WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Thurgood Marshall College Fund announced today that GRAMMY award-winning entertainer, author, and entrepreneur Patti LaBelle will perform during the organization’s 35th Anniversary Awards and Fundraising Gala.
The black-tie Awards Gala will take place Saturday, October 1, 2022, at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.
“We are thrilled to have Patti LaBelle performing during our Awards and Fundraising gala,” TMCF President & CEO Dr. Harry L. Williams said. “Her presence enhances our special evening. She is a legend for her vocal power, range , and emotive delivery of her music. We are thankful as an organization that Patti is spending an evening with us.”
In a career spanning more than six decades, LaBelle has created highly influential music that has a distinctive blend of soul, pop, soft rock, funk, and R&B. During her distinguished career, LaBelle has sold over 50 million records.
A Philadelphia native, LaBelle has affectionately been called the Godmother of Rock & Soul. She is best known for her hits including "If Only You Knew," "New Attitude" and "Stir It Up."
LaBelle has won numerous awards and accolades in her career, including two GRAMMYs, a World Music Award, an American Music Award, and a Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award. She was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 BET Awards.
Additionally, Patti has been featured in popular films and television programs including A Soldier’s Story, A Different World, American Horror Story, Empire, Star and The Kominsky Method, and starred in her own TV series, Out All Night, and cooking show, Patti LaBelle's Place.
She’s also wowed television audiences with unforgettable performances on the hit shows, Dancing with the Stars and The Masked Singer and starred in Broadway productions of Your Arms are Too Short to Box with God, Fela, and After Midnight,
In 2007, she introduced Patti’s Good Life, a successful food and lifestyle brand that offers a variety of frozen comfort foods, breakfast items and desserts, including her world-famous sweet potato pie.
Her work as a humanitarian is just as noteworthy. She remains an advocate for adoption, diabetes, cancer, HIV / AIDS and many other causes and non-profit initiatives.
LaBelle has been inducted into multiple halls of fame, including the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Apollo Theater Legends Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.
“I am looking forward to being part of this special evening,” LaBelle said. “It’s always a great opportunity when you can perform for an organization like Thurgood Marshall College Fund, one that’s been committed to empowering and uplifting students at Historically Black Colleges for 35 years.”
Prior to the gala, TMCF will host its 22nd Annual Leadership Institute presented by Wells Fargo from September 28-October 1.
The TMCF Anniversary Awards and Fundraising Gala each year hosts over 1,600 attendees, including more than 400 HBCU students and 1,200 guests. The guest list includes a who’s who of top government, corporate, philanthropic, higher education and HBCU leaders.
All proceeds from this black-tie event support scholarships and programs for nearly 300,000 students at TMCF member-schools, publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
