Apollo Theater 2010 Spring Benefit Concert & Awards Ceremony

Apollo Theater to Remember A King and Celebrate A Queen At 2010 Annual Spring Benefit Concert and Awards Ceremony

Historic Theater to Induct King of Pop Michael Jackson and Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame and Honor Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony with the Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis Arts & Humanitarian Award

Hosted by Comedian and Actor Jamie Foxx

HARLEM, NY — March 30, 2010 — The Apollo Theater, one of the nation’s greatest cultural treasures, has announced plans for its 2010 Benefit Concert and Awards Ceremony, to be held at the historic Theater on Monday, June 14, 2010. The Gala celebration will bring together the best and brightest in business and entertainment to raise funds in support of the non-profit theater’s remarkable legacy and its current initiatives for emerging artists and community and educational programs in New York City and beyond. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a star-studded red carpet, followed by the Gala concert and awards ceremony at 7:00 p.m. and culminating with a grand tented after-party, the Apollo Supper Club.

Hosted by comedian and Oscar-award winning actor Jamie Foxx, the Benefit will feature the induction of two royal new honorees into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame: the undisputed King of Pop Michael Jackson, and the one and only Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin. Mr. Jackson, who will be posthumously inducted, first performed at the Apollo in the late 1960s with his brothers and won Amateur Night, catapulting their career as the Jackson 5. Jackson went on to become perhaps the world’s biggest star, stretching boundaries in his artistry as a singer, dancer, songwriter, video artist, and the consummate entertainer. Michael Jackson revolutionized popular music and the impact of his music is to this day felt all over the world.

No one epitomizes the definition of an Apollo legend more than Ms. Aretha Franklin. Her name alone commands R-E-S-P-E-C-T. A giant of soul music and an institution of American culture, the Queen will be on hand as she is inducted in grand style into the Legends Hall of Fame. Past inductees into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame include Quincy Jones, Patti Labelle, Smokey Robinson, James Brown, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Little Richard and Ella Fitzgerald.

The awards ceremony will continue with the Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis Arts and Humanitarian Award presented to Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. This award, named after the late Ossie Davis and his wife, Ruby Dee, is given annually to a couple who embody the powerful beliefs of this unique pair: a rarified command of their craft, a deep commitment to their community, and an unshakeable connection to each other and their family. Previous award recipients have included Bill and Camille Cosby; Pauletta and Denzel Washington; Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon; Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance; and Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee. The Theater’s annual corporate award recognizing superior corporate leadership will be presented to JP Morgan Chase for its ongoing commitment to the Apollo and the Harlem community.

for more goto www.goodnewsbroadcast.com

Duration : 0:5:47

[youtube KEGbMVQbA9U]