ARETHA FRANKLIN
Opening Act
LEDISI
to Perform
Benefit Concert for
National Marfan Foundation
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14
8:00 pm
HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM
Tickets on Sale Now at Ticketmaster
The National Marfan Foundation presents Aretha Franklin, a benefit concert from the heart of the Queen of Soul,, on Tuesday, November 14, 8:00 pm, at the Hammerstein Ballroom (Manhattan Center Studios, 311 West 34th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues). The opening act is Ledisi, produced by Jill Newman Productions. Doors open at 7 pm for cocktails.
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at (212) 307-7171 or online at
www.ticketmaster.com.
The concert is a benefit for the National Marfan Foundation, a non-profit voluntary health organization dedicated to saving lives and improving the quality of life of individuals and families affected by the Marfan syndrome and related disorders. The illness affect an estimated 200,000 American men, women and children of every race and ethnic group.
Aretha Franklin is one of the giants of soul music, and indeed of American pop. More than any other performer, she epitomizes soul at its most gospel-charged. Her astonishing run of late-'60s hits with Atlantic Records --"Respect," "I Never Loved a Man," "Chain of Fools," "Baby I Love You," "I Say a Little Prayer," "Think," "The House That Jack Built," and several others--earned her the title "Lady Soul," which she has worn uncontested ever since. She is renowned for her soul and R&B recordings, but is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop, gospel, and even opera. She is generally regarded as one of the top vocalists ever due to her ability to inject whatever she may be singing about with passion, soul and sheer conviction. She is the second most honored female singer in Grammy history after Alison Krauss. Ms. Franklin has won 18 competitive Grammys (including an unprecedented 11 for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, eight of them consecutive), and the state of Michigan has declared her voice to be a wonder. A resident of Detroit, she joined Aaron Neville and Dr. John in performing the national anthem prior to Super Bowl XL in February, along with a 150-voice choir to conclude a pre-game tribute to nine-time championship game host city New Orleans, recovering and rebuilding after the plight of Hurricane Katrina
Born in New Orleans, LA, but raised in Oakland, CA, Ledisi's name means "To come here; bring forth," a Nigerian word based in the Yoruba religion. The daughter of "The Prophet of Soul" Larry Sanders and Nyra Dynese (co-author of the 70's hit "Pillow Talk") and the granddaughter of late-great blues singer Johnny Ace, Ledisi instinctively inherited the gift of song. Growing up watching her Mom sing in a local band, she learned first hand what it meant to be a leader, songwriter, singer and a woman in music. Writing her first song at the age of four on a Casio keyboard, Ledisi had the bug and studied jazz, classical and R&B, piano, drums and violin. While looking for a keyboardist, she found her musical soulmate, Sundra “Sun” Manning, who later also became her business partner. Together they started their own independent label, LeSun Music, releasing two critically acclaimed recordings, Soulsinger and Feeling Orange but Sometimes Blue. After being an independent artist for six years, Ledisi got her first major break when she appeared as a guest artist on GRP’s Grammy®-nominated album, Forever For Always For Luther (2005.) She has performed in theater on and off Broadway, most recently in the Tony Kushner/George C.Wolfe production of Caroline or Change and has worked with Chaka Khan, The Funk Brothers, Moby, The Roots, Rockwilder, Boney James, Will Downing, Maysa, Meshell N'degeocello, Third Eye Blind, Robert Glasper, Poncho Sanchez, Lenny Williams and more.
The Marfan Syndrome
The Marfan syndrome affects many organ systems, including the skeleton, lungs, eyes, heart and blood vessels. It is often, but not always, characterized by a tall stature and disproportionately long legs and arms. Other skeletal manifestations are curvature of the spine, a protruding or indented chest and loose joints. The most serious problem associated with the Marfan syndrome is its effect on the aorta, the main artery carrying blood away from the heart.
The aorta is prone to progressive enlargement, which can lead to tears in the aortic wall that require surgical repair. If aortic enlargement and tears are left undetected, the aorta may rupture, leading to sudden death. Jonathan Larson, the Tony Award-winning playwright (RENT) suffered this fate; he did not even know he had the disorder.
The life expectancy for people with the Marfan syndrome who are diagnosed and treated is now in the 70's due to advances in cardiovascular surgery, increased options in medical therapy and better diagnosis. Without a proper diagnosis and medical management, they are at risk of aortic dissection and sudden death.
For more information on the Marfan syndrome, contact the NMF at 800-8-MARFAN or visit the NMF’s web site at
www.marfan.org.
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