Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews Kick Off Democratic Convention Celebrations

The stars have descended on Denver for the Democratic National Convention, which begins today. Sheryl Crow , Dave Matthews , and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles sang at a kickoff event at Red Rocks Amphitheater on the outskirts of the city Sunday night. "Are you strong enough to be my man, or my president?" Crow sang of Barack Obama . "What I'm hearing from Sen. Obama is a lot like what we heard from Robert Kennedy ," Crow told the audience. "No matter what campaign ad we see or how it's spun, hope is important. It's what this country was based on." The singer also told the Associated Press that John McCain 's criticism of Obama as a celebrity is just "a campaign ploy. "I don't see him hanging out," she said. "I have yet to see him at any celebrity events." See photos of Barack Obama's biggest celebrity fans . Also, former American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson has been tapped to sing the National Anthem Thursday night at Obama's request. Other stars expected at ... (link)