Teri L. Sullivan
WKNO Promotions Manager
(901) 729-8735
tlsullivan@wkno.org
December 21, 2010
For Immediate Release
WKNO PRESENTS LIVE NEW YEAR’S EVE SHOW ON BEALE STREET
This year, viewers in the Mid-South and region will be able to ring in the New Year from one of the most famous musical streets in the world, Beale Street in Memphis, TN, the home of the blues and the birthplace of rock & roll.
WKNO is producing LIVE! Beale Street on New Year’s Eve, which will be presented live on public television stations throughout Tennessee and Arkansas. This live broadcast, which airs from 11:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on WKNO/Channel 10, will be hosted by Willy Bearden and Southern Routes host Bonnie Kourvelas, and will provide a unique look at the rich history of Beale Street through video segments, live interviews and, of course, the live view from Beale Street itself.
The broadcast includes a traditional countdown to midnight with fireworks and the dropping of the Giant Guitar. Revelers will also be invited to “come bury your blues” by dropping mementos and notes into a symbolic coffin. (Viewers at home will be able to bury their blues by emailing buryyourblues@bealestreet.com). The celebration continues after midnight.
LIVE! Beale Street on New Year’s Eve is sponsored by Pepsi, Performa Entertainment, Budweiser, Beale Street Merchants Association, City of Memphis and First Tennessee.
This unique New Year’s Eve celebration captures the flavor, the sounds, and the story of Memphis’ Beale Street. Viewers will be treated to live reports from the street with correspondent Savannah Bearden, an interview with club owner Thomas "Silky" Sullivan, a survey of the acts currently performing on Beale, and an introduction to the Legends of Beale.
Willy Bearden, award-winning documentary filmmaker, contributes video segments detailing the history of Beale Street, including the Withers Museum, the Brass Note Walk of Fame, the lives of the working musicians as well as the people behind the scenes.
“We welcome this opportunity to share the culture, the music, and the excitement of Beale Street this New Year’s Eve,” said Michael J. LaBonia, WKNO’s President and CEO. “And we’re proud to be able to share this live experience with viewers across the region.”
In addition to airing on public television stations in Tennessee and Arkansas, LIVE! Beale Street on New Year’s Eve is also being offered to public television stations throughout the country through the National Educational Television Association (NETA).
WKNO is a non-profit, private foundation serving the Mid-South for more than 50 years.
An important community resource, WKNO uses the power of non-commercial public broadcasting to provide the Mid-South with quality educational and cultural programs that inform, entertain, and inspire. For more information: wkno.org.
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