The Prayer Andrea Bocelli

Andrea Bocelli to perform free concert in New York's Central Park (Video)

The 52 states that the concert will take place September 15th will be the dream of his late father. Hundreds of people lined up at various locations in the city, Thursday, August 4, to try to get tickets. As of 3 pm EST, most vendors have sold, as the site of the event.

Bocelli has performed in New York before. At the concert in Central Park, he will be accompanied by the New York Philharmonic and Westminster Symphonic Choir and guest musicians that have not yet been announced.

The "Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park" special is set to air on PBS on December 2 at 9:00 p.m.and is also scheduled to be released on CD and DVD in November.

"I can not help but smile thinking about the next concert in Central Park," Andrea Bocelli said in a statement. "It was the dream of my father and my father was right, because my artistic career would been totally different without the strong and sincere embrace of this great city where everything is possible, even when it seems impossible. "

Bocelli father, Sandro, who died in 2000. Hours after his death, the singer performed for the Pope in Rome as part of a prior commitment, then flew to attend the funeral of his father.

"My father will not be there, but I can count on his blessing and his kind and gentle smile to give me courage," Bocelli added about his upcoming free concert. "My mother, sitting in the front row, will feel my father, too, and they will be together again just like when I was a little boy performing on the fireplace steps. Perhaps they had secretly dreamed that I might have the opportunity to perform in New York City, and maybe right here in Central Park."

Bocelli has sold more than 70 million albums and has performed all over the world. In December, Bocelli plans to perform concerts in other cities in the United States, including Las Vegas, Washington, D.C. and Anaheim, California.

The singer's hit 1995 song "Time To Say Goodbye" has been featured in multiple films, including the 2008 Will Ferrell comedy "Step Brothers."

Bocelli is also known for his single "The Prayer," a duet with Celine Dion. The track was featured in the 1998 animated movie "Quest For Camelot" and won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song.

In 2006, Bocelli was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.

Check out a promotional video for "Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park" below.

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