LIONEL RICHIE TO RECEIVE UNCF AWARD: Singer to be awarded during 31st Evening of Stars on Sept. 12

       The two-hour musical tribute, to be televised nationwide in January 2010, will feature an array of artists performing the songs Richie has made famous.        

       A graduate of Tuskegee University, a UNCF member university, Richie will receive UNCF’s Award of Excellence for his long and distinguished career as a singer-songwriter, record producer and for his history of support for minority education.  He joins previous AEOS honorees Lou Rawls, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson and Patti LaBelle.       

       AEOS performers and participants will be announced in the coming weeks and tickets are currently on sale at Ticketmaster.com.      

       “Lionel Richie’s music makes up the sound track of our lives,” said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D., president and CEO of UNCF.   “He is a national treasure, and we’re proud to claim him, not only as a graduate of our storied member school, Tuskegee University, but as an artist of international renown and a longtime supporter of UNCF and the work we do to make sure that every child in America gets an education that starts in preschool and doesn’t end until college graduation.”  

       Learn more about AEOS at www.uncf.org/aeos.