consisting of a huge skyscraper and other buildings still under construction, is at the site of the previous World Trade Centers. The skyscrapers were targeted by members of Al-Qaeda who had hijacked two passenger planes on 11 September, 2001, and flew them into New York's iconic Twin Towers, in the worst terrorist attack on Western soil in history.
The devastated area, christened Ground Zero, has since become home to a memorial for the near 3,000 people who lost their lives in the attacks.
The Oscar-winning singer reminisced to the crowd about working as a consultant who moonlighted at clubs across the city while trying to land a record deal in 2001, PageSix.comreports.
"I've lived in New York for a very long time. I was here back in 2001 when the city was broken, but we are strong now, and we were able to rebuild," Legend said.
"I was trying to get a record deal and I was turned down by every label, including the one I am signed to now. But I kept trying."
He headlined a day of performances, including an appearance from Hamilton's Leslie Odom Jr., and the Harlem Gospel Choir, to mark the grand opening of the mall, home to more than 100 stores.
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