(Reuters) - Pop stars Ariana Grande, Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams will join the Dave Matthews Band in a free concert aimed at promoting unity in Charlottesville following clashes between white supremacists and anti-racist protesters last month.
Announcing the Sept. 24 "Concert for Charlottesville" on its website on Wednesday, the Dave Matthews Band said the show would be free for students, faculty and staff at the University of Virginia and for people in the Charlottesville area.
The rock band, best known for hits like "Ants Marching" and "So Much To Say," was formed in Charlottesville in 1991. The group will be joined in the concert by country singer Chris Stapleton, The Roots and other musicians
An August rally organized by white nationalists to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee became deadly when a counter-protester was killed by a car driven into a crowd.
While the concert is free, those attending were encouraged to make a donation to the Concert for Charlottesville Fund that the band said will benefit victims of the August clashes, their families, first responders, and organizations that promote healing, unity and justice locally and nationwide.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant in Los Angeles)
