NEW YORK, NY (Top40 Charts/ BZA PR) - Legendary singer-songwriter and
Boston native
James Taylor will make a very special appearance at the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park on New Year's Day to perform the U.S.
National Anthem. Fellow Bostonians the
Dropkick Murphys and singer-songwriter
Daniel Powter also will perform prior to the historic outdoor matchup between the
Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 1. NBC will provide live broadcast coverage of the game and the performances in the U.S. In Canada, CBC and RDS will televise the event live.
Taylor will perform the U.S. National Anthem on the field at Fenway Park just prior to the face-off of the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. Over the course of his career, Taylor has sold more than 40 million albums and won more than 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards as well as five GRAMMY Awards. In 2000, Taylor was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In February 2006, The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences named Taylor its MUSICARES Person of the Year. Taylor's CD/DVD "One Man Band" (2007) was nominated for an Emmy and his album, "Covers," was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards in 2008. He most recently released "Other Covers" in April 2009. In addition, Taylor and fellow music icon Carole King recently announced that they will embark on a "Troubadour Reunion" world tour. This once-in-a-lifetime event brings together two of the most beloved singer-songwriters for a rare concert experience. North American dates will be announced soon.
Preceding Taylor's rendition of the U.S. National Anthem at the start of the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, singer-songwriter Daniel Powter will perform the Canadian Anthem. A native of British Columbia, the former violinist's self-titled debut album featured the memorable song "Bad Day," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts for five consecutive weeks, earned Powter a 2007 Grammy Award nomination for "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" and became the best-selling digital single of all-time in the U.S., selling nearly 2.5 million downloads. Powter's second studio album, "Under the Radar," will be released next year on Warner Bros. Records.
American Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys will open the historic outdoor game at Fenway Park with a performance of their signature song, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," which was featured in the 2006 Academy Award-winning film, "The Departed." Formed in Boston in 1996, the Dropkick Murphys quickly became local favorites and fixtures at both Fenway Park and the TD Garden. With "The Meanest of Times," the band's sixth studio album, the seven-piece outfit also has also launched its own record label, Born & Bred Records.
"We are absolutely thrilled that James Taylor, Daniel Powter and the Dropkick Murphys are performing at the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic," said Don Renzulli, NHL Senior Vice President of Events & Entertainment. "As performers and as hockey fans, James, Daniel and the Dropkick Murphys bring a new level of excitement to this historic game."
Last year's NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field attracted the largest U.S. audience for a regular-season NHL game in 34 years. The 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, a celebration of the sport of hockey and a return to its roots, will be the third regular-season outdoor NHL game played in the U.S. and the fourth overall.
There are multiple ways for fans throughout North America to tune-in on New Year's Day. NBC will provide live broadcast coverage of the game in the U.S. In Canada, CBC and RDS will televise the event live. NHL Network� will offer all-access pre- and post-game original programming. And 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, WIP Radio in Philadelphia and SIRIUS XM Radio will carry the live radio coverage with NHL.com providing extensive and comprehensive digital video coverage.
