Gospel Music Heritage Month Heats Up With 15th Annual McDonald's Inspiration Celebration® Gospel Tour

CHICAGO, Sept. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Gospel Music Heritage Month, which takes place annually in September, McDonald's is serving inspiration with a side of friendly banter for music fans of all ages. Starting Sept. 19 through Oct. 10, the 15^th annual McDonald's Inspiration Celebration® Gospel Tour, a long-standing event that fosters community through the deeply rooted tradition of gospel music, will take place virtually every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on BET Network's YouTube channel and BET.com.

Brought to fans by McDonald's Black & Positively Golden movement, award-winning gospel artists hailing from the Gulf Coast, West Coast, Carolinas and DMV regions will showcase their talents to spark debate on which U.S. region produces the greatest gospel hitmakers and hits. Multi-award-winning musician and syndicated radio personality Lonnie Hunter will host the four-part "Gospel City Playlist" series, featuring legendary gospel artists like Tasha Cobbs-Leonard and Israel Houghton, and rising gospel artists like Mali Music and Pastor Mike Jr., among many others.

For the first time in tour history, fans can watch the show from the McDonald's app while reppin' their city. Ahead of each show, fans can also experience a virtual red carpet hosted by social media comedian @NotKarltonBanks who will perform lively skits, host spirited interviews with tour artists and give viewers a peek behind-the-scenes.   

"Faith and inspiration are a core part of gospel music, and an integral part of McDonald's community-based gospel tour," said Erica Campbell, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and 2021 McDonald's Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour performer. "People need inspiration, and I am proud to join such an amazing line-up of artists to help reach gospel music lovers nationwide."

Each year, the concert series helps raise awareness of Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) and its mission of improving the health and well-being of children and their families. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, RMHC needs our support more than ever. Virtual concert goers will be able to donate to RHMC live at RMHC.org/ICGT2021.  McDonald's has supported RMHC for more than 40 years as the founding mission partner and continues to support global Charity in a variety of ways. Since 2012, The McDonald's Inspiration Celebration® Gospel Tour has raised over $1.08M to help families stay close when their children are ill.

"We are excited to make the tour virtual for the second year as we celebrate 15 years of the awesome McDonald's Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour," said Harry Smith, Indiana McDonald's Owner/Operator and Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour Owner/Operator Chairman. "We are committed to feeding and fostering the communities in which we operate, and this longstanding, free celebration of gospel music is one of the many ways we want to help lift up and encourage our guests, crew members and community."

A full list of the 2021 tour dates and artist lineup follow:

Visit www.blackandpositivelygolden.com for streaming information and additional details. Follow @WeAreGolden on Instagram for tour updates and to join the conversation around which playlist is best using #blackandpositivelygolden.

About McDonald's USA Community Efforts
The McDonald's 15th Annual Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour is just one of many company initiatives created to connect with the communities McDonald's serves. These efforts also include  webinars such as Classroom Convos, which focus on topics currently impacting Asian and Pacific Islander American students, the HACER® Education Tour, which provides information to navigate the college application process, the Black & Positively Golden Mentors Program, which pairs industry leaders with up-and-coming changemakers in the same fields, and the Archways to Opportunity program for restaurant crew which provides educational resources to eligible employees at participating U.S. restaurants. Together, with Owner/Operators, we are feeding and fostering our communities.

About McDonald's USA
McDonald's serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 25 million customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Instagram at @WeAreGolden and Facebook www.facebook.com/mcdonalds. To learn more about the Black & Positively Golden initiative, visit www.mcdonalds.com.  

About Ronald McDonald House Charities 
Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®), is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation that creates, finds, and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. Through its global network of nearly 260 Chapters in more than 64 countries and regions, and its three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House®, the Ronald McDonald Family Room® and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, RMHC helps families with sick children stay together, and close to the medical care their child needs at leading hospitals worldwide. RMHC programs not only provide access to quality health care, they enable family- centered care ensuring families are fully supported and actively involved in their children's care. For more information, visit rmhc.org. Follow RMHC on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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