Observance books Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder will sing at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions football team, as part of a 40-day observance of the 40th anniversary of Detroit’s deadly 1967 riots.

“We’ve had enough. We’ve seen enough. It’s time for change,” Michael Fezzey, co-chairman of the group planning the July 27, 2007, concert, told the Detroit News. “ ... What needs to happen is a change of heart. This is about making systematic change in our communities.”

Gospel singer Kirk Franklin has also committed to perform, and organizers said they were seeking other big-name entertainers.

Five days of rioting in 1967 killed 43 people, injured hundreds and marked a key juncture in Detroit’s five-decade decline from an industrial giant of about 2 million people to an impoverished city of about 900,000.