McKnight to kick off U.S. tour in Sept.

NEW YORK (Billboard) - R&B singer Brian McKnight will kick off a U.S. tour Sept. 19 in Cleveland. Confirmed dates for the intimate theatre tour extend through Nov. 18 in Jacksonville, Fla., although the run is expected to close in December in Hawaii. Additionally, McKnight is scheduled to appear Saturday as part of Cincinnati's Coors Light Music Festival. The Sears-sponsored trek will be in support of the artist's upcoming album, "superhero," due Aug. 28 via Motown. Sears' sponsorship will include a contest where a grand prize winner will receive a shopping spree with McKnight in one of the retail chain's stores, as well as the opportunity to hang out with the artist backstage in Hawaii. McKnight's fifth studio album, "superhero," is the follow up to McKnight's 1999 Motown album "Back at One," which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America for 2 million copies.