NBC'S TOP-RATED SUMMER SERIES 'AMERICA'S GOT TALENT' ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL GUEST MUSICAL AND VARIETY ACTS AND TOP FOUR DUETS FOR THE SEASON FINALE
Guest Performers Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, LeAnn Rimes, Cobra Starship with Sabi and OneRepublic Join Previously Announced Performers Tony Bennett with Queen Latifah, Season 5 Finalist Jackie Evancho, Def Leppard and Cirque du Soleil "Iris"
Winner of the $1 Million Prize Will Be Announced Tonight, September 14
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - September 14, 2011 - NBC's top-rated summer series "America's Got Talent" today announced additional guest musical and variety acts and exclusive performances that will be featured during the live finale tonight, September 14 (8-10 p.m. ET).
The new guest performers include Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, LeAnn Rimes, Cobra Starship with Sabi and OneRepublic who join previously announced performers Tony Bennett with Queen Latifah, Season 5 Finalist Jackie Evancho, Def Leppard and Cirque du Soleil "Iris." Wonder, LaBelle, Rimes and Cobra Starship with Sabi are set to perform duets with the remaining top four acts during the live finale on September 14.
The announcement was made today by Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, NBC and Universal Television.
The guest performers who will share the "America's Got Talent" stage follow:
Wednesday, September 14
Stevie Wonder performs "Higher Ground" duet with finalist POPLYFE;
Patti LaBelle performs "You're All I Need To Get By" duet with finalist Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.;
LeAnn Rimes performs "Give" duet with finalist Silhouettes;
Cobra Starship with Sabi perform "You Make Me Feel... " duet with finalist Team iLuminate
OneRepublic performs "Secrets -Good Life";
Def Leppard performs "Rock of Ages - Pour Some Sugar on Me";
Jackie Evancho performs "Nessun Dorma";
Tony Bennett and Queen Latifah in an exclusive performance of "Who Can I Turn To"
An exclusive primetime premiere performance by Cirque du Soleil "Iris."
American singer, songwriter, musician, and producer, Stevie Wonder, is one of the most celebrated and prominent figures in popular music. To date Motown legend Wonder has amassed an astounding 49 Top 40 singles, 32 #1 singles, and worldwide album sales totaling more than 100 million units. He has garnered 25 Grammy Awards, as well as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and received a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for the 1984 hit "I just Called To Say I Love You" from the film "The Woman In Red". In 1989 , he was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. In 1999, Wonder became the youngest honoree of the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2009, Wonder became the second recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, honored by President Barack Obama at the White House. He performed his Library of Congress musical commission, "Sketches Of A Life", joining a very select group of eminent composers who have received the Library commissions, ranging from Aaron Copeland and Leonard Bernstein to Paquito D'Rivera. Recently, Wonder performed at the opening ceremony of the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece.
Legendary entertainer and Grammy Award-winning artist LaBelle received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards earlier this year and will be on tour through the end of 2011. LaBelle, who first earned worldwide acclaim over 50 years ago with the Bluebelles and later Labelle, has amassed classic hit songs including "Lady Marmalade," "On My Own" with Michael McDonald, "New Attitude," "Love, Need & Want You" and "If You Asked Me To." She is also an accomplished actress, the author of five books, and a successful businesswoman with her own line of spices and sauces, Lady Marmalade, available at retailers nationwide and at www.pattilabelle.com, as well as a bedding collection, Patti LaBelle Home, available at Macy's
Rimes has sold more than 40 million albums, won two Grammy Awards, three Academy of Country Music Awards and 12 Billboard Music Awards. Rimes is the youngest recipient of a Grammy Award, and was also the first country recording artist to win in the "Best New Artist" category. Rimes recently released two songs from her forthcoming album "Lady & Gentlemen," where she reinterprets classic country songs by men, including the Grammy-nominated song "Swingin" and the original song and current single "Give." The album is set to release on September 27, 2011.
Cobra Starship recently released their new album, "Night Shades," which features the Top 10 pop hit "You Make Me Feel...(featuring Warner Bros. rising star Sabi). "Night Shades" is Cobra Starship's boldest and brightest collection to date. The album - the band's fourth, and first since 2009's top five breakthrough "Hot Mess" - sees the superstars teaming up with a wide range of collaborators and producers, including Ryan Tedder, Mac Miller, Stargate and others. Since emerging in 2006, Cobra Starship has earned both critical applause and a fervent fan following for their blend of pop hooks, punk energy, and dance-floor creativity.
After seven years together as a band, OneRepublic took the world by storm in 2007 with their debut release "Dreaming Out Loud." The album included the smash single "Apologize," which shattered digital sales and airplay records worldwide, and along with their second single "Stop And Stare," propelled the album to platinum-plus sales. Their 2009 sophomore set "Waking Up" has produced three singles - "All The Right Moves," "Secrets" and "Good Life" -- that have topped the radio charts and sold more than 6 million downloads to date.
With more than 65 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, Def Leppard continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their careers, the band members have produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the sound for generations of music fans and artists. For the past 30 years, the band's concerts have become must-see events and have quickly made them and institution in the touring industry, as they continue to sell out arenas worldwide.
Last season's runner-up for "America's Got Talent" is Evancho, an 11-year-old soprano prodigy who auditioned for the series through YouTube. She recently released her debut album "Dream with Me," which was certified gold after only four weeks of release. Evancho is currently on a sold-out U.S. tour and Syco/Columbia Records will release the DVD of "Dream with Me Live -- Great Performances PBS Special" on September 13.
American icon Bennett, who has sold over 50 million albums worldwide, is set to release his new album "Duets II" on September 20. The career-spanning compilation features pairings with today's most beloved artists, including Queen Latifah, Michael Buble, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Andrea Bocelli and many more. Entering his seventh decade as a recording artist with over 100 albums and 15 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Bennett has earned his legendary status many times over.
"Iris A Journey Through the World of Cinema" is the latest production from Cirque du Soleil currently performing in Hollywood at the Kodak Theater. Bringing together dance, acrobatics, live video, filmed sequences and animation, the show takes spectators on a fantastic voyage through the history of cinema and its genres, taking them into the heart of the movie-making process. From illustration to animation, black- and-white to color, silent films to talkies, fixed shots to swooping camera movements, spectators witness the poetic construction/deconstruction of this art as an object and as a way of transcending reality.
?Now in its sixth season, "America's Got Talent" airs Tuesdays (9-11 p.m. ET) and Wednesdays (9-10 p.m. ET) on NBC. Howie Mandel, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne star as the celebrity panel of judges, and Nick Cannon serves as host. The series is a true celebration of the American spirit, featuring a colorful array of aspiring stars, including singers, dancers, comedians, contortionists, impressionists, jugglers, magicians and ventriloquists, all vying for their chance to strut and perform on stage hoping to win America's hearts - and the $1 million prize.
"America's Got Talent" is delivering its highest-rated season ever in 18-49 and total viewers. The series is up this summer versus last by 13 percent in 18-49 (3.6 vs. 3.2) and 9 percent in total viewers (12.9 million vs. 11.9 million). For each of its 15 weeks on the air so far this summer, "America's Got Talent" has ranked #1 in total viewers among all primetime non-sports programs on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW. So far this summer, the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of "America's Got Talent" are the #2 and #4 series on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox in adults 18-49, behind only "The Voice" (#1) and "The Voice" Results Show (tied for #2). In total viewers, the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of "Talent" rank #2 and #3, behind only "The Voice" (#1).
"America's Got Talent" is the only talent competition show that is open to any age and any talent. Auditions for season seven will kick off in New York City in October, followed by St. Louis, Washington, D.C., Tampa, Fla., Los Angeles, Austin, Texas and Charlotte N.C. (more cities to be announced soon). For all the latest information and to pre-register, go to www.AGTauditions.com.
Following weeks of intense competition and awe-inspiring performances, this year's winner and fan favorites including special guests Jack Vidgen, winner of "Australia's Got Talent" 2011 and last year's winner of "America's Got Talent," Michael Grimm will perform in a special three-night engagement in Las Vegas on October 28, October 29 and October 30 in the famous 4,500 seat Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The two-hour live event will be hosted by Jerry Springer and include an all-star roster of the country's most dynamic "America's Got Talent" entertainers. Tickets to "America's Got Talent Live," presented by AEG Live, are on sale now and can be purchased via http://agt.aeglive.com.
"America's Got Talent" is produced by FremantleMedia North America and Simon Cowell's SYCO Television. Simon Cowell, Cecile Frot-Coutaz ("American Idol"), Jason Raff, Ken Warwick ("American Idol") and Georgie Hurford-Jones are executive producers.
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About NBC Entertainment:
NBC Entertainment develops and schedules programming for the network's primetime, late-night, and daytime schedules. NBC's quality programs and balanced lineup have earned the network critical acclaim, numerous awards, and ratings success. NBC has earned more Emmy Awards than any network in television history. NBC's roster of popular scripted series includes critically acclaimed comedy Emmy winners "The Office" and "30 Rock," starring Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. Veteran, award-winning dramas on NBC include "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Chuck." Unscripted series for NBC include the new vocal competition hit "The Voice" as well as the popular "The Biggest Loser," "The Celebrity Apprentice" and "America's Got Talent." NBC's late-night story is highlighted by "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," "Last Call with Carson Daly" and "Saturday Night Live." NBC Daytime's "Days of our Lives" consistently finishes among daytime's top programs in the valuable women 18-34 category. On Saturday mornings, the network broadcasts Qubo on NBC, a three-hour block that features fun, entertaining, and educational programming for kids, including the award-winning, 3-D animated series Veggie Tales.
About FREMANTLEMEDIA NORTH AMERICA:
FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is the U.S. production division of global media giant FremantleMedia. Based in Burbank, California, FMNA produces entertaining and innovative programs for network, cable, syndicated and online platforms, including the Emmy-nominated musical/reality phenomenon "American Idol" (FOX), "America's Got Talent" (NBC), "What Chilli Wants" (VH1), "Hole In The Wall" (Cartoon Network), "Let's Make A Deal" (CBS), "Family Feud" (syn), "The Price Is Right" (CBS), and the much-anticipated "The X Factor" (Fox) for Fall 2011.
About SYCO
Syco, with offices in London and Los Angeles, is a global music, television and film production joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment. Syco Television owns and produces the BAFTA Award-winning "The X Factor," which has topped the charts around the world. Syco Television is also the owner of the "Got Talent" television format. Versions of both "The X Factor" and "Got Talent" are co-produced by Syco, and are shown in more than 70 countries and have won multiple awards including national television awards and BAFTAs.
Syco is also the record label home for such diverse international recording stars as Leona Lewis and Il Divo. Cowell has worked with artists selling more than 200 million albums and delivering more than 180 #1 records. Britain's Got Talent in 2009 launched the global singing career of Susan Boyle. Her debut Syco album sold over 8 million units in six weeks, making it the world's biggest-selling album of 2009 and the fastest-selling album in history, selling a total of 20 million records to date.
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