Beyonce will sing the National Anthem during President Barack Obama's inauguration on Jan. 21.
Also slated to perform in the ceremony that takes place on the steps of the U. S. Capitol, are Kelly Clarkson who will perform "My Country 'Tis of Thee," and James Taylor who will sing "America the Beautiful." Reports state that Obama personally selected the performers.
In addition, Richard Blanco -- the son of Cuban exiles -- has been selected as the 2013 inaugural poet.
Blanco's works explore his family's exile from their native country and "the intersection of his cultural identities as a Cuban-American gay man," according to the inaugural committee. At age 44, Blanco will be the youngest-ever inaugural poet and the first Hispanic or gay to recite a poem at the ceremonial swearing-in.
