DETROIT, Michigan, Nov 1 (AFP) - Motown legend Stevie Wonder on Monday became the latest pop superstar to line up behind Democratic nominee John Kerry, on the eve of his showdown at the polls with President George W. Bush.
Wonder played a set before Kerry's rally in Detroit, Michigan, including a rendition of "America the beautiful" on his harmonica.
Kerry was later due to link up with another superstar backer, Bruce Springsteen in Cleveland, Ohio, and earlier in the day, rocker Bon Jovi opened a gig for him in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Michigan has surprisingly heaved into focus in the closing days before Tuesday's election after some polls last month showed the president making some inroads in traditionally Democratic ground.
The blind superstar said he was backing Kerry so he would lead America so that "we can celebrate peace, not talk about destruction, where we can be the country again that the world will have great respect for."
"It is time for change, and the change is going to come in less than 48 hours," Wonder said, in an endorsement designed to improve Kerry's standing among African Americans, who vote overwhelmingly Democrat but don't seem to have flocked to him in as great numbers as they did to former president Bill Clinton or the last Democratic candidate Al Gore.
Kerry, standing below the Stanley Cup Winning banners of the Detroit Red Wings ice hockey team, recalled that the arena was named after boxing great Joe Louis.
That gave him the chance to roll out one of his favourite applause lines, which turns the president's attack line "he can't run, but he can't hide," which was borrowed from Louis, against the president.
Louis reputedly issued the threat prior to a heavyweight title fight with Billy Conn in 1946.
But Kerry likes to throw his own counterpunch, adapting a line used in the heat of a fight, when Muhammad Ali had taken everything rival George Foreman, had to throw at him.
"George is that all you got, is that all you got?" Kerry asked, drawing cheers from his audience, and chants of "one more day," "one more day."
11/02/2004 00:26 GMT - AFP