The Pulse of Entertainment: BET Set to Air UNCF Evening of Stars, an Explosive Night of Performances

BET set to air UNCF Evening of Stars, an explosive night of performances

*Multi-NAACP Image Award nominee Anthony Hamilton (NBC’s “Guys with Kids”) does a wonderful job hosting this year’s “UNCF (United Negro College Fund) Evening of Stars” televised scholarship fundraiser to air on BET Network January 26 and 27, 2013. Taped previously in December, 2012 in Pasadena California, you will experience an explosive night of performances.

BET partnered this year to produce the event for UNCF, the country’s largest and most effective minority education organization, supporting the education of over 60,000 students each year. Hamilton expertly carries us through the powerful presentations while reminding us why we are privy to such a red carpeted treat, the funding of minority students “adult” education.

First there were the red carpet arrivals. I got there a bit late but I did get to video tape Keyshia Cole, Anthony Hamilton, Shaun Robinson and Sheryl Underwood going in to take their seats, and I talked briefly with Keenen Ivory Wayans and Melanie Fiona.

“Donate, donate, donate,” said multi-Grammy Award winning Melanie Fiona,while on the red carpet. “A mind is a terrible thing to waste and a wonderful thing to invest in.”

Fiona took my breath away, literally, with her version of R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly” during the event. It seemed that no one was playing around with their performances, everyone performed my favorite songs so powerfully, felt like it was to be their last performance ever.

What a treat it was for me when Tyrese performing his Grammy Award nominated current single “Best of Me” twice! I thought I was in heaven when he came back on stage to repeat it. Then legendary Faith Evans sang one of her current singles “Tears of Joy,” another favorite, I felt I was in church.

The night didn’t end there this continued with every performance, which included Eric Benet, Charlie Wilson (the crowd went so crazy I couldn’t hear a word he was singing); Anthony Hamilton (rocking it his way with his dancing backup singers); Keyshia Cole (looking stunning); Trey Songz, Yolanda Adams (singing masterfully my favorite, “The Battle is Not Yours”), and it ended with an unbelievable performance by ‘forever young” Chaka Khan (with dancers in monogram T-shirts, elaborate stage set and all). I can still hear Chaka’s last song’s lyrics “it’s not over yet,” ending the event with a beautiful array of falling gold and blue balloons.

“It’s important. We have to keep our schools going,” said Keenen, a UNCF Scholarship presenter about the importance of donating to UNCF. “It provides education for people like myself from the inner city…I’m part of the legacy and we want the legacy to continue.”

Other presenters were multi-Billboard Music Award winning Usher, Keke Palmer, Kim Coles, Loretta Devine, Terrence J and so many more. UNCF’s largest scholarship program is the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. It has a 90% graduation rate among its 13,000 low-income minority students.
Source: Electronic Urban Report

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