Town Hall Presents: “Keeping The Faith: Celebrating 30 Years of Music and Entertainment with Faith Evans” | Feb. 28th, 2025
THE TOWN HALL PRESENTS
KEEPING THE FAITH: CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT WITH SINGER/SONGWRITER FAITH EVANS
Performances include Twinkie Clark, Kim Burrell, Kierra Sheard, and B. Slade with a Special Performance by Faith Evans, with Musical Direction by Composer and Conductor Damien Sneed
The Concert Event Will Support Faith’s Foundation, Ryder’s Room, Inc.
Meet-and-Greet to Be Scheduled with Fans and Supporters Post Concert Engagement
Yale University Presents Faith during Black History Month for Keynote Event Titled, ‘Rooted In Artistry: Music Made to Last’
(New York, NY — February 20, 2024) – On the heels of Black History Month and the beginning of Women’s History Month, the historic Town Hall will present Keeping The Faith: Celebrating 30 Years of Music and Entertainment with Singer/Songwriter Faith Evans featuring tribute performances by multiple Grammy Award-winning recording artist Twinkie Clark and Grammy Award-nominated artists Kim Burrell, Kierra Sheard, and B. Slade. Fifteen years since her last New York City performance, Grammy Award winner Faith will be celebrated and will perform a few of her classic hits, under the musical direction of multiple genre composer and conductor Damien Sneed, along with his critically acclaimed Orchestra of Tomorrow. The much-anticipated concert event will be held on Friday, February 28, 2025, at The Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street (between the Avenue of the Americas and Broadway), New York, NY 10036 at 8:00 p.m. (doors open at 7:00 p.m.).
This year marks the 30th anniversary of her debut album, Faith (1995). The songwriter, arranger, and record producer is the artistic force behind her nine studio albums: Keep The Faith (1998), Faithfully (2001), The First Lady (2005), A Faithful Christmas (2005), Something About Faith (2010), Incomparable (2014) The King & I (2017), her duets album with her late husband, The Notorious B.I.G., and her one compilation album, R&B Divas, featuring Faith, Nicci Gilbert, Monifah Carter, Syleena Johnson, Keke Wyatt, Kelly Price and Fantasia, from the hit reality series of the same title.
With more than 20 million albums sold and counting, Faith has more than 30 top-charting hit singles. Her voice has appeared on nearly 20 soundtracks including “Kissing You” on the Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album; “Somebody Bigger Than You and I” with Whitney Houston featuring Faith, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill and Monica from The Preacher’s Wife: Original Soundtrack Album; “My Everything” with Faith and Barry White on the Money Talks: The Album; “Best Man” on The Best Man: Music from the Motion Picture and numerous others. Faith has also made numerous guest appearances on singles including “Heartbreak Hotel” by Whitney Houston featuring Faith Evans and Kelly Price from Houston’s album, My Love Is Your Love (1998) and the single, “Can’t Believe” with Carl Thomas from Faith’s third album, Faithfully (2001), both singles were nominated for Grammy Awards, respectively.
“We will celebrate Faith Evans as one of the greatest and most prolific songwriters in R&B history,” says Melay Araya, Artistic Director of The Town Hall. “After hearing Ms. Evans and other virtuosic vocalists sing her masterful compositions in a hall built for the human voice is a major highlight of our programming season and a light pointing us towards the path we must take to honor and recognize the great contributions of Black women to the American Songbook. The fact that Faith Evans will be tributed by some of the legends who influenced her is a testament to the respect and importance placed on her work in the continuum of Black Music history.”
“Since the release of Faith Evans’ first self-titled album on August 29, 1995, I have been a huge fan of her work as a phenomenally skilled vocalist, consummate producer, and a highly gifted songwriter,” says Damien Sneed, musical director of the evening’s concert event. “I remember meeting her for the first time backstage while traveling as Karen Clark Sheard’s music director many years ago. Faith is the epitome of musical excellence and embodies living legend status. Her body of work will stand tall throughout generations. It is a tremendous honor to serve as music director for her Town Hall tribute, along with a stellar group of vocalists and my Orchestra of Tomorrow. Friday, February 28, 2025, will go down in history as a night to remember.”
Faith is the author of The New York Times best-selling book, KEEP THE FAITH: A MEMOIR, co-authored by Aliya King, which is the winner of the African American Literary Award for Best Biography/Memoir (2009). An entrepreneur and a TV executive producer, Faith co-created, executive produced and starred in an original reality series, R&B Divas in August 2012. The series became TV One’s cable network most watched original premiere in the history of the network.
The Grammy Award winner for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “I’ll Be Missing You,” a tribute song to her late husband and hip-hop legend Notorious B.I.G., which she performed with Sean Combs and the R&B group, 112. She also co-produced the international anthem, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for eleven weeks.
Faith is also an eight-time Grammy nominated artist. She is the recipient of three Lady of Soul Awards for Best Female R&B/Soul Album for Faith (1996); Best R&B Soul or Rap New Artist for “You Used To Love Me (1996), and Lady of Soul Award (2018). She is also the winner of the MTV Video Music Awards for Best R&B Video, “I’ll Be Missing You,” and a Soul Train Award for Outstanding Music Video for “I’ll Be Missing You.” She is the recipient of Black Music Honors’ Urban Music Icon Award (2018); Barbados Music Awards’ International Lifetime Achievement Awards (2011); Urban Network’s Best New Artist Award (1996); WEEN Awards’ Legend Award (2015); and Women In Hip Hop’s Hip Hop Soul Fusion Award, among numerous others.
The mother of four dedicates much of her time to caring for her son, Ryder, and becoming a full-time autism awareness advocate. Her foundation, Ryder’s Room, Inc. was created to help provide the highest level of resources to children and their families with disabilities and different needs, as well as professionals in the field. Proceeds from the concert will support the Ryder’s Room, Inc. and its various programs and initiatives.
On the Ryder’s Room website, Faith states, “As the mother of a child on the autism spectrum who has gone through several difficulties finding proper schools, activities, and services for my son, I realized the need to use my platform to advocate, but to also use my platform to give back to those that face some of the same challenges, but may not have the information and/or resources to navigate them.”
The evening before Faith’s Town Hall debut, Yale University will present Faith during a Black History Month Keynote event titled, Rooted In Artistry: Music Made to Last. This inspiring discussion will explore Faith’s life, artistry, creativity, and cultural influence, offering an unforgettable experience for attendees. There will also be a Q&A. The event will be held at the Battell Chapel, 400 College Street, New Haven, CT on Thursday, February 27, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 4:30 p.m.).The event is free and open to the public.
The angelic soprano still remains one of popular music’s most desired vocalists in the modern-day era. Shaped by her early beginnings and musical influences in the church choir in Newark, New Jersy, Faith is among only a few performers who have been inextricably linked with the history of soul music and hip-hop. Her virtuosity as an artist is undeniable. When asked by her legion of fans and supporters how she’s survived and come this far, she simply replies, “FAITH.
ABOUT THE TOWN HALL
Town Hall has played a central role in the cultural fabric of New York City since 1921. Built by the League of Political Education—a group of women suffragists—Town Hall originally served as an educational meeting place to discuss important civic issues. From 1935 to 1956, Town Hall hosted “America’s Town Meeting of the Air,” which invited thinkers to discuss complex social, political, and economic issues of the day. Participants included Eleanor Roosevelt and Langston Hughes. Throughout its history, Town Hall has hosted legendary performances that range from Marian Anderson and Nina Simone to Ravi Shankar and Bob Dylan. Now, in the 21st century, our audiences have enjoyed virtual events that have included Anita Hill and Eddie Glaude Jr. and in-person events featuring Eddie Izzard, Twinkie Clark, Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and Samara Joy, among many others.
Gwendolyn Quinn Public Relations