Superstars Patti LaBelle, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Marsha Ambrosius, Estelle, Miguel and Musiq Soulchild to Light Up the Stage At UNCF An Evening of Stars® Presented By Target

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The 33rd UNCF An Evening of Stars^® gears up for a highly anticipated evening of entertainment and education advocacy on Sunday, August 14th at 6:00 PM PT with a premiere on BET on Sunday, September 25th at 10 PM ET/PT and 9:00 PM CT. The incredible Patti LaBelle and Grammy-award winner Jill Scott, who recently released her fifth studio album "Light of the Sun, will join Grammy-nominated, singer-songwriter-producer Ledisi in gracing the stage at the Pasadena Civic Center for an inspiring evening of music and uplifting education success stories. BET "Music Matters" global sensation Marsha Ambrosius, R&B starlet Estelle, Grammy-nominated R&B/soul-singer Musiq Soulchild and R&B artist and producer Miguel will also join the evening to help raise awareness for education and celebrate today's hottest musical stars.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20070716/BETNETWORKSLOGO )

Adding to the list of stellar talent, this year's UNCF An Evening of Stars^® will include special appearances by Tatyana Ali ("Fresh Prince of Bel Air"), Hosea Chanchez (BET's "The Game"),  Pooch Hall (BET's "The Game"), Jill Marie Jones (CW's "Girlfriends"), Monique Jackson and Kita Williams (VH1's "The TO Show"), Shaun Robinson ("Access Hollywood"), Kenny Smith (TNT's "Inside the NBA"), Brian White (TNT's "Men of a Certain Age") and many more.

Tickets for UNCF AN EVENING OF STARS^® go on sale on Wednesday, August 3, 2011. Visit ticketmaster.com or the Pasadena Civic Auditorium box office for tickets.

"We welcome  Patti LaBelle, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Marsha Ambrosius, Estelle, Musiq Soulchild and Miguel as the first stars to come out for what we think will be a spectacular UNCF An Evening of Stars,^®" said UNCF president and CEO Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D.  "Along with many other stars, they'll provide the music in our exciting new format which combines the hottest talent with moving success stories of young men and women who are building careers based on a good education."

This year's show is made possible by Target, Presenting Sponsor of UNCF An Evening of Stars^®, and National Sponsors McDonald's and AT&T. Official and Major Sponsors include American Airlines, Wells Fargo, BET Networks, Buick and the U.S. Army.

About UNCF An Evening of Stars^®

UNCF An Evening of Stars^®, formerly the Lou Rawls Parade of Stars^®, first aired in 1979, and since that time has become one of the longest running and most successful televised events in U.S. history. Over its 32-year history, UNCF An Evening of Stars^® has raised more than $200 million that has helped hundreds of thousands of students attend college and graduate.  In recent years, UNCF An Evening Of Stars^® has featured a Who's Who of remarkable talent, including Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Chaka Khan, Ne-Yo, Nancy Wilson, Beyonce, Anita Baker, Jill Scott, Whoopi Goldberg, Fantasia, Joss Stone, Jennifer Hudson, Michael Bolton, Natalie Cole, Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, Hall and Oates, Ziggy Marley, Maroon 5, and scores of others. UNCF An Evening of Stars^® received NAACP Image Awards for its 2006 tribute to Stevie Wonder, its 2008 tribute to Smokey Robinson and its 2010 tribute to Lionel Richie. Learn more about UNCF An Evening of Stars^® at www.UNCF.org.

About UNCF

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization.  To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. UNCF supports education through scholarships and other programs, by supporting its 38 member colleges and universities, and by advocating for the importance of minority education.  UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs.  UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 21 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees.  The UNCF logo features the torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."^® Learn more at www.UNCF.org.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

SOURCE BET Networks