LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ Recording Academy) - GRAMMY-winning artists Bon Jovi,
Alicia Keys and Donnie McClurkin, and the creators of "
West Side Story" — Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents,
Jerome Robbins and
Stephen Sondheim — have been named as recipients of the New York Chapter's Recording Academy Honors 2007. The Recording Academy Honors was established to celebrate outstanding individuals whose work embodies excellence and integrity and who have improved the environment for the creative community. The event, which will attract recording artists, key entertainment executives and community leaders, will be held Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007, at 6 p.m. at Cipriani Wall Street. This New York gala supports the Chapter's ongoing advocacy, education and professional development programs.
The evening will begin with a cocktail hour followed by dinner and the tribute presentations with celebrity presenters and performers. Tickets for The Recording Academy Honors gala range from $275 for Academy members to $1,000 for non-member VIPs and are available by calling the New York Chapter office at 212.245.5440. Sponsorship packages and table seats are also available.
About the Honorees:
For more than 20 years, Bon Jovi has rocked audiences across the globe with their unique sound and electrifying live shows. Since the band formed in the early '80s, Bon Jovi has sold 120 million albums around the world and performed more than 2,500 concerts in 50 countries for more than 32 million people. They have landed on the Billboard Top 40 Singles list 19 times with such timeless No. 1 hit singles as "You Give Love A Bad Name," "Livin' On A Prayer," "Bad Medicine," "I'll Be There For You," and "Who Says You Can't Go Home." Over the past two decades they have received numerous accolades and at the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards they took home the GRAMMY for Best Country Collaboration with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland for "Who Says You Can't Go Home." The band just released their 10th album, Lost Highway, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.
Born and bred in the heart of New York City, Alicia Keys, began playing classical piano at the age of seven. She finished the Professional Performance Arts School in Manhattan by the age of 16 and attended Columbia University before she decided to make music her primary focus. Keys' debut album
Songs In A Minor has sold more than 10 million units worldwide and her follow-up album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, is seven times platinum. Keys recently published her first book, Tears For Water: Songbook Of Poems & Lyrics By Alicia Keys. She has also continued her philanthropic work by generously giving her time and energy to her charities: Keep A Child Alive, which provides anti-viral drugs to millions suffering from AIDS in Africa; Frum Tha Ground Up, which equips America's youth with the tools essential for achieving success on all levels; and Teens In Motion an organization that encourages young people to continue school and feel motivated to explore the options of higher education. Throughout her career, Keys has been the recipient of numerous accolades and awards including nine GRAMMY Awards, the NAACP Image Award, and the Soul Train Lady of Soul Award among many others.
Donnie McClurkin served as an assistant to Pastor Marvin Winans at Detroit's Perfecting Church for more than a decade. He was then ordained and sent out by the Winans in 2001 to establish Perfecting Faith Church in Freeport, New York. Whether it is on Sunday mornings or in a large arena, his mission is to reach people by spreading the gospel. His many successes are evident by the number of awards he has received including: a 2007 Trumpet Award; two GRAMMY Awards, a NAACP Image Award, a BET Award (2001), a Soul Train Music Award (2002), and numerous Dove and Stellar Awards.
"West Side Story" creators — composer Leonard Bernstein, author Arthur Laurents, choreographer Jerome Robbins, and songwriter Stephen Sondheim celebrate the 50th Anniversary date of the original Broadway premiere (Sept. 26, 1957). The musical play was an artistic and commercial hit, receiving multiple awards including Best Written Musical by the Writers Guild of America, two Tony Awards, three Laurel Awards, and two Antoinette Perry Awards. The wildly successful film version followed in 1961, garnering 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, the GRAMMY Award for Best Soundtrack, three Golden Globe Awards, and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film. The film made West Side Story a household name and was a financial bonanza, and introduced the score to an international audience. It's one of a handful of musicals from the last 50 years guaranteed to hold a major place on world stages forever.
The event is sponsored by Verizon, ASCAP, Greenberg Traurig, Billboard, BMI, Hard Rock International, SESAC, and Songwriter's Hall Of Fame.
