WHAT:       

BET Networks will host its third Annual Faith-Based Prayer Breakfast Friday, March 15, 2013 to kick off this year’s “CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL.” This special breakfast was created to unite various religions, cultures and denominations together the day before the taping of the show. Participants include Grammy® winning gospel artist Dorinda Clark Cole, RCA gospel recording artist Deon Kipping, comedian Nikita B., Columbia Tristar Pictures executive and author DeVon Franklin, and is hosted by entertainment personality Fonzworth Bentley.

The televised praise party “CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL” tapes Saturday, March 16, 2013 and is hosted by popular actor, author and comedian Steve Harvey.  The two-hour special pays tribute to the rich history of gospel music in a unique format that combines today's leading gospel and secular artists with legendary musician Ray Chew serving as Musical Director.

WHO:         

Friday’s Prayer Breakfast Participants

Fonzworth Bentley  - Host
Named by GQ magazine as the First Gentleman of Hip Hop, Fonzworth Bentley, born Derek Watkins, is an artist and pop culture style icon. This artist, author, actor, producer and entrepreneur, will continue to shape the world with his mission to educate and entertain others through Kingdom inspired projects in film, television and stage.


Dorinda Clark Cole - Prayer
Dorinda Clark Cole is a three-time Grammy® award winner, as well as a Stellar Award and Lady of Soul Train Award winner. Not only does she have a show on the TCT Network, “The Dorinda Show,” but she also hosts a syndicated radio show “Serving up Soul,” a music and lifestyle gospel radio show. She is also the founder of the Annual Singers and Musicians Conference and member of the world renowned gospel group The Clark Sisters.

Deon Kipping – Musical performance
Deon Kipping is RCA Record’s platinum selling recording artist whose works to date include the smash single “Incredible God,” and the platinum Marvin Sapp smash “Praise Him In Advance.”

Nikita B – Comedy performance
Nikita has opened for the comedian greats such as Rodney Perry, Broderick Rice, Chris Thomas, Nick Lewis, DS Sanders, Tone X, Chris “Funny Man” Robinson, Queen Aisha and Vanessa Fraction to name a few.

DeVon Franklin - Words of exhortation, prayer and the benediction
DeVon Franklin is not only the highest-ranking studio executive of color but one of the youngest overall. He is Senior Vice President of Columbia Tristar Pictures & Author of the bestselling book, “Produced by Faith: Enjoy Real Success Without Losing Your True Self.”

Added to the star-studded list of “CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL” show performers on Saturday are Oscar® nominated actress Viola Davis and gospel artists Smokie Norful and Jason Nelson.  In addition to the newly added talent, the house will be filled with joyful praise and stunning performances by Pastor Shirley Caesar, Donnie McClurkin, Dorinda Clark Cole, Karen Clark Sheard and her daughter Kierra “Kiki” Sheard, Yolanda Adams, Tamar Braxton, Israel Houghton & New Breed, Isaac Carree, Canton Jones, Da T.R.U.T.H., Charles Jenkins & Fellowship Choir, “SUNDAY BEST” finalist Jessica Reedy and “SUNDAY BEST” winners Joshua Rogers and Le’Andria Johnson, Kurt Carr & the Kurt Carr Singers, Rance Allen, Anthony Brown & Group Therapy, Tamela Mann, Tye Tribbett and Dr. Bobby Jones.

WHEN/WHERE:   

BET Networks Third Annual Faith-Based Prayer Breakfast 
Friday, March 15, 2013
8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 

The Omni Hotel – Bunker Hill Ballroom
251 S. Olive St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

“CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL” red carpet and televised taping                   

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Media check-in:  4:00 p.m.-5:00p.m.
Red carpet:  5:00 p.m.-6:30p.m.
Show taping:  7:00 p.m.
                   
The Orpheum Theater
 842 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, California 90014

All media outlets interested in covering the above events MUST submit requests via email to Zabrina Horton at zabrina.horton@bet.net  or Keesha Wallace at keesha.wallace@bet.net by Wednesday, March 13, 2013.

For more information on “CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL” visit www.bet.com/celebrationofgospel.  Viewers can also find updates on Facebook by liking the fan pages at http://www.facebook.com/BETGospel or following @BETGospel and @BET_PR on Twitter. For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and photographs, visit BET’s press web site at www.betpressroom.com.

About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.