Motown featured at Gulf Coast Summer Fest 2015

Press release: Labor Day signifies the end of the summer season, and event planners in Pensacola are celebrating in style and song over the long holiday weekend by hosting Gulf Coast Summer Fest 2015.

The popular annual concert series is know for bringing top R&B, Jazz and Blues musicians to Pensacola and attracting visitors from across the Southeast. This year’s Gulf Coast Summer Fest will take place at the Pensacola Bay Center, 201 East Gregory Street, on Saturday, September 5.

The night’s headliner is Grammy-Award winning legend Gladys Knight, followed by the Grammy-Award winning group the Whispers and singer Stephanie Mills.

“This is an exciting lineup of popular, talented singers. To have three Grammy-Award winning performers take the stage in one night is pretty remarkable,” said William “Cadillac” Banks, promoter of Gulf Coast Summer Fest. “It’s rare to get acts like these together in one show, and we’re just proud to be bringing top-of-the-line entertainment to the Pensacola Bay Area.”

Knight is known as the Empress of Soul and has produced several number one hits over her four-decade long musical career, including “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “Love Overboard.” She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

The Whispers are a pop R&B group that began in the ‘60s, best known for the number one hit singles ”Rock Steady” and “And the Beat Goes On.” The group has produced 12 Top 20 singles and 40 charted hits and was inducted in the SoulMusic Hall of Fame in 2012.

Stephanie Mills, a Broadway star, gospel and soul singer, is known for her hit song “Home” from the Broadway musical “The Wiz” and her Grammy-Award winning R&B hit “Never Knew Love Like This Before.”

Promoters will literally be rolling out the red carpet for concertgoers attending this year’s Gulf Coast Summer Fest. Banks says the entrance to the Pensacola Bay Center will be set to look like an awards show with a red carpet and photographers.

The special night of music begins at 8 p.m., but doors open at 6:30 p.m. Ticket prices begin at $37.50 and are on sale at Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com and the Pensacola Bay Center by calling 850-745-3000.