Alicia Keys, Melissa Etheridge Celebrate Al Gore at Nobel Peace Prize Concert

Alicia Keys, KT Tunstall, Melissa Etheridge and Kylie Minogue were among the many musicians and actors on hand last night in Norway at the Nobel Peace Prize concert to honor former Vice President and environmental activist Al Gore. The evening was hosted by Kevin Spacey and Uma Thurman, who called Gore "sexy" and said the former VP "seems to be flourishing and following his calling. It's just the most enviable thing in the world." While the Norwegian Nobel Committee picked the night's performers, Gore was permitted to select one (he chose a rocker who's equally passionate about the environment: Etheridge).

The Peace Prize concerts began in 1994 and have grown exponentially ever since; this year's event was seen by more than 400 million people in 100 countries and will be broadcast in the U.S. on Fox's My TV network in January.

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Song Stories

“The A Team”

Ed Sheeran | 2011

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.

More Song Stories entries »

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