Rock Hall Pays Tribute To Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With Free Admission, Performances, Film Screen

CLEVELAND (January 8, 2013) – To celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will once again open its doors to the public free of charge on Monday, January 21 in a celebration of community spirit and civic pride. This marks the 12th straight year that the Museum offers FREE admission to the public. The Rock Hall’s Community Festivals are sponsored by KeyBank.

The Rock Hall will be open from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Visitors to the Museum will have the opportunity to tour the facility free of charge until closing. Throughout the day an array of entertainment will take place at the Museum, including a continuous film screening in the Foster Theater of the complete “I Have a Dream” speech from August 28, 1963. Music will begin on the Main Stage shortly after the Museum opens and will include performances by the Distinguished Gentlemen of the Spoken Word, all-female band Women in the Spirit, girl group cover band Tra-la-la, the Antioch Spiritual Arts Choir, solo R&B artist Diamond Carter and multi-platinum artist Bobby V (formally known as Bobby Valentino). The event will be emceed by Jason Walker of Terry Macklin Entertainment.

R&B recording artist Bobby V (formally Bobby Valentino) has had No. 1 singles, platinum and gold albums, has toured the world and has appeared on songs with Lil Wayne and Ludacris, among many others. Five years into a remarkable solo career, Bobby V has experienced the best the music industry has to offer while working with some of the industry’s most successful artists.

Bobby V scored a hit when he was only 15 years old with as one-fourth of the 1990s R&B group Mista with “Blackberry Molasses,” a tune produced by Organized Noize (OutKast, TLC) that became a Top 20 R&B hit. Even with this success, Mista dissolved. Bobby V then enrolled at Clark Atlanta University, where he graduated with a communications degree and developed a keen business sense.

His debut solo album, 2005′s Disturbing Tha Peace Presents Bobby Valentino, earned the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 2007, Bobby V returned with Special Occasion, which featured the Timbaland produced hit, “Anonymous,” and Rodney Jerkins produced, “Turn the Page.” His third album, 2009′s the Rebirth, featured the hit “Beep” and was the first album released on his own Blu Kolla Dreams imprint, in conjunction with Capitol Records, which debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard Hip Hop and R&B chart.

His latest album, Fly on the Wall, released in October 2012, is filled with stories of his remarkable experiences. With production handled by Tim & Bob (Boyz II Men, Michael Jackson), the Pentagon (formerly the Underdogs [Beyonce, Justin Timberlake]), LOS (Usher, the Dream) and Jazze Pha (T.I., Ciara), Fly On The Wall contains the type of polished production accented by live instrumentation that has become Bobby V’s signature.

As his career continues expanding, he makes a point to give back to those who are less fortunate. Through his Bobby V Foundation, the singer encourages people to value and to pursue higher education.

For a list of current exhibits and for more information about this and other Rock Hall events, visit rockhall.com.