Music Icon, Multi-Grammy Winner James Ingram to Perform at MCCA Diversity Gala

Music Icon, Multi-Grammy Winner James Ingram to Perform at
Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) Diversity Gala
Event takes place on Friday, July 25, 2014 at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON D.C. – Music icon, multi-Grammy award-winner and back-to-back Oscar nominee, James Ingram will sing at the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) Diversity Gala on July 25, 2014, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.  The Gala is MCCA’s premier awards program honoring leaders in the legal profession for diversity and inclusion.

From funk and soul to R&B, pop, adult contemporary and inspirational, Ingram’s multi-faceted talents have dazzled the American music scene since the early ‘80s. The Akron, Ohio native went from playing local bars with Revelation Funk to Los Angeles, where he landed the types of gigs that most aspiring musicians only dream about: singing background vocals and playing piano for Ray Charles’ recording studio sessions; and recording studio sessions and playing keyboards behind the Coasters for Dick Clark.

His early success led to a relationship with Quincy Jones, who invited Ingram to record both “Just Once” and “One Hundred Ways” on Jones’ upcoming album, The Dude. Released in 1980, The Dude was a multi-platinum international success and resulted in three Grammy nominations for Ingram: Best New Artist, Best Pop Male Vocal, and Best R&B Vocal for “One Hundred Ways,” for which he won his first Grammy. Ingram also made Grammy history when, in his first live performance ever as a singer, he performed “Just Once” as the telecast’s opening act, became the first artist to open a Grammy ceremony with a ballad and the only artist to win a Grammy without having his own album in release. The Dude remains the most Grammy-nominated album in history and marked the first of 15 nominations Ingram has received to date.

After this stunning debut, Ingram’s much-anticipated 1983 solo album, It’s Your Night, surpassed industry expectations. The album was the debut for the Michael McDonald collaboration “Yah Mo Be There,” (Ingram’s 2nd Grammy) which was honored with the Grammy for Best R&B Performance for a Group or Duo.  It’s Your Night sold nearly one million copies; secured an unprecedented achievement by appearing simultaneously on both The Top 20 Pop and The Top 5 R&B Charts. Ultimately, “Yah Mo Be There” became the most-played song of the year.

Ingram’s talents as a songwriter and performer were tapped by some of the most celebrated artists of the era, most prominent was his “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” for Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982). As a song writer, Ingram has received Grammy recognition for his participation on the song entitled “Good Life, in the “Best Rap Song” category, performed by Kanye West (featuring T-Pain) in 2007. He performed “Baby Come To Me,” with Patti Austin (1984) on her debut album, which went on to become a No. 1 Pop record. Other chart-topping, Top 10 collaborations include “The Secret Garden,” the No.1 hit with Barry White, Al B. Sure and El Debarge on Quincy Jones’ multi-platinum Back on the Block album, (1990).

Hollywood soon called for Ingram’s wide-ranging songwriting and vocal abilities and several hit singles for blockbuster motion and animated pictures followed. “How Do You Keep The Music Playing” — a songwriting collaboration between Michel Legrand and Marilyn and Alan Bergman, performed by Ingram and Patti Austin – was featured in Best Friends (1982) and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group as well as an Academy Award nomination in the Original Song category.

“Somewhere Out There,” performed by Ingram and Linda Ronstadt for Steven Spielberg’s animated American Tail(1986) also received a Grammy for Song of the Year. Then 1993 and 1994 brought Ingram back-to-back Academy Award nominations. His duets with Dolly Parton, “The Day I Fall in Love,” featured in Beethoven 2 (1993), and Anita Baker, “Look What Love Has Done,” the theme song from Junior (1994), were songwriting collaborations with Carole Bayer Sager and recognized in Oscar’s Original Song category.

The blessings of success also have allowed Ingram to pursue two of his personal passions: humanitarian work and composition for live theater. In 1987, Ingram was hand-picked by Quincy Jones to perform in “We Are the World,” the universal gift and legendary singing and fund-raising effort from the recording industry, which raised more than $100 million in aid for those suffering from famine in Africa. Ingram also continues to work with long-time collaborator, choreographer/producer Debbie Allen on a number of musical projects. Most recently, they partnered on Stand (In the Light) and several musical theater works including “Brothers of the Night, “The Legend” and “Alex in Wonderland.”

To learn more about the MCCA Diversity Gala and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.mcca.com/gala.

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About MCCA
MCCA was founded in 1997 to advance the hiring, retention and promotion of diverse attorneys in legal departments and the law firms that serve them. MCCA accomplishes its mission through publishing, research and training, pipeline initiatives and networking. MCCA’s work has been recognized with awards from the National Minority Business Council, Inc., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National LGBT Bar, and the Association of Corporate Counsel. MCCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C. For more information, go to mcca.com.

About The Kennedy Center
Overlooking the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts produces and presents theater, dance, ballet, orchestral, chamber, jazz, popular, and folk music, in addition to multimedia performances for all ages. It is the busiest performing arts facility in the United States and annually hosts approximately 2,000 performances for audiences totaling nearly two million.