For the first time ever, leading ladies like Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Leona Lewis – among others – will perform together in New York for a live concert event at 9 p.m. Sept. 17 on VH1. Continuing in true "Divas" tradition, the evening – hosted by Paula Abdul – will feature a night of performances from various performers, presenters and special guests.
Special musical guests for the show include Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper and Martina McBride. Kathy Griffin, Toni Braxton, Ryan Kwanten, Lauren Conrad, Whitney Port and the cast of MGM Film "Fame" (Asher Book, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Kherington Payne, Naturi Naughton, and Walter Perez) have all joined the "VH1 Divas" show as presenters for the evening. The show will also feature Jordin Sparks and Miley Cyrus.
Join divas.vh1.com on Sept. 17 for live blogging coverage before and during the live telecast. Users can also follow all show-related news by following the "VH1 Divas" twitter account at twitter.com.
Premiering on VH1 in 1998, "VH1 Divas" became synonymous with some of the most memorable live female vocal performances in television history. The show quickly became a highly anticipated annual phenomenon, generating speculation among music fans and industry executives on who would be part of that year's telecast. Previous featured performers over the years included Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Cher, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Whitney Houston, Beyonce and Chaka Khan.
As in previous years, this "VH1 Divas" special will raise funds for the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in American public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child's complete education. Since VH1 Save The Music was created in 1997, more than $43 million worth of musical instruments have been donated to 1,600 public schools in 100 cities, improving the lives of more than 1.2 million children.
