Award-Winning, Singer/Songwriter/Producer Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds to be Honored by the State of Indiana Friday July 16, 1999.WASHINGTON--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--July 9, 1999-- In addition to being honored, the 10-time Grammy winner will provide funding to establish the VH1 "Save the Music" campaign in the state of Indiana and will fund the Indiana Black Expo's "Youth Video Institute," totaling over $100,000 in monetary contributions On Friday, July 16, 1999, Award-winning, Singer/Songwriter/Producer, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds “Babyface” redirects here. For other uses, see Babyface (disambiguation). This biographical article or section needs additional references for verification. Please help [ to improve this article] by adding additional sources. , will be honored by the Governor of Indiana, Frank O'Bannon Frank Lewis O'Bannon (1930-2003) was an American politician who was Governor of Indiana from 1997 until his death, on September 13, 2003. Background O'Bannon was a native of Corydon, Indiana (the first state capital of Indiana), where his family owned the , in a dedication ceremony renaming a 25 mile stretch of Federal highway, Interstate Route 65 in Indiana, to the "Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds Highway." The ceremony will take place at 3:00 p.m., in the Rotunda rotunda In Classical and Neoclassical architecture, a building or room that is circular in plan and covered with a dome. The Pantheon is a Classical Roman rotunda. The Villa Rotonda at Vicenza, designed by Andrea Palladio, is an Italian Renaissance example. of the State Capitol Building The term State Capitol Building can refer to the State Capitol building in a number of different US states, national or subnational entities. US States
Babyface, a 10-time Grammy winner, was born and raised in Indianapolis. This will mark the first time that a living African-American would have been bestowed an honor of this magnitude in Indiana. While Babyface is very humbled by this honor, he did not want to visit the city of Indianapolis just to be honored, but wanted to give something positive and permanent back to the city and to the people of the state of Indiana. A strong supporter of the VH1 "Save The Music" campaign, he reached out to John Sykes For the politician, see . John Sykes (born July 29 1959 in Reading, Berkshire), is an English heavy metal/hard rock guitarist who has played with Streetfighter, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Badlands, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Blue Murder, and his solo project John Sykes. , President of VH1, to see if he could make a contribution to the "Save the Music" program in Indiana and was informed by Sykes that the program had not yet been established in the state. As a result of this, Babyface will be making a personal donation of $50,000 to establish the "Save the Music" campaign in the state of Indiana, for the first time, via the Indianapolis school system. In addition, the Epic recording artist reached out to Sony Music, for its support. Sony, which has made significant contributions to the campaign in the past, will be making a $10,000 donation, in his name, to the campaign, bringing the initial donation to the "Save the Music" campaign to $60,000. Also a longtime financial supporter of the Indiana Black Expo, Babyface will be making a personal donation of $50,000 to the Indiana Black Expo's Youth Video Institute (YVI YVI Youth Volunteer Initiative (Canada) ). The Youth Video Institute, established in 1983, trains young people between the ages of 13-19, in the technical and creative aspects of video production. YVI participants demonstrate their talents by examining important issues that impact youth through the development of videos and workshops. The latest YVI effort, 360 Degrees, is a teen talk Teen Talk is an episode in the animated series Beavis and Butt-head. It is part of the fourth season (1994-95), and is available on DVD as part of Volume 1. show that focuses on youth issues while showcasing positive aspects of young people throughout Indianapolis and Marion County Marion County is the name of seventeen counties in the United States of America, mostly named for General Francis Marion:
Babyface has reached out to Sykes for VH1 to establish an internship program with the Youth Video Institute. Details are being ironed out and the internship program should be up and running within the next two years. Says Governor O'Bannon, "Kenny Edmonds has made great strides in the entertainment industry and has brought great distinction to the state of Indiana through his music and by never forgetting to give back to the community. By placing his name on this vital highway through his hometown, we are expressing a small measure of our appreciation. We are saying to him, his family and his countless fans that we treasure his talent, his commitment, and the integrity he brings to every project he undertakes." Says Reverend Charles Williams There have been a number of notable people named Charles Williams: United Kingdom
Says Babyface, "I am really honored to be having a major Federal highway named after me in my home state of Indiana. I grew up as an extremely shy kid in Indianapolis. I let my songs do the talking for me and dreamed of one day 'making it' in the entertainment industry. Through my donations to VH1's 'Save the Music' campaign and the Indiana Black Expo's Youth Video Institute, I hope that I will be giving young people, who lack available resources, an opportunity to develop their skills and realize their dreams." Babyface will be available to conduct one-on-ones Thursday, July 15, 1999, in Indianapolis. To schedule interviews, please contact either Raymone K. Bain or Van Alexander at: (202)775-1958. |
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