Galaxy of stars to mark MTV birthday

Mariah Carey will be the evening's headline performer

Stars from the last two decades of pop music are lining up to perform in a live concert to celebrate MTV's 20th birthday.

MTV20: Live and Almost Legal aims to represent every popular music genre with performances by various artists.

Mariah Carey will be the star performer in a show which will also include a hip-hop medley featuring Puff Daddy, Run DMC, Busta Rhymes and Salt 'n' Pepa.

Puff Daddy is to perform a hip-hop medley with Busta Rhymes, Run DMC and others

Other performers include TLC, Jane's Addiction and Billy Idol. Further additions to the line-up are to be announced.

An unusual duet is planned between R&B singer Mary J Blige and Wu Tang Clan rapper Method Man.

Other highlights will include live performance link-ups to concerts including Bon Jovi, Nelly, Depeche Mode, Blink-182, Aerosmith and Sugar Ray.

The concert will take place on 1 August 2001 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. The three hour show will be broadcast live on MTV UK.

Distinctive style

Steven Tyler: His band Aerosmith will join the celebrations in a live link-up

MTV was launched at midday on 1 August 1981, the first ever television channel dedicated to music. Its distinctive style changed the face of music and TV, becoming a recognisable brand in its own right.

MTV has set out plans for a music-orientated youth show that it hopes will replace Channel 4's The Big Breakfast.

Channel 4 recently invited ideas for a replacement or relaunch of the show because of falling audience numbers.

MTV, which describes itself as the biggest youth broadcaster in the world, says it wants to bring the style of its cable and satellite channels to terrestrial breakfast television.