AARP Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary With New Music Collaborations

AARP Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary With New Music Collaborations

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP, the world's largest advocacy organization for the 50+ community, today announced it will kick-off its 50th anniversary celebration with a number of new high-profile musical collaborations. These new initiatives include:

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-- CLASSIC ROCK: The AARP-sponsored Feels Like the First Time tour with Foreigner launches on March 14, 2008, providing AARP members with priority seating at the concert venues. Select AARP members will also have the opportunity to meet the band and get photographs and autographs while mingling at Foreigner's exclusive VIP reception

-- JAZZ: April 24, 2008 marks the kick-off of the AARP-sponsored Ramsey Lewis and the Legends of Jazz tour. AARP members will be eligible for numerous benefits to this 15-city tour including exclusive ticket pre-sales.

-- GOSPEL: AARP will sponsor the One Love Gospel Choir competition in March 2008. Contestants will sing Stand Up For Yourself, a new song originally sung by the legendary Aretha Franklin and written for the AARP lead Divided We Fail initiative which aims to create a national movement to bring attention to the domestic issues that worry Americans most: health care and financial security.

-- SOUL: In continuation of AARP's 50th anniversary celebration, on June 21, 2008 in Atlanta , GA AARP will present a live two-hour musical production featuring performances by a once-in-a-lifetime line-up of gospel, R&B, soul and pop divas, including Yolanda Adams, Patti Austin, Shirley Caesar, Chaka Khan, Queen Latifah, Dionne Warwick, CeCe Winans & Ann Nesby appearing with Paris Bennett. Renowned choreographer Debbie Allen, winner of several Emmy, Tony and Golden Globes Awards, will direct the show.

"Music is a universal language. It let's us connect with our members in a unique and powerful way," said Shereen Remez, AARP's Group Executive Officer for Member Value. "As AARP celebrates its 50th anniversary, we wanted to find ways in which to extend the celebration to our members. What better way to do so than with these exciting new programs we have planned for this year!"

This is not the first time AARP has stepped into the music arena. In 2007, AARP's sponsorship of Tony Bennett's "The Best is Yet to Come" tour was a huge hit with AARP members. Earlier this year, AARP also collaborated with another leading organization celebrating its 50th anniversary -- the Grammy Awards -- on the Music Preservation Project, an ongoing initiative to preserve historic music recordings, photographs, films and cultural artifacts for future generations.

Additionally, on September 4, 2008 more than 27,500 AARP members and their friends from across the country and around the world are expected to flock to Washington, DC to celebrate AARP's 50th Anniversary and participate in Life@50+|, AARP's National Event & Expo. Life@50+| is part class-reunion, part home, travel, health and high-tech expo, part summer concert weekend -- and all fun. In addition to top-notch concerts, attendees will also experience extensive exhibits; lifestyle, education and feature sessions with politicians and entertainers; lectures and health and fitness classes. During the course of Life @50+, attendees will also hear poet Maya Angelou; baseball hall-of-famer Cal Ripken, Jr.; music impresario Quincy Jones; fashion consultant Clinton Kelly; legendary folk singer Judy Collins; political pundits Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson; Academy Award winner Shirley MacLaine; TV fitness guru Bob Harper; rock star Gene Simmons; and female sexual health expert Dr. Laura Berman. Life@50+| AARP's National Event & Expo takes place September 4 - 6, 2008 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

Additional information on all of AARP's 50th anniversary events and initiatives, as well as dates and ticket information for all concerts, will be available to AARP members online at http://www.aarp.org/.

ABOUT AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 33 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's 39 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Source: AARP

CONTACT: Michelle Alvarez of the AARP, +1-202-434-2555,
malvarez@aarp.org

Web Site:

http://www.aarp.org/

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