Atlanta Chapter of the Recording Academy® to Honor Ray Charles, Jermaine
Dupri, Joel Katz, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Proceeds from Atlanta's First Heroes Awards Gala to Benefit MusiCares®
Foundation and Chapter's Professional Education Programs
ATLANTA, GA -- May 29, 2002 -- The Atlanta Chapter of the Recording Academy®
has selected Ray Charles, Jermaine Dupri,
Joel Katz, and the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra as its first-ever Heroes Awards recipients. The Heroes Award is
the highest honor bestowed by an Academy Chapter and is given to honor outstanding
individuals and institutions in the Atlanta region that have improved the
environment for the creative community. The gala event, which attracts recording
artists, key entertainment executives, and community leaders, will be held
on Thursday, July 18 at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel (210 Peachtree
St., Atlanta). Proceeds will benefit the MusiCares® Foundation - the Recording
Academy's health and human services charity - as well as the Academy's professional
arts education programming for the music community of the Atlanta region.
The premiere event will commence at 7 p.m. with a VIP Press Reception
and a special Silent Auction offering one-of-a-kind music memorabilia as
well as travel and entertainment packages. The Heroes Awards Dinner and
Show begins at 8 p.m., and will recognize the esteemed honorees with VIP
presenters and performances. Tickets are available through the Atlanta Chapter
office, please call 404.249.8881.
Recipients of the Heroes Award are selected in acknowledgment of the
excellence and integrity embodied in their work, as well as their willingness
to support and participate in programs benefiting the music community.
Honorees
Ray Charles has the distinction of being an American institution who
also has earned a devoted international following. In addition to being
a gifted keyboard player, arranger, and bandleader, Charles' emotional vocal
style is among the most identifiable of any 20th-century performer. He is
considered the musician most responsible for developing soul music; with
his unique blend of gospel-powered R&B, flavored with jazz, blues, and even
country at times, Charles devised his own form of black pop. After six decades
in the recording industry, he has earned 12 GRAMMY® Awards, and countless
gold records and Billboard chart successes. He is an inductee of the Rhythm
& Blues, Jazz, and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, and has a Star on Hollywood
Boulevard's Walk of Fame. Charles' vocal powers have remained strong over
the years as he continues to tour, and his legacy is that of truly groundbreaking
recordings that will surely stand the test of time.
Songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and CEO of So So Def Records,
Jermaine Dupri has written and produced several multi-platinum singles and
albums including Usher's My Way and 8701, as well as his So So Def artists:
GRAMMY-nominated Jagged Edge, Kris Kross, Da Brat, Lil' Bow Wow and Xscape.
In addition, Dupri produced tracks on some the most high-profile R&B albums
of the '90s, such as TLC's CrazySexyCool (10- times platinum) and Mariah
Carey's Daydream (eight-times platinum). Most recently, Dupri and U2's Bono
organized artists to record the remake of the Marvin Gaye song “What’s Going
On” to benefit Artists Against AIDS Worldwide and the United Way’s 9/11
Fund. Artists who participated included Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige,
Fred Durst, Jennifer Lopez, Destiny’s Child, Marc Anthony, Nelly, Alicia
Keys, P. Diddy, Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Usher, Monica, TLC, and Jagged
Edge.
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| Joel Katz |
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Joel A. Katz is considered
by most as among the foremost authorities in entertainment law. His client
roster includes some of the world's best-known entertainers, music producers,
record companies, concert promoters and Fortune 500 companies. He is co-managing
shareholder of Greenberg Traurig LLP's Atlanta office and leads the law
firm's national entertainment practice as chairman. Throughout his career,
Katz has consistently remained active in educational, philanthropic and
industry-related associations. A long-standing member of the Recording Academy,
he currently serves as executive entertainment counsel on its national Board
of Trustees. Katz is the only attorney ever inducted into the Georgia Music
Hall of Fame.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is the largest arts organization in the
Southeast and one of the youngest American orchestras to achieve prominence
on the global stage. The orchestra's recordings - some featuring the globally
renowned ASO Chorus - have earned 18 GRAMMY Awards. Now in its 57th season,
the ASO performs a year-round slate of more than 250 concerts, including
a 72-concert classical season and related series at Atlanta Symphony Hall;
an annual summer pops series at Chastain Park Amphitheatre; and a full schedule
of educational, neighborhood and Free Parks concerts throughout the metro
Atlanta area. The orchestra supports 200 young musicians annually in the
Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and Talent Development programs. The 2001-02
season saw the beginning of the creative partnership of Robert Spano as
Music Director and Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles, signaling
a new era of collaborative and creative energy.
About the Recording Academy
The Recording Academy is a non-profit organization of 20,000 musicians,
producers, and other recording professionals. Best known for the GRAMMY
Awards, the Recording Academy also is responsible for numerous groundbreaking
outreach programs involving education, human services and cultural enrichment.
Through its extensive program of initiatives and member benefits, the Atlanta
Chapter continues to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to not only serving
its musician and music industry constituency, but also to connecting and
participating with the community at large.
For more information about the Heroes Awards, the Atlanta Chapter or
the Recording Academy in general, please visit
www.grammy.com.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with 1,500
attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The
firm is ranked seventh on The American Lawyer's Am Law 100 listing of the
largest law firms in the U.S., based on number of lawyers.
Greenberg Traurig serves clients from offices in: Albany, NY; Amsterdam, The
Netherlands; Atlanta, GA; Boca Raton, FL; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Denver,
CO; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL;
Morristown, NJ; New York, NY; Orange County, CA; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA;
Phoenix, AZ; Sacramento, CA; Silicon Valley, CA; Tallahassee, FL; Tokyo, Japan;
Tysons Corner, VA; Washington, D.C.; West Palm Beach, FL; Wilmington, DE; and Zurich,
Switzerland. Additionally, the firm has strategic alliances with the following independent
law firms: Olswang, London and Brussels; Studio Santa Maria, Milan and Rome; and
Hayabusa Kokusai Law Offices in Tokyo.
For additional information, please visit the firm's Web site at
www.gtlaw.com.
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