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October 25, 2005
Fred Rogers Musical Tribute Lands in Stores Soon;CD features Amy Grant, Crystal Gayle, Roberta Flack, Maureen McGovern, BJ Thomas, Ricky Skaggs and Other Top Artists
Top artists pay tribute to Fred Rogers with ‘Songs from the Neighborhood,’ spotlighting Rogers' prodigious songwriting talent. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Fred Rogers Fund. Retail digipak includes “Making of” DVD; available nationwide in November.
(PRWEB) October 21, 2005 -- "Songs from the Neighborhood: The Music of Mister Rogers," a starry musical tribute to the amazing song- writing talents of Mister Fred Rogers, will be on retail stores shelves by mid-November. The release, which features an audio CD and “making of” music DVD featuring behind-the-scenes interviews with all of the artists,will be available wherever music is sold.
A portion of proceeds from the sale of Songs from the Neighborhood will be donated to the non-profit Fred Rogers Fund, at Family Communications, Inc. When Joanne Rogers, Fred's widow, heard the CD she was thrilled: "It was such a wonderful experience to hear this recording. I loved every single song.”
Twelve top artists - who together have earned more than 70 Grammy and Dove Awards – translated their love for Mister Rogers by recording all-new arrangements of Mister Rogers’ songs. The artists include Amy Grant, BJ Thomas, Bobby Caldwell, CeCe Winans, Crystal Gayle, Donna Summer, John Pizzarelli, Jon Secada, Maureen McGovern, Ricky Skaggs, Roberta Flack, and introducing, Toni Rose. Dennis Scott, a Grammy Award recipient, produced the album with styles ranging from pop rock to jazz and bluegrass. The entire ensemble joins together for the last track, “Thank You for Being You,” an original song by Dennis Scott. “The making of” DVD will also be included as a bonus, featuring artists performing their song and candid interviews and stories about their fondest memories of Mister Rogers."Songs from the Neighborhood" offers families a soundtrack for living – these are songs to share in the car, at home, and during those quiet snuggle-up moments that parents, grandparents and children cherish. Adults will enjoy and appreciate the new musical arrangements, and the lyrics will help reinforce a child’s self-esteem.
Two years after his passing, Fred Rogers remains an American icon. In fact, the third most requested item by visitors at the Smithsonian Institution is Mister Rogers’ red sweater, hand-knitted by his mom. His show is still the longest-running program on PBS television. Children everywhere continue to smile when they hear Fred sing, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
The national retail release will feature a dual disc digi-pak including an audio CD and DVD, which will be available at retail for a suggested price of $17.98. Song lyrics, sound samples and artist information are available at www.songsfromtheneighborhood.com. The retail distributor is Nostalgia Ventures, Inc.: www.nostalgiaventures.com or 800-886-0551.
"Songs from the Neighborhood: The Music of Fred Rogers" is on the Grammy Award balloting this fall in two categories: Album of the Year and Best Musical Album for Children.
About the Artists
The artists on Songs from the Neighborhood remember Mister Rogers fondly and offer up fresh interpretations of his songwriting. These new versions by Grammy Award-winning producer Dennis Scott point to the depth of these beloved songs. All are Fred Rogers originals that were performed on "Mister Rogers Neighborhood." One new composition, "Thank You for Being You," was written by Dennis Scott and features the entire ensemble of guest artists in a heartfelt tribute to the man who means so much to both children and grownups everywhere.
KEYWORDS [ Mister Rogers
Posted by BIGBAER at October 25, 2005 02:23 PM
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