The Virtual “Gospel City Playlist” Concert Series Will Showcase Award-Winning Gospel Singers to Raise Money for Ronald McDonald House Charities®

(Black PR Wire) CHICAGO – In honor of Gospel Music Heritage Month, which takes place annually in September, McDonald’s is serving inspiration with a side of friendly banter for music fans of all ages. Starting Sept. 19 through Oct. 10, the 15th annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration® Gospel Tour, a long-standing event that is fostering community through the deeply rooted tradition of gospel music, will take place virtually every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on BET Network’s YouTube channel and BET.com.

Brought to fans by McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden movement, award-winning gospel artists hailing from the Gulf Coast, West Coast, Carolinas and DMV regions will put their talent and artistry on full display while showing which region produces the greatest gospel hitmakers and hits. Multi-award-winning musician and syndicated radio personality Lonnie Hunter will host the four-part “Gospel City Playlist” series, featuring legendary gospel artists like Tasha Cobbs-Leonard and Israel Houghton, and rising gospel artists like Mali Music and Pastor Mike Jr., among many others.

For the first time in tour history, fans can watch the show from the McDonald’s app while reppin’ their city. Ahead of each show, fans can also experience a virtual red carpet hosted by social media comedian @NotKarltonBanks who will perform lively skits, host spirited interviews with tour artists and give viewers a peek behind-the-scenes.  

“Faith and inspiration are a core part of gospel music, and an integral part of McDonald’s community-based gospel tour,” said Erica Campbell, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and 2021 McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour performer. “Communities need inspiration, and I am proud to join such an amazing line-up of artists to help reach gospel music lovers nationwide.”

Each year, the concert series helps raise awareness of Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) and its mission to improve the health and well-being of children and their families, which is critically important today as the country continues battling COVID-19. Virtual concert goers will be able to donate to RHMC live at RMHC.org/ICGT2021.  McDonald's has supported RMHC for more than 40 years as the founding mission partner and continues to support global charity in a variety of ways. Since 2012, The McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration® Gospel Tour has raised more than $1.08M to help families stay close when their children are ill.

“We are excited to make the tour virtual for the second year as we celebrate 15 years of the awesome McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour,” said Harry Smith, Indiana McDonald’s Owner/Operator and Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour Owner/Operator chair. “We are committed to feeding and fostering the communities in which we operate, and this longstanding, free celebration of gospel music is one of the many ways we are uplifting and encouraging our guests, crew members and community.”

A full list of the 2021 tour dates and artist lineup follow:

September 19: Gulf Coast

• Bri Babineaux 
• DOE
• Jonathan Nelson
• L Spencer Smith
• Pastor Mike Jr.
• Sir the Baptist

September 26: West Coast

• Erica Campbell
• Dawkins & Dawkins 
• Dewayne Woods 
• Israel Houghton 
• Lena Byrd Miles 
• Mali Music 

October 3: Carolinas

• Blanche McCallister Dykes 
• Isaac Carree 
• John P. Kee 
• Melvin Crispell III 
• Tasha Cobbs-Leonard 

October 10: DMV

• Anthony Brown 
• JJ Hairston 
• Maurette Brown Clark 
• Patrick Riddick 

Visit www.blackandpositivelygolden.com for streaming information and additional details. Follow @WeAreGolden on Instagram for tour updates and to join the conversation around which playlist is best using #blackandpositivelygolden.

About McDonald’s USA Community Efforts

The McDonald’s 15th Annual Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour is just one of many company initiatives created to connect with the communities McDonald’s serves. These efforts also include webinars such as Classroom Convos, which focus on topics currently impacting Asian and Pacific Islander American students, the HACER® Education Tour, which provides information to navigate the college application process, the Black & Positively Golden Mentors Program, which pairs industry leaders with up-and-coming changemakers in the same fields, and the Archways to Opportunity program for restaurant crew which provides educational resources to eligible employees at participating U.S. restaurants. Together, with Owner/Operators, we are feeding and fostering our communities.

About McDonald's USA

McDonald's serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 25 million customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Instagram at @WeAreGolden and Facebook www.facebook.com/mcdonalds. To learn more about the Black & Positively Golden initiative, visit www.mcdonalds.com.  

About Ronald McDonald House Charities

Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®), is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation that creates, finds, and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. Through its global network of nearly 260 Chapters in more than 64 countries and regions, and its three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House®, the Ronald McDonald Family Room® and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, RMHC helps families with sick children stay together, and close to the medical care their child needs at leading hospitals worldwide. RMHC programs not only provide access to quality health care, they enable family- centered care ensuring families are fully supported and actively involved in their children’s care. For more information, visit rmhc.org. Follow RMHC on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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