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May 01, 2012

Sinéad O'Connor, Bilal and Other Artists Added to Curtis Mayfield Tribute Concert at Lincoln Center Festival

Lincoln Center Festival

May 1, 2012

Contact: Eileen McMahon, 212-875-5391

emcmahon@lincolncenter.org


New Artists Added to Curtis Mayfield 70th Birthday Tribute Lineup for

2012 Lincoln Center Festival


The lineup for the Lincoln Center Festival tribute to the late soul music icon Curtis Mayfield, entitled “Here But I’m Gone: A 70th Birthday Tribute to Curtis Mayfield,” has been expanded with the addition of artists Sinéad O'Connor, Bilal, Meshell Ndegeocello, William Bell, Ryan Montbleau and Inyang Bassey. This one-time-only event celebrating what would have been Mayfield’s 70th birthday on June 3 is scheduled for July 20 at 8pm in Avery Fisher Hall. Previously announced performers include The Impressions, Mavis Staples, Aloe Blacc, Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe, Dr. Lonnie Smith and a 14-piece house band under the musical directorship of guitarist Binky Griptite of the Dap-Kings.


Since her 1987 Grammy-nominated album The Lion and the Cobra, Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor has produced an extensive body of work with influences that range from Irish folk songs to reggae. Bilal is an American jazz/alternative hip-hop singer-songwriter, musician and producer who frequently collaborates with popular artists such as Common, Jay-Z and Beyoncé. The multi-faceted 10-time Grammy Award-nominee Meshell Ndegeocello is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist and vocalist whose music incorporates influences of jazz, rock, hip-hop, soul and reggae. Singer and composer William Bell is one of the originators of the Stax/Volt sound responsible for some of the key soul records to emerge from Memphis including the classic You Don’t Miss Your Water. Singer and guitarist Ryan Montbleau, whose latest album features a cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “Here But I’m Gone,” has built a devoted following across the country drawn to his “feel-good, retro funk” (The New York Times). Newcomer Inyang Bassey is a multi-instrumentalist with a dynamic voice, composing music that echoes everything from ’60s soul to funk, blues, dance, electronic, pop and rock.


Over its 17-year history, the Lincoln Center Festival has honored special musical artists with dedicated concerts celebrating their life and work. This year, the Festival will collaborate with the Mayfield estate to produce a concert that celebrates this artist, who would have been 70 years old on June 3. His music served as the soundtrack to the civil rights movement, introducing poetry and moral affirmation into pop, soul, funk and R&B. The Lincoln Center Festival tribute concert also celebrates the launch of the Curtis Mayfield Foundation, created by the Mayfield family as a way to help disadvantaged youth realize their musical dreams.


Tickets start at $35. For more information about the Curtis Mayfield 70th Birthday Tribute, call 212-721-6500 or visit the Avery Fisher Hall box office or http://lincolncenterfestival.org/index.php/2012-curtis-mayfield


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Lincoln Center Festival 2012 is sponsored by American Express.


Lincoln Center Festival is a presentation of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA), which serves three primary roles: presenter of superb artistic programming, national leader in arts and education and community relations, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus. As a presenter of some 5,000 programs annually, LCPA complements the extraordinary offerings of the 10 other Lincoln Center resident organizations, bringing internationally acclaimed artists to hundreds of thousands of people each year through a variety of popular series. These programs include American Songbook, Great Performers, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Midsummer Night Swing, the Mostly Mozart Festival, White Light Festival, and Live From Lincoln Center. In addition, LCPA is leading a series of major capital projects, now nearly complete, on behalf of the resident organizations across the campus. Lincoln Center is committed to providing and improving accessibility for people with disabilities. For information, call the Department of Programs and Services for People with Disabilities at (212) 875-5375.


Major support is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.


Lincoln Center Festival 2012 is also made possible by Nancy A. Marks, LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, China International Culture Association, The Skirball Foundation, The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, The Katzenberger Foundation, Inc., The Shubert Foundation, Jennie and Richard DeScherer, The Grand Marnier Foundation, The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, The Joelson Foundation, The Harkness Foundation for Dance, Georges Lurcy Charitable and Educational Trust, Mitsui USA Foundation, Nippon Steel U.S.A., Inc., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Great Performers Circle, Chairman’s Council, Producers Circle and Friends of Lincoln Center.


Public support for Festival 2012 is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.


Endowment support for Festival 2012 is provided by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Nancy Abeles Marks.


Artist hospitality provided by Zabar’s and Zabars.com.


MetLife is the National Sponsor of Lincoln Center.


Movado is an Official Sponsor of Lincoln Center.


United Airlines is the Official Airline of Lincoln Center.


WABC-TV is the Official Broadcast Partner of Lincoln Center.


William Hill Estate Winery is the Official Wine of Lincoln Center.


“Summer at Lincoln Center” is sponsored by Diet Pepsi and The Wall Street Journal.


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