NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ LGBT Media) - The True Colors Tour will hit the road again this summer with an exciting new line-up of legendary and up and coming artists including headliners Cyndi Lauper, The B-52s, Rosie O'Donnell with host Carson Kressley and many more. After receiving rave reviews and a successful debut in 2007, the True Colors Tour is expanding to meet demand in many more cities. The tour will kick off Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month on May 31st at Boston's Bank of
America Pavilion.
Produced by True Colors Concerts in partnership once again with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the 24 city North American tour is presented by Logo in support of the newly created True Colors Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation. The concerts feature nearly five hours of nonstop music with exciting special guests appearing on select dates throughout the tour including Tegan and Sara, Regina Spektor, Wanda Sykes, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Joan Armatrading, Indigo Girls, Nona Hendryx, Deborah Cox and The Cliks.
This year's tour will highlight the need for the LGBT community and their straight allies to get out and make their votes count this fall. HRC and this year's other non-profit partners - CenterLink (the nation's LGBT community centers) and Parents, Families, Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National - are joining with the True Colors Tour to bring together Americans across the country to voice their solidarity for LGBT equality and raise public awareness about the issues that face the LGBT community.
The True Colors Tour was conceived by Cyndi Lauper stemming from her desire to give back to the community for the love and support they have given her throughout her career. The True Colors Tour is a celebration of the basic values and freedoms that should be shared by all Americans. Fans will experience these values through the music of both legendary icons and the newest and coolest acts this generation has to offer.
"I'm so excited and honored that we're taking True Colors out on the road again this year," said tour producer and creator Cyndi Lauper. "We had a blast last year and we are proud that the tour also brought about visibility and discussions of issues that LGBT citizens face in our country today. This year I am once again joined on the tour by an array of incredibly talented artists. The tour is a nonstop 5 hour music party with a message. This year the party only gets bigger and our message to the fans is to get out and vote in November. The True Colors Tour asks for equality for all, not just for some; that is the principle upon which this country was founded. So let's celebrate and have fun this summer while we spread the word to get out the vote and all become a part of the changes in this country."
"True Colors is a good way to get out the vote," said The B-52s' Fred Schneider, "and get out of the house and party!"
The True Colors Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation was created this year to generate financial support to directly benefit the tour's non-profit partners. Funds will be raised through sales of official benefit t-shirts, an eBay auction of tour and music memorabilia, the True Colors Jewelry Collection by Love & Pride, the tour's Official Jeweler, as well as individual donations to the fund by visitors to the tour's website. The True Colors Jewelry Collection, selected by Cyndi Lauper from creations made by renowned designer Udi Behr, is currently in production and will launch this June. In addition, through the True Colors Fund, $1 of every ticket sold will once again be donated to HRC.
The Human Rights Campaign is the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization with more than 700,000 members and supporters nationwide. HRC works to secure equal rights for LGBT individuals and families at the federal and state levels by lobbying elected officials, mobilizing grassroots supporters, educating Americans, investing strategically to elect fair-minded officials and partnering with other LGBT organizations.
"Thanks to the overwhelming success of the first True Colors tour last year, we were able to send a loud and unmistakable message to all Americans that it is past time our federal hate crimes laws be updated to include sexual orientation and gender identity. This year, we are going to build on the grassroots power of the tour by launching a massive, nonpartisan voter outreach campaign that will educate, engage and organize equality voters in this year's election," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "This year's True Colors Tour will provide us with an historic opportunity to organize our community to achieve a powerful voice in the 2008 elections."
Tickets for select cities will go on sale beginning March 15th and will be available at www.ticketmaster.com.
The True Colors Tour is presented by Logo and produced by True Colors Concerts, LLC in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign.
Logo, the leading digital cable channel and online source of entertainment from MTV Networks for the LGBT audience, is now available in 30 million homes and has 130 advertising partners supporting the channel which features a mix of original and acquired shows, movies and news.
"Cyndi Lauper helped make MTV famous 25 years ago and Logo is thrilled to partner with her today to help promote fairness and understanding," said Lisa Sherman, Executive Vice President, General Manager, Logo.
For the second year, SIRIUS Satellite Radio is the exclusive national radio partner of The True Colors Tour. Various SIRIUS talk and music channels will promote True Colors, with flagship station SIRIUS OutQ - America's LGBT Radio Station - creating a tour-long campaign spotlighting the True Colors mission. SIRIUS OutQ will also exclusively air a True Colors concert performance.
For official tour & ticket information visit: www.truecolorstour.com.
About CenterLink
CenterLink (formerly The National Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Centers) was founded in 1994 as a member-based coalition to support the development of strong, sustainable LGBT community centers. Based in Washington, DC, CenterLink works with other national organizations to advance the rights of LGBT individuals and to provide LGBT community centers with information and analysis of key issues.
Serving over 168 LGBT community centers across the country in 45 states and the District of Columbia, CenterLink assists newly forming community centers and helps strengthen existing LGBT centers, through networking opportunities for center leaders, peer-based technical assistance and training, and a variety of capacity building services. Our efforts are based on the belief that LGBT community centers are primary change agents in the national movement working toward the liberation and empowerment of LGBT people. Serving over 1.5 million people, they are the heart and soul of the LGBT movement and are vital to our current well-being and dreams for the future.
"CenterLink and the LGBT community centers we serve are thrilled to be a partner with the True Colors Tour. The tour will provide us with a tremendous opportunity to highlight the lifesaving work that goes on at community centers every day across the country," said CenterLink Executive Director Terry Stone. "Cyndi Lauper and the tour organizers are to be praised for their leadership and support of equal rights for the LGBT community."
About PFLAG National
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is the nation's foremost family-based organization committed to the civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. PFLAG was started nearly 35 years ago when Jeanne Manford, a mother and schoolteacher, declared her unconditional love for her gay son in the media and at a New York Pride event - a nearly unheard of action at the time. Her monumental action of calling on all parents to speak up in support of their GLBT children gave way to the creation of support groups around the U.S. Since that time, PFLAG has had phenomenal growth, now representing more than 200,000 members and supporters in over 500 chapters throughout the United States. Its members - parents, families, allies, and LGBT people themselves - carry out PFLAG's three-part mission of support, education, and advocacy for all through strategic local, state, and national initiatives.
"2008 is going to be a tremendous opportunity for change in our country, but it can't happen without everyone's participation - gay, bi, trans, and straight allies," said Jody M. Huckaby, Executive Director of PFLAG National. "The True Colors tour gives PFLAG a chance to amplify that message in communities throughout the country."
About Stonewall Community Foundation
Stonewall Community Foundation was created by like-minded donors concerned about sustaining a vibrant and healthy lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Since 1990, the foundation has distributed more than $14 million in grants to more than 450 organizations. Today, Stonewall is a full service community foundation seeking the participation of everyone interested in bettering our community. Stonewall supporters envision a community of shared resources where donors, funders and organizations work together, joined by a commitment to strengthen one another. Stonewall is dedicated to increasing charitable giving within the community today while building a strong endowment for tomorrow.
"Helping Cyndi Lauper, and this amazing collection of artists and performers, realize the charitable goals of this tour is our contribution to the effort and a core part of our mission," said Stonewall Executive Director William Mattle. "Stonewall Community Foundation is proud to be the home of the True Colors Fund."
About Logo
Logo is the ad-supported network targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) viewers, launched by MTV Networks. The network launched June 30, 2005 with more than one thousand hours of content and has approximately 26 million subscribers across the United States. Logo provides LGBT audiences with a place where they can see themselves and be themselves through a mix of original and acquired entertainment programming that is authentic, smart and inclusive. Logo joins Viacom's roster of popular and highly targeted cable networks which includes MTV, Comedy Central, BET and Spike TV.
About Love and Pride
LoveandPride.com is the premier online jewelry destination for people who believe in diversity, equality and tolerance. The collection includes engagement, commitment, wedding and anniversary rings, necklaces, pendants, earrings, watches and other accessories for women and men ranging in price from $25 to $20,000, available at www.loveandpride.com and at select Saks Fifth Avenue locations. 10% of Love and Pride net proceeds is donated to non-profit organizations that support gay and lesbian equality, including the True Colors Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation, Lambda Legal, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and the Mercury Phoenix Trust. Love and Pride was created by Udi Behr, one of today's most exciting and original jewelry designers with award winning creations, including the True Colors Jewelry Collection selected by Cyndi Lauper, the L word Collection, The Matthew Shepard Erase Hate Pendant, Love, Peace and Hope, and the Time for Peace watch collection, selected Best of 2007.
* Please see list below for tour dates and venue details.
Please note that Vapor/Sire Records recording artists Tegan and Sara are currently touring the UK where each of the dates has sold out in advance in support of their fifth studio album, "The Con." They will join the True Colors tour for a select number of dates highlighted here:
May 31 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion
June 1 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
June 3 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall
June 4 Toronto, ON Molson Amphitheatre
June 6 Mashantucket, CT MGM Grand Arena at Foxwoods
June 7 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall
June 9 Minneapolis, MN US Bank Theatre at Target Center
June 10 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
June 11 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
June 13 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Resort Spa & Casino
June 14 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
June 16 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheatre
June 17 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheatre
June 18 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
June 19 Fort Lauderdale, FL Frank Sinatra Theatre at Bank Atlantic Center
June 21 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
June 22 Dallas, TX The Superpages.com Center
June 25 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
June 27 Alpine, CA Viejas Casino - Concerts in the Park
June 28 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre
June 29 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre
July 1 Seattle, WA WaMu Theatre
July 2 Vancouver, BC Deer Lake Park
July 4 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre
July 5 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Check www.truecolorstour.com for ticket information and on-sale times.
Ticket Pre-sale begins today, March 10.
