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Prince Announces Concert To Honor Freddie Gray

by Melissah Yang

Purple rain is coming to Baltimore. On Tuesday, Prince announced a Freddie Gray concert that would take place in the Maryland city Sunday at the Royal Farms Arena. The concert, titled Rally 4 Peace, is intended to be "a catalyst for pause and reflection" after the civil unrest in Baltimore led to nights of rioting last Monday, according to a statement released by event promoter LiveNation.

Concertgoers are being asked to wear the color gray in honor of the 25-year-old black man who suffered fatal spinal injuries while in police custody last month. Funk-rock group 3rdEyeGirl will also perform at the Mother's Day event, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit youth charities in Baltimore. Prince has also penned an unreleased song called "Baltimore" to respond to the protests and violence that took root since Gray's death.

In its statement, LiveNation said:

In a spirit of healing, the event is meant to be a catalyst for pause and reflection following the outpouring of violence that has gripped Baltimore and areas throughout the U.S.

The riots caused Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to declare a state of emergency and call in the National Guard. The six officers involved in Gray's arrest have been charged with a range of offenses, from misconduct to second degree depraved heart murder.