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King, Taylor bid farewell to Mellon Arena

James Taylor and Carole King perform on the NBC Today Show at Rockefeller Center in New York City on June 18, 2010. UPI/John Angelillo
James Taylor and Carole King perform on the NBC Today Show at Rockefeller Center in New York City on June 18, 2010. UPI/John Angelillo | License Photo

PITTSBURGH, June 27 (UPI) -- Carole King and James Taylor performed the final concert in Pittsburgh's iconic Mellon Arena Saturday, ending the venue's nearly 50-year run.

Judy Garland performed the inaugural concert at the Pittsburgh landmark, then called the Civic Area, on Oct. 19, 1961, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

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The list of performers during the intervening years is a who's who of world-class artists, including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton and Madonna.

King and Taylor returned to the arena Saturday for the first time since 1971.

"It's kind of bittersweet," Taylor said. "They say they're going to close the old girl down. I can think of a lot of things they can do in a space like this," he said to a round of cheers, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

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