-- Birmingham concert to celebrate 50 years of civil rights progress and commemorate the city's pivotal role in the movement
-- Celebrity host announced for Birmingham concert BIRMINGHAM, Ala.
-- Academy Award®-winning superstar Jamie Foxx will host the BBVA Compass Concert for Human Rights on Saturday, Sept. 14, at The Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center in Birmingham, Ala. The event will feature musical performances by Grammy® award-winning singer-songwriter Jill Scott and 2013 BET Lifetime Achievement Honoree and R&B singer-songwriter Charlie Wilson. Civil rights leaders will also make special appearances. The concert will support "50 Years Forward," the city's year-long celebration commemorating the 50th anniversary of the civil rights movement in Birmingham, where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. penned his famed "Letter from Birmingham Jail." "Dr. King has always been a hero of mine," Foxx said. "His achievements for the civil rights movement inspire me on a daily basis. I'm looking forward to coming down to Birmingham to host such an important event as CR50."
The event, which will be co-produced by Live Nation, will take place at the end of a week-long remembrance of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, which killed four girls in 1963 and marked a turning point in the struggle for civil rights. "To have this event and artists of this caliber in the City of Birmingham to help commemorate and pay tribute to the individuals who risked their lives for freedom leaves me speechless," said Birmingham Mayor William Bell. "Birmingham has come so far since 1963 and we want to show the world that we are 50 Years Forward. As the cradle of civil rights, we will continue going forward to make not only Birmingham better, but the world consciousness stronger in the struggle for human rights." Announced earlier this spring, the BBVA Compass Concert for Human Rights will help commemorate the profound and often tragic events that took place in Birmingham in the '60s and serve as a global call to action for communities to work toward equality for all.
"We knew this event would draw quality artists since it's commemorating such an important time, and the line-up certainly reflects that," said Alan Register, Birmingham city president for BBVA Compass. "Our hope is that the concert inspires people to get out there and continue to move the needle forward and make a difference." Shawn Gee, Geoff Gordon and Scott Mirkin are executive producers of the concert and are the same creative team behind some of the largest concerts and live streams in the U.S., including The Philly Fourth of July Jam and Budweiser Made In America Festival. Artists that have performed at these events include The Roots, JAY Z, Pearl Jam, John Mayer, Ne-Yo, J. Cole, Grace Potter, Jill Scott and many more. Charlie "Mack" Alston also serves as co-producer for the BBVA Compass Concert for Human Rights. "It is our honor to co-produce and be a part of the BBVA Compass Concert for Human Rights," said Live Nation's Geoff Gordon. "Artists like Jamie Foxx, Jill Scott and Charlie Wilson help bring attention to Birmingham and the city's place in our civil rights movement."
Tickets to the BBVA Compass Concert for Human Rights will be available for purchase on Friday, Aug. 16 on www.ticketmaster.com. In honor of "50 Years Forward," some tickets are being priced at $50 and will be on sale through Friday, Aug. 23, or while supplies last. For more information, go to 50yearsforward.com.
