I’m excited to be heading to the taping of CBS’ early show to watch Maxwell perform before jumping on his (almost) sold out 14 city tour.  However, I think I'm more excited that the taping is not really early, but at 12 noon!

Joining him is Grammy Award-winning Def Jam recording artist Chrisette Michele, who continues to tour the U.S. aggressively this summer in support of her brand new second album EPIPHANY – which has debuted at number one.  I became a fan of Chrisette after her debut Album I AM, and although I like the song Epiphany, I think the 2nd album is much like the first...however, she is a dynamic live performer which is why Ms. Michelle has been chosen as the opening for Maxwell’s 8-year comeback album, BLACKsummers’night.

Chrisette’s 20-day, 14-city tour with Maxwell opens July 12^th at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and concludes at Miami’s Waterfront Theater on July 31^st.  (Please see dates below.)  The tour immediately follows Chrisette’s most recent 17-city May-June itinerary with fellow Grammy winner Anthony Hamilton and neo-soulman Musiq Soulchild.  2009 marks the third consecutive summer that Chrisette has won prime billing spots on tour – after playing out with Raheem DeVaughan from May-July 2008, and with Musiq in July-August 2007.

EPIPHANY debuted at #1 Soundscan following its arrival in the physical and digital marketplace on May 5^th.  The album built on the success of its Top 10 Adult R&B title tune hit “Epiphany (I’m Leaving),” co-written by fellow Def Jam artist Ne-Yo and producer Chuck Harmony.  The second single was “What You Do” (featuring Ne-Yo), whose video co-starred Pooch Hall of the CW sitcom The Game. 

Chrisette celebrated EPIPHANY’s breakthrough with tv appearances in May on CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman, NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and the CBS Early Show.  In April, she appeared on VH1 Soulstages: Chrisette Michele presented by Infiniti. Chrisette also taped an AOL Music Sessions which will air later this month.

EPIPHANY follows up Chrisette’s RIAA gold debut album I AM (released June 2007). The album, produced by multi-platinum 10-time Grammy Award winner Babyface, contained the R&B and AC hits “If I Have My Way,” “Best Of Me” and “Be OK” (featuring will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas).  “Be OK” went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance.  Full-length versions of “If I Have My Way” and “Best Of Me” can be heard on Chrisette’s MySpace site, http://www.myspace.com/chrisettemichele, along with three other tracks from I AM (“Love Is You,” “Your Joy,” “Good Girl”) as well as “Epiphany (I’m Leaving).”  The MySpace site has logged more than 3.1 million Profile Views, and more than 9.5 million Total Plays.

Tour Dates:

Date                City                             Venue                        

July      12        Nashville, TN               Ryman Auditorium

            13        Louisville, KY              Louisville Palace Theatre

            15        Columbus, OH             Palace Theater

            16        Cleveland, OH             Allen Theater

            18        Pittsburgh, PA              Heinz Hall

            19        Buffalo, NY                  Shea’s Performing Arts Center

            21        Albany, NY                  The Palace

            22        Newark, NJ                 NJ Performing Arts Center

            24        Atlantic City, NJ           Borgata Events Center

            25        Ledyard, CT                Foxwoods Casino

            27        Norfolk, VA                 Chrysler Hall

            28        Savannah, GA              Johnny Mercer

            30        Clearwater, FL             Ruth Eckerd Hall

            31        Miami, FL                    Waterfront Theater