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Charlotte Church, Rebecca Ferguson Decline Trump Invite

NEW YORK (CBS SF/AP) — British singers Charlotte Church and Rebecca Ferguson have declined to perform at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

Church wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that Trump's "staff have asked me to sing at your inauguration, a simple internet search would show I think you're a tyrant. Bye."

A spokeswoman for the transition did not to respond to a request for comment.

Ferguson, a runner-up on "The X Factor" in the U.K., wrote on her website Tuesday that she would have only performed at the Jan. 20 inauguration if she were allowed to sing Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit," a song that protested racism and the lynching of African Americans.

She wrote: "I wanted to try and help educate the people watching of where division and separation can lead to if not corrected."

TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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