By Sarah Maslin Nir
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Abraham Lincoln was staring at me.
OK, it was just his statue. But as I stood in the back recesses of the stage during the rehearsals for the "We Are One" inaugural celebration Saturday while on assignment for Rolling Stone, sandwiched between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, I was sure that if I took a step any direction, someone — a guard, a policeman, even Abe himself — would sound the alarm bells and send me packing. In front of me, dozens of gospel singers were humming and oohing the chorus of Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising." Over the sea of their shoulders I could see the Boss himself, standing at the edge of the stage facing them, teaching them his lyrics.
My objective was to get as close as an average person (i.e. one without official clearance) could possibly get to the rehearsals. As I wandered closer and closer to the stage, I realized no one was stopping me. Offstage, James Taylor and John Legend were strumming, Shakira, Will.I.Am and Stevie Wonder were loosely jamming, but I was drawn to the memorial's steps by the swelling choir sounds and Bruce's husky voice.
Hesitantly, I put a toe on the first step to the stage. I was immediately spotted. Read More...
Atlanta's self-proclaimed King of the South 
"Stand up for the vets," 
Well, the 
... Primarily so I don't screw up royally. This is a serious-looking pic of Tim and me at the morning read-through, which is an industry term for "the time where everyone fumbles through and causes the show producers to worry."