NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 30, 2007) — A great Yamaha tradition continues on Friday, Jan. 19, 2007, when some of the music industry's brightest and most respected stars take the stage at the Yamaha Dealer Concert during The NAMM Show. Artists scheduled to perform include: the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire; top producer and singer/songwriter Richard Marx; singer/songwriter and a founding member of Styx, Dennis DeYoung; New Orleans' renowned
Dr. John; leading producer and singer/songwriter Tommy Sims; and hot new artist Teddy Geiger. More artists and further details will be announced soon.
"We are extremely excited about this year's Yamaha Dealer Concert. It promises to uphold Yamaha's reputation for presenting unforgettable nights of superior entertainment and special surprises. This event in particular will be exceptional, as we are planning a show that has not been seen by NAMM audiences ever before. It will truly be a night to remember," comments Chris Gero, corporate director of Yamaha Corporate Artist Affairs and show producer.
The 2007 concert will begin at 8 p.m. on Jan. 19 at Disney's California Adventure® Park's beautiful Hyperion® Theater. Named after Walt Disney's first studio on Hyperion Avenue in Los Angeles, the dazzling 2,000 seat Hyperion® Theater is located in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot area of Disney's California Adventure® Park at the Disneyland® Resort in Anaheim.
Tickets are available to Yamaha dealers only on a first come, first serve, very limited basis, and artists are subject to change. Dealers should see their Yamaha representative for more ticket information. For media inquiries please contact Laura Elkins at (615) 599-0800.
Earth, Wind & Fire is simply one of the most important, influential, and innovative contemporary pop music bands of the 21st century. Their 35-year history has produced millions of albums sold worldwide (including eight double-platinum albums, two platinum albums and three gold albums). The band has earned five number one R&B albums, one number one pop and eight top 10 pop albums, and eight number one R&B singles.
Earth, Wind & Fire and the founding members have eight GRAMMY Awards, four American Music Awards, honors from the NAACP and BET and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The coup de grace: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2000. With a catalog of mega-hits spanning over three decades Earth Wind & Fire remains to this day one of the top globally-popular touring attractions.
The phenomenal
Richard Marx has sold more than 30 million records, written 13 number one songs, and has 19 top 20 singles as an artist, including seven number one hits. With his debut single "Don't Mean Nothing" and self-titled debut album, Marx kicked off his career as a solo artist in 1987. Over the next three years, he became the first male solo artist to have his first seven singles reach the top five on Billboard's singles chart, including the number one hits "Hold On to the Nights," "Satisfied," and the worldwide classic "Right Here Waiting."
Marx remained a fixture on pop and adult contemporary radio for years, even as he emerged as a top producer working with some of the biggest names in the music business. Among those artists are, *NSYNC, Barbra Streisand,
Josh Groban, Vince Gill, Leann Rimes, 98°, Luther Vandross, Kenny Rogers, Sarah Brightman, Lara Fabian, Sister Hazel, The Tubes and SHeDAISY. More recently, he has written and produced records for Keith Urban, Emerson Drive, Natalie Cole, Paulina Rubio, Kenny Loggins, Chris Botti, Michael Bolton, Chely Wright, Meredith Edwards, Hugh Jackman and Sissel.
Dennis DeYoung is the former singer and songwriter of Chicago-based rock group Styx. The band has sold over 35 million albums and scored 10 top ten singles worldwide. Styx was the only band to ever record four consecutive triple platinum albums.
For over four decades, DeYoung has been a singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and record producer. He wrote and sang 8 top ten hits including: "Lady," "Come Sail Away," "Best of Times," "Mr. Roboto," "Show Me the Way," "Desert Moon," "Don't Let It End" and People's Choice Award Winner, "Babe." DeYoung has recorded four solo albums including
Desert Moon, whose title track achieved top ten status. He has also performed on Broadway, starring as Pontius Pilate in the 25th anniversary production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's
Jesus Christ Superstar. DeYoung's singing talents have made his voice one of the most recognizable in the world.
Dr. John, or Mac Rebennack as known to friends and family, is universally celebrated as the living embodiment of the rich musical heritage exclusive to New Orleans. His very colorful musical career began in the 1950s when he wrote and played guitar on some of the greatest records to come out of the Crescent City, including recordings by Professor Longhair, Art Neville, Joe Tex and Frankie Ford. Several of his many career highlights include the masterful album
Sun, Moon and Herbs in 1971, which included cameos from Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger and 1973's
In The Right Place, which contained the chart hits "Right Place Wrong Time" and "Such A Night."
Dr. John garnered GRAMMY Award wins in 1989, 1992, 1996 and 2000. He has also received five other nominations over the years. In 2004, his musical love letter to the city of New Orleans, "N'awlinz Dis Dat or D'udda," was awarded the prestigious Académie Charles Cros 57ème Palmarès award in France. It was the first time since the 1970s that an artist from North America received the award. After a half-century of creating music for others and himself, Dr. John continues to write, arrange, produce and interpret with a passion that has yet to wane.
Tommy Sims is one of today's top songwriters, producers, arrangers, vocalists, and bass players. He has worked with artists such as Beyoncé,
Michael McDonald, Bruce Springsteen,
CeCe Winans, Heather Headley, Nicole Mullen, Rachael Lampa, Bonnie Raitt, and Kelly Clarkson. Sims co-wrote the hit "Change the World" for Eric Clapton and Babyface. The song was used in the John Travolta movie
Phenomenon, reached number one, and ultimately won the "Best Song" GRAMMY in 1996. Additionally, Sims recorded his own album in 2000 entitled
Peace and Love.
Teddy Geiger, the 18-year-old up and coming star, is already no stranger to music. He is a self-taught musician who wrote and arranged complete compositions on guitar and piano by age 8.
This early musical start has provided Geiger with a maturity to his songwriting that is wiser well beyond his years. "For You I Will (Confidence)," the self-penned single off his debut album
Underage Thinking, has been certified gold. Geiger was discovered by producer Billy Mann while performing as a finalist on VH1's "In Search of the New Partridge Family." Mann helped secure the raspy-voiced teenager a deal with Columbia Records.
