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BY BILLY SUTER
FRESH after the announcement that Cat Stevens will be touring South Africa later this year (see separate story under MUSIC on my site), comes news of a December double bill tour by recording stars Brian McKnight and Brandy.
Billed as Legends of R&B, the concert has been arranged by Big Concerts. It will open at Pretoria’s Sun Arena, Times Square, on December 9, then will move on to the TicketproDome in Johannesburg on December 10. Final performances will be at Cape Town’s GrandWest, Grand Arena, on December 12 and at Durban’s ICC Arena on December 14.
Tickets for the tour, which is also presented by East Coast Radio, 947, Kfm 94.5, Channel 24 and Mzansi Magic, go on sale from 9am on Wednesday, August 2, from Big Concerts and Computicket outlets.
Tickets for the Durban concert are priced from R425 to R845. Ticket prices for the concerts elsewhere start at R480.
McKnight has earned himself a spot in contemporary music history. He has released 17 albums to date, with several going twice-platinum and three times- platinum, and he has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.
In addition to being a singer, songwriter and producer, McKnight is also a talented and charismatic personality who has hosted Soul Session Countdown with Brian McKnight on BETJ.
In addition, The Brian McKnight Morning Show on KTWV, the Wave Smooth Jazz radio station, was a Top 5-rated show two years running.
McKnight has also used his vast industry knowledge as a red carpet host for Extra!, and in 2007 he appeared on Broadway in a successful run as Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago.
Now to mark his 25th anniversary as a recording artist, McKnight will debut his 18th album, Genesis, on August 25. It will feature the single, Forever.
Brandy has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide (including the five times-platinum selling Never Say Never) and is ranked as one of the best-selling female artists in American music history by the RIAA, having sold more than 11 million albums in the US.
During her reign she recorded five albums and has also earned scores of awards, including a Grammy, an AMA, two Soul Train Music Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, three Billboard Awards, four MTV Awards, six Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, two Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, and three BMI Awards.
Late last year, Brandy released Beggin & Pleadin, a bluesy soul melody. More is to come as Brandy works towards recording her seventh studio album.
.....SoSuterBill..... 