NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — – The True Colors Tour will hit the road again this summer with a new line-up of legendary and up and coming artists including headliners Cyndi Lauper, The B-52s, Rosie O’Donnell with host Carson Kressley and many more. After a successful debut in 2007, the True Colors Tour is expanding to meet demand in many more cities. The tour will kick off Gay & Lesbian Pride Month on May 31st at Boston’s Bank of America Pavilion. The True Colors Tour will also play Nikon At Jones Beach on June 1st and make a stop at Radio City Music Hall on June 3rd
Produced by True Colors Concerts in partnership once again with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the 24 city North American tour is presented by Logo in support of the newly created True Colors Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation. The concerts feature nearly five hours of nonstop music with special guests appearing on select dates throughout the tour including Wanda Sykes, Tegan and Sara, Regina Spektor, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Joan Armatrading, Indigo Girls, Nona Hendryx, Deborah Cox and The Cliks.
This year’s tour will highlight the need for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and their straight allies to get out and make their votes count this fall. HRC and this year’s other non-profit partners – CenterLink (the nation’s LGBT community centers) and Parents, Families, Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National – are joining with the True Colors Tour to bring together Americans across the country to voice their solidarity for LGBT equality and raise public awareness about the issues that face the LGBT community.
The True Colors Tour was conceived by Cyndi Lauper stemming from her desire to give back to the community for the love and support they have given her throughout her career. The True Colors Tour is a celebration of the basic values and freedoms that should be shared by all Americans. Fans will experience these values through the music of both legendary icons and the newest and coolest acts this generation has to offer.
"I’m so excited and honored that we’re taking True Colors out on the road again this year," said tour producer and creator Cyndi Lauper. "We had a blast last year and we are proud that the tour also brought about visibility and discussions of issues that LGBT citizens face in our country today. This year I am once again joined on the tour by an array of incredibly talented artists. The tour is a non stop 5 hour music party with a message. This year the party only gets bigger and our message to the fans is to get out and vote in November. The True Colors Tour asks for equality for all, not just for some, that is the principal upon which this country was founded. So let’s celebrate and have fun this summer while we spread the word to get out the vote and all become a part of the changes in this country."
"True Colors is a good way to get out the vote," said The B-52s’ Fred Schneider, "and get out of the house and party!"
The True Colors Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation was created this year to generate financial support to directly benefit the tour’s non-profit partners. Funds will be raised through sales of official benefit t-shirts, an EBAY auction of tour and music memorabilia, the True Colors Jewelry Collection by Love & Pride, the tour's Official Jeweler, as well as individual donations to the fund by visitors to the tour’s website. The True Colors Jewelry Collection, selected by Cyndi Lauper from creations made by renowned designer Udi Behr, is currently in production and will launch this June. In addition, through the True Colors Fund, $1 of every ticket sold will once again be donated to HRC.
The Human Rights Campaign is the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization with more than 700,000 members and supporters nationwide. HRC works to secure equal rights for LGBT individuals and families at the federal and state levels by lobbying elected officials, mobilizing grassroots supporters, educating Americans, investing strategically to elect fair-minded officials and partnering with other LGBT organizations.
"Thanks to the overwhelming success of the first True Colors tour last year, we were able to send a loud and unmistakable message to all Americans that it is past time our federal hate crimes laws be updated to include sexual orientation and gender identity. This year, we are going to build on the grassroots power of the tour by launching a massive, nonpartisan voter outreach campaign that will educate, engage and organize equality voters in this year’s election," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "This year’s True Colors Tour will provide us with an historic opportunity to organize our community to achieve a powerful voice in the 2008 elections."
The True Colors Tour is presented by Logo and produced by True Colors Concerts, LLC in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign.
Logo, the leading digital cable channel and online source of entertainment from MTV Networks for the LGBT audience, is now available in 30 million homes and has 130 advertising partners supporting the channel which features a mix of original and acquired shows, movies and news.
"Cyndi Lauper helped make MTV famous 25 years ago and Logo is thrilled to partner with her today to help promote fairness and understanding," said Lisa Sherman, Executive Vice President, General Manager, Logo. –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
