The legendary vocal group Manhattan Transfer is set to perform a benefit concert for the Society of Singers (SOS) on September 11, at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood.
SOS is celebrating 25 years of supporting singers through pensions, unions, medical insurance and places to turn for financial help during tough times.
“Manhattan Transfer has represented the state-of-the-art in vocal music for as long as the Society of Singers has existed, so we are honored that they’ve agreed to help us celebrate this important anniversary,” says Jerry F. Sharell, president and chief executive officer of the Society.
The Manhattan Transfer, which consists of Tim Hauser, Janis Siegel, Alan Paul and Cheryl Bentyne, was founded more than 35 years ago by Hauser, who dreamed of blending jazz, R&B, pop, rock ‘n’ roll, salsa and swing into a vocal group without limits. The group has released more than two dozen albums, enjoyed 18 charting singles (including the Top 10 pop hit “The Boy from New York City”) and won eight Grammy Awards in a variety of categories; in 1981, they became the first group to win Grammys in both pop and jazz categories in a single year. Four Quarters Entertainment will release Manhattan Transfer’s new CD entitled The Chick Corea Songbook in September.
The Society of Singers was founded by Chairman Emeritus Ginny (Mrs. Henry) Mancini and Gilda Maiken Anderson when the two friends, both of them former professional singers, realized that many of their friends and colleagues were without insurance or any sort of safety net to support them through difficult times. With the help of donations from private and corporate sponsors, SOS works to meet the emergency needs of applicants who have earned their primary living as singers for five years or more. SOS also awards scholarships to students pursuing their education in the vocal arts.
The benefit concert will take place at the El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, on Friday, September 11, 2009. The concert begins at 8:00 p.m., preceded by a Mirassou wine and hors d’oeuvres reception open to guests who buy $200 premium tickets. Other tickets are available for $150 (premium seating), $100 and $50 (limited seating).
For more ticket information, please contact Judy Varley at (818) 995-7100, or email sos@singers.org.
Additional information about the Society of Singers is available at www.singers.org.
