The 2013 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony rang in the holiday season with performances from Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Joshua Bell, and more.
Known around the world by her first name, and as the undisputed, reigning “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin is peerless. She is one of the most influential and important voices in the history of American music, with a repertoire that spans pop, soul, jazz, rock, blues and gospel. With her ever-distinctive, soulful, to-the-bone vocal style, she has graced music charts for nearly five decades and her ‘live’ performances have touched the hearts of tens of millions. She has earned countless international and national awards as well as accolades and global recognition on an unprecedented scale. She is a 2005 recipient of a Presidential Medal of Freedom honor (the U.S.A.’s highest civilian honor), presented by President George W. Bush, and in 1999, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts, presented by President Bill Clinton. She sang at the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama (2009) and at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton (1993). In 1968, she sang at the funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr. She is the recipient of 18 GRAMMY® Awards, including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for eight consecutive years, a GRAMMY Legend Award, and a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award; five American Music Awards; and four NAACP Image Awards. In 1987, she was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 1979, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Arturo Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba. Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, and has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugelhorn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer. He is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time. Sandoval has been awarded 9 Grammy Awards, and nominated 19 times; he has also received 6 Billboard Awards and an Emmy Award. His two latest Grammy Award winning albums, Dear Diz (Everyday I think of you) and Tango – Como Yo Te Siento are now available worldwide. Soon to be released is a new book chronicling his relationship with Dizzy Gillespie entitled “The Man That Changed My Life. Sandoval is the 2013 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also has been nominated for two more Latin Grammys in 2013.
It’s hard to imagine the members of Forte were complete strangers a few months ago. Having met just days before their first audition for America’s Got Talent, the trio mesmerized millions on the eighth season of the reality competition series. Solo artists in their own right, Josh Page, Sean Panikkar and Fernando Varela combine their individual talents to create one incredible, multicultural vocal force. Forte’s self-titled debut album is available now.
Jane Lynch cut her theatrical teeth at The Second City, Steppenwolf Theatre and in many church basements all over the greater Chicago area. Lynch won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sue Sylvester on GLEE. Lynch’s film credits include Julie & Julia, Shrek Forever After, Paul, and Brownie Masters. Her past film work includes Christopher Guest’s For Your Consideration, A Mighty Wind, and Best in Show, as well as Role Models, Spring Breakdown, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. She recently starred in The Tree Stooges film. Her other television credits include Party Down, Desperate Housewives, Weeds, and The L Word. Lynch has had recurring roles on Boston Legal, The New Adventures of Old Christine and Two and a Half Men, for which she received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Recently, Lynch starred on Broadway as Miss Hannigan in Annie. She lives in Los Angeles.
A singer, songwriter, producer, and performer from Kansas City, Kansas, Janelle Monáe’s innovative style melds a redefined pop sensibility with an extraordinary mash-up of soul, funk, and rock n’ roll. Monáe’s debut album “The ArchAndroid” was released to widespread acclaim, earning her multiple Grammy nominations, and the Associated Press, the Guardian, the Chicago Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times all named the album “The #1 Album of 2010.” Monáe’s new album, “The Electric Lady,” debuted at #5 on the Billboard Top 200 and #3 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums, earning Monáe her highest chart entry to date. Monáe was also a recipient of the 2011 ASCAP Vanguard Award and was included in the first-ever Women Who Rock exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. A dynamic performer and artistic entrepreneur, Ms. Monáe has launched her own record label called the Wondaland Arts Society and performed worldwide with artistic legends such as Stevie Wonder and Prince. Monáe has been an active spokeswoman for both Covergirl cosmetics and SONOS.
One of the preeminent classical musicians in the world today, Joshua Bell is a Grammy award winning violinist with more than 40 CDs to his credit including his new Sony Masterworks holiday release, MUSICAL GIFTS, and the Oscar-winning soundtrack for The Red Violin. He is the new Music Director of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the first person to hold this title since Sir Neville Marriner formed the orchestra in 1958. His career spans over 30 years as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist and conductor while being an outspoken advocate for classical music and keeping music education in schools. www.joshuabell.com
Mariah Carey is the best-selling female artist of all time with more than 200 million albums sold to date and eighteen Billboard #1 singles (seventeen self-penned), more than any solo artist in history. With her distinct five-octave vocal range, prolific songwriting, and producing talent, Carey has defined the modern pop performance. As a singer/songwriter/producer, she has been recognized with five Grammy Awards, 21 American Music Awards, Billboard’s Artist of the Decade Award, the World Music Award for World’s Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium, and BMI’s Icon Award for her outstanding achievements in songwriting, to name a few.
Prince Royce is the biggest breakthrough artist the Latin music industry has seen in many years. His self-titled debut album has been certified 3x Platinum in the US and Puerto Rico, and 4x Platinum in Chile. The twenty-four year old has recorded hit songs with superstars Maná, Daddy Yankee, Thalia and Selena Gomez, toured the US with Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull, closed 2012 with his own 30 city US tour which included sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall and the NOKIA Theatre LA LIVE, and was the winning coach in the debut season of the top-rated US Latin TV show La Voz Kids. He had the honor of performing at the prestigious Viña Del Mar Music Festival in 2012 garnering the top honors – something unprecedented for a young developing artist. Royce is a three time Latin Grammy nominee and has won 16 Latin Billboard Awards, 13 Premio Lo Nuestro and 17 Premios Juventud. At the age of twenty-two, he garnered the Composer of the Year Award at the 2012 Latin Billboard Awards, becoming the youngest person in the history of the awards to receive the honor; and at 23 he garnered the 2013 BMI Latin Songwriter of the Year Award. Earlier this year, the artist signed a major recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment with plans to release Spanish-language albums through Sony Music Latin as well as English-language albums via RCA Records.
One of the most celebrated musical ambassadors of our time, soprano Renée Fleming captivates audiences with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, and compelling stage presence. At a White House ceremony in July, President Obama awarded Ms. Fleming the National Medal of Arts, America’s highest honor for an individual artist. As a musical statesman, Renée Fleming performs at occasions of world importance, from the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, to a historic first in 2012, when she sang on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in the Diamond Jubilee Concert for HM Queen Elizabeth II. In 2008 Ms. Fleming became the first woman in the 125-year history of the Metropolitan Opera to solo headline an opening night gala. Last month, she curated and hosted American Voices, an unprecedented celebration of the best American vocalism, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Ms. Fleming won the 2013 Grammy Award, her fourth, for Best Classical Vocal Solo for her album Poèmes. Other awards include the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, Honorary Membership in the Royal Academy of Music, and honorary doctorates from Carnegie Mellon University, Eastman School of Music, and The Juilliard School. In 2010, she became the first-ever creative consultant at Lyric Opera of Chicago. www.reneefleming.com.
THE AVETT BROTHERS capped off 2013 by releasing their critically acclaimed Magpie and the Dandelion. The album landed at #1 on the Billboard folk albums chart, and they performed on LIVE ON LETTERMAN, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, in the midst of a highly successful U.S. tour. It marked their third collaboration with legendary producer Rick Rubin and the latest release for Republic Records and American Recordings. It followed up 2012’s The Carpenter, which hit #4 on the Billboard top 200—the group’s highest chart debut and received acclaim from Rolling Stone, People, USA Today, and American Songwriter. The North Carolina folk luminaries have continued trailblazing on this incredible path since first forming in 2000.
The multi-platinum band Train and made its mark on music history with the Grammy Award-winning song “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” and chart-topping singles like “Meet Virginia” and “Calling All Angels,” earning its third Grammy in 2011 for the worldwide smash “Hey, Soul Sister” from the album Save Me, San Francisco. “Hey, Soul Sister” hit #1 at radio in the US and in 15 countries abroad. It was the top selling song of the year in the US as well. Save Me, San Francisco has sold over one million albums worldwide and over ten million tracks. Their latest album, “California 37,” contains the global hits “Drive By,” and “50 Ways to Survive”. In 2011, Train launched the award winning Save Me, San Francisco Wine Company, which benefits San Francisco charity, Family House. The band’s Save Me, San Francisco Chocolate (with Ghirardelli), also benefits the charity. Family House serves as a home away from home for families of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses by providing physical comfort and emotional support, free from financial concerns. savemesanfrancisco.com
