RALEIGH — Close to 12,000 people celebrated New Year's Eve with one of North Carolina's favorite entertainers.

James Taylor played a special New Year's Eve concert at the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena. The show began around 10 p.m. Friday and lasted into the new year.

The crowd loved the music -- some loved it so much that they travelled from all over the United States -- and one woman said she came all the way from Germany just for the concert.

Holly and Tom Guardino travelled from Eugene, Ore.

"I told my husband that all I wanted this year for my birthday and for our tenth anniversary was to see James Taylor anywhere," Holly Guardino said. "And he came through."

Pam Bobst and her family of five drove from Cleveland, Ohio, just to see Sweet Baby James.

"We are big James Taylor fans, and my husband and I have seen many of his concerts, but the kids had never seen one," Bobst said. "And we thought for the year 2000 that this would be a wonderful family event."