Press Contacts:
Meredith Hritz
Jacobson Strategic Communications
513-604-6850
[email protected]
Patrick Moran
President, Marian Anderson Award
215-893-1837
[email protected]
SHERYL LEE RALPH TO HOST 2016 MARIAN ANDERSON AWARD GALA
WITH CONCERT FEATURING AWARD WINNING R&B ARTISTS
November 15th Event to Honor Patti LaBelle and Gamble & Huff for their artistic work
and contributions to society
PHILADELPHIA, PA (August 8, 2016) – The Board of the Marian Anderson Award
announced today that Sheryl Lee Ralph, award winning actress, activist, singer, and
author, will host the November 15th Award Gala Concert at The Kimmel Center for
Performing Arts honoring Grammy Award winning singer Patti LaBelle and producers
Gamble & Huff. The Gala will feature performances from The Soul Survivors, an R&B
vocal group who made some of their best music in Philadelphia and worked with Gamble
& Huff’s production company, Philadelphia International Records, as writers and
producers. With the help of Gamble & Huff, the group came out with songs like
“Expressway To Your Heart,” Philadelphia International Record’s first hit that was
named #3 on Billboard’s R&B chart and #4 on Billboard’s Top 100 list. The group went
on to continue to create music that will forever live in the hearts of Philadelphians and the
world.
Also performing will be nine-time Grammy nominee, Ledisi, an R&B singer who has
frequently been invited to perform at the White House for President Barack Obama and
First Lady Michelle Obama.
The Gala will also feature performances from The Three Degrees, a soul group who
worked closely with Gamble & Huff to produce hits like “When Will I See You Again.”
Both The Soul Survivors and The Three Degrees are legacy groups of Philadelphia
International Records and are part of the Golden Age of music that brought “The Sound
of Philadelphia” to the world.
“The Board of the Marian Anderson Award feels deeply privileged to bring some of the
best musical talent Philadelphia has seen to the stage of the Kimmel Center this
November,” says Marian Anderson Award Board Chair Nina C. Tinari. “We look
forward to seeing everyone at the Gala to celebrate the artistic and social work of Patti
LaBelle and Gamble & Huff. Patti LaBelle and Gamble & Huff have contributed to the
history of music in Philadelphia in a profound way. Their immense talent and passion for
music is only rivaled by their commitment to philanthropic causes that benefit the
community as a whole.”
For information about attending the November 15 Award Gala Dinner, please call the
Award office at 215-893-1837. For tickets to the Gala Concert, click here:
https://www.kimmelcenter.org/events-and-tickets/
Visit www.marianandersonaward.org for more information about the organization.
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