Hundreds of People Join Legendary Herb Reed and His Platters as They Release Journey of Hope Commemorative CD to Benefit the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund at VIP World Premiere Event.

BOSTON -- CD Is First to Feature Messages of Thanks from Hurricane Survivors

Hundreds of people last night gathered at the world-famous Kowloon Restaurant in a line that stretched two city blocks for the world premiere of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, Grammy-recognized and multi-platinum recording artist Herb Reed and his Platters' Journey of Hope CD. The special commemorative, limited edition CD benefits the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and is now available for purchase on the Web at www.journeyofhopecd.com.

Hurricane disaster survivors joined Reed at the VIP gala held in Saugus, Mass. Herb Reed's Platters performed the entire CD at the world premiere event where hundreds of Journey of Hope CDs were sold.

Herb Reed's Platters are expected to perform on CBS' nationally-televised "The Early Show" later this week.

The only original member of the legendary Platters still performing today, Reed is joined on the CD by current Platters' vocalists Billie Cox, William Newton, Wayne Miller and DD Martin. All net proceeds from the Journey of Hope project will be donated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The CD now is available for purchase via a specially designed and dedicated Website exclusive to this project located at www.journeyofhopecd.com.

Earlier yesterday, Herb Reed's Platters performed the National Anthem at the New England Patriots vs. New Orleans Saints NFL game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The halftime show featured a sneak preview performance from the Journey of Hope CD.

Late last week, Herb Reed's Platters had the honor of meeting with Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the governor's office at the Massachusetts State House. The group performed acappella for the governor after he officially recognized the release of the Journey of Hope CD.

The Journey of Hope CD features four songs and is the first to include messages of hope from U.S. hurricane survivors of all age groups. The messages are heard on a special mix titled "You've Got a Friend (Survivor Mix)."

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the charting of The Platters' first blockbuster single "Only You (And You Alone)." Now, more than 400 songs and millions of records later, Herb Reed's Platters have updated and re-recorded that song as a special dedication to those touched by disasters like the devastating hurricanes. In addition to Herb Reed's R&B rendition of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend," the CD also includes a rousing and unique acappella version of Bill Withers' "Lean On Me."

Up-and-comer Helen Fairfax is also featured on the CD with a special bonus track of "Poor Wayfarin' Stranger," which is broken up between songs taking the listener on a musical journey of hope.

The Platters have received over 230 awards from all over the world. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Vocal Hall of Fame in 1998. The 1955 hit "Only You (and You Alone)" received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999, with the 1956 tune "The Great Pretender" following soon after in 2002. They have also appeared in 27 movies including the well-known Rock Around the Clock and The Girl Can't Help It.

The Journey of Hope CD was produced by BCG Record Company, which was created by entrepreneur and multi-media practitioner Frederick J. Balboni, Jr., solely for this project. BCG Record Company is a branch of the full-service artist management and public relations firm, Balboni Communications Group, LLC (BCGroup). BCGroup is an innovative firm focused on the entertainment industry and is headquartered just outside of Boston, Mass., with an additional office near Albany, N.Y.

All of the recording artists and studio musicians that appear on this special recording are contributing their artistry for this cause. Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys and his business partner, writer/producer Marcus Suskind, provided all of the time necessary to produce this project at their state-of-the-art Blue Jay Recording Studios.

The Journey of Hope CD was engineered and mixed by Will Sandalls, chief engineer at Blue Jay Recording Studios and mastered by Roger Lian at Master Disk Studios in New York, N.Y.