Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Comedic actor Anthony Anderson, star of NBC’s Guys with Kids, has been tapped to host the 2013 UNCF An Evening of Stars. The BET produced show will air at the end of next month and features a bevy of stars including Usher, Anthony Hamilton, Chaka Khan, Steve Harvey and Nick Cannon.
In addition to the celebrity appearances, viewers will hear education success stories of students who are benefiting from the support of UNCF programs and initiatives. According to Indie Wire, the partnership between UNCF and BET is seen as an opportunity to “unite the strength of the UNCF brand with BET’s valuable viewership, access to talent and marketing resources.”
The show began in 1980 as a three-hour syndicated telethon called The Lou Rawls Parade of Stars. Rawls, a noted jazz, blues and R&B singer and friend of UNCF, corralled a number of his celebrity friends to perform during the benefit show. Over the years, it has bloomed into a national televised 12-hour telethon raising millions of dollars for minority higher education and featuring the most recognizable faces in entertainment.
In recent times, we have seen the show morph into a honors program, recognizing the musical contributions a number of R&B legends including the late Lou Rawls, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, Patti LaBelle, Lionel Richie and Chaka Khan.
Mark your calendars and get your check books ready as UNCF’s An Evening of Stars airs on Sunday, January 27 at 10 p.m. on BET. Check out one of our favorite UNCF An Evening of Stars moments featuring Fantasia saluting Ms. Patti LaBelle…
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