The Performers of 'A Capitol Fourth 2024'

A Capitol Fourth 2024 airs on WTTW Thursday, July 4 at 7:00 and 8:30 pm and will be available to stream live via the PBS app.

The music- and firework-filled A Capitol Fourth is back for a 44th year, and PBS and WTTW are broadcasting it as always live from Washington, D.C. Here are the singers, actors, and even a gymnast helping to celebrate our country's birthday as part of A Capitol Fourth. 

Alfonso Ribeiro

Ribeiro is best-known as Will Smith's cousin Carlton Banks on the classic 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but he has also done his share of hosting TV shows like America's Funniest Home Videos and Dancing with the Stars (which he also won).

Smokey Robinson

Now 84, the bright-eyed singer, songwriter, producer, and Motown executive needs no introduction. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, winner of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, and Kennedy Center honoree, he's behind numerous hits of the twentieth century.

Fantasia

Fantasia was an early break-out star of American Idol who won the third season of that show, back in 2004. She has won a Grammy, duetted with Aretha Franklin, starred in The Color Purple on Broadway and on film, and been named one of Time's most influential people.

Darren Criss

The actor and singer Criss also broke out thanks to TV: he starred on Glee and then later received acclaim for his role in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. He has also appeared on Broadway. 

Sheila E.

A singer and percussionist, Sheila E. first came to fame as a collaborator of Prince, then launched her own solo career as the "Queen of Percussion." 

Fitz & Noelle from Fitz and the Tantrums

The songs "Out of My League" and "MoneyGrabber" were all but inescapable a decade ago and are still frequently heard today. The two singers from Fitz and the Tantrums, the band behind those tracks, are performing sans their full band.

Chloe Flower

Flower is a classically trained pianist and composer who found a moment of fame when she performed with Cardi B at the 2019 Grammy Awards. She has also worked with other artists in the rap and hip-hop worlds.

Sister Sledge featuring Sledgendary

Need we say more than "We Are Family?" The original four sisters of Sister Sledge are responsible for that indomitable dance anthem, among others.

Loren Allred

Allred made waves with her performance of the song "Never Enough" from The Greatest Showman, and she has continued to sing alongside stars like Michael Bublé and David Foster. 

Shawn Johnson East

Unlike the other performers of A Capitol Fourth 2024, Johnson isn't an artist or actor: she's an Olympic gold medal gymnast. (And she appeared on Dancing with the Stars.)

Britt Stewart

Like Alfonso Ribeiro and Shawn Johnson East, Stewart has been on Dancing with the Stars. Unlike them, she's one of the show's professional dancers and choreographers, who has appeared in various seasons as a partner to celebrities.