UNCF Presents An Evening of Stars: Tribute To Aretha Franklin on BET

Tonight on BET at 10pm et: An Evening of Stars: Tribute To Aretha Franklin: uncf.org

Press Release Jan 22nd, 2007:

MULTIPLE GRAMMY NOMINEES TOP THE ROSTER
OF AN EVENING OF STARS® PERFORMERS

Golden Globe Wins and Grammy Nominations abound

FAIRFAX , Va. —Timing is everything. And the timing couldn’t be better for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) this year. That’s because the producers of UNCF’s 28 th annual An Evening of Stars® (AEOS) Tribute to Aretha Franklin , had the foresight months ago to bring seven 2007 Grammy nominees and Golden Globe winning actress-singer Jennifer Hudson, ALL under one roof for the all-star telecast celebrating The Queen of Soul that airs nationally on Jan. 27 and 28.

Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Joss Stone, Al Jarreau, Kiki Sheard, Smokey Robinson and Natalie Cole have all received 2007 Grammy nominations. Hudson, recent Golden Globe winner for Best Supporting Actress for her outstanding performance in the hit film Dreamgirls, performs two of Franklin’s best-known hits, “Think” and “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” at AEOS.

“We are very proud of all the Grammy nominees,” said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D., president and CEO of UNCF. “And especially pleased for Ms. Hudson and her Golden Globe Award. There was no doubt in our minds when we invited her to appear on AEOS that we had a superstar in our midst,” he continued. “The entire lineup is a group full of talent who share UNCF’s commitment to providing educational opportunities to young men and women who are longer on potential than on resources.”

The historic event will air nationally, including in the top ten media markets such as KNBC in Los Angeles and ChicagoSuperstation WGN on Jan. 27 and on WWOR MY9 in New York and BET on Jan. 28. A complete station lineup, background information and media contacts can be found online at www.uncf.org/AEOS.

About An Evening of Stars ®

An Evening of Stars ® (AEOS), formerly the Lou Rawls Parade of Stars, first aired in 1979, and since that time has become one of the longest running and most successful televised events in U.S. history. AEOS 2007 will be the first without its founder Lou Rawls, who died in January 2006. Rawls, a spokesperson for UNCF and champion for AEOS for more than 25 years, is credited with helping raise more than $200 million for the UNCF to supplement the cost of higher education for scholarship recipients and member institutions. This year’s show, now in its 28 th season, is sponsored by American Airlines, McDonalds, Prudential, Target, Toyota and Wachovia. AEOS has featured a who’s who of recognizable talent, including Frank Sinatra, Bill Cosby, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dick Clark, Reba McIntyre, Richard Pryor, Beyonce Knowles, Jill Scott, Luther Vandross, Whoopi Goldberg, Patti LaBelle, Ed McMahon, Michael Bolton, Hall and Oates, Ziggy Marley and scores of others.

About UNCF

As the nation’s oldest and most successful minority higher education assistance organization, the United Negro College Fund’s mission is to provide financial support to its 39 member institutions and increase minority degree attainment by reducing financial barriers to college. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 25 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 300 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship programs, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 65,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country.