RCA Inspiration (RCAI) joins forces with the 13^th annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour and Dr Pepper^® this year to spotlight undiscovered talent and empower local communities with celebratory Golden Voice Talent Showcases and in-depth Master Classes in select cities. Local talent in each city will audition for a chance to perform at Golden Voice Talent Showcases in Atlanta and Tallahassee, where they will have the opportunity to win the night’s top prize. The Master Classes will be two-hour sessions delivering an inside look of the music industry from McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour talent, with classes being held in Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and Tallahassee. The Golden Voice Talent Showcases, Master Classes, and McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour are an extension of the McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden campaign, an initiative that shines a brilliant light on Black excellence through the areas of empowerment, education and entrepreneurship.

The intrepid influence of Gospel music will continue to be celebrated and uplift communities when McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour arrives in Atlanta, home to a vast array of musical talent. Running June 21-22, the full slate of daytime and evening activities in Atlanta include a Golden Voice Pop-Up Talent Showcase, Master Class, and the Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert. The beloved, long-running Gospel music tour is free to the public, with tickets available for download now at http://blackandpositivelygolden.com.

Golden Voice Talent Showcase Pop-Up Event

Holding the first-ever Golden Voice Talent Showcase Pop-Up in Atlanta, aspiring, undiscovered talent will have the opportunity to rock the stage in front of a live audience and gospel music industry vets,
Friday, June 21 at 7 p.m. at the Riverside EpiCenter (135 Riverside Parkway, Austell, GA).

Contestants will face a judging panel featuring McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour talent and musical trailblazers, Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard, and Sir the Baptist, who will narrow down the finalists and crown the top three winners of the Atlanta showcase.

Competitors will perform for the chance to win the Black & Positively Golden grand prize – which includes an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour concert pre-show in Atlanta on June 22 and $1,000 cash prize, among other items. Second Place and Third Place winners will also take home special prizes.

Registration is now open and spots are limited. Those ages 18 and over in Metro Atlanta are encouraged to sign up to audition at http://blackandpositivelygolden.com.

“Up-and-coming singers, we want to see your talent,” said gospel music powerhouse Kierra Sheard. “We want to spotlight your excellence and empower you to use your gift to uplift your community, which is what the Black & Positively Golden campaign is all about. On behalf of all the judges, we encourage you to take a chance on yourself. Warm up your vocal chords and register to audition for the talent showcase now!”

McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour Master Classes

Donald Lawrence, Kierra Sheard, Sir the Baptist and an RCAI executive will share their vast career knowledge with those who aspire to break into the music industry, during a free Master Class, moderated by tour host and media personality Lonnie Hunter. The Atlanta session will take place on Saturday, June 22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church (6400 Woodrow Rd, Lithonia, GA). To sign up for the Master Class, visit http://blackandpositivelygolden.com.

The next Master Class will be held in Washington, D.C. on July 27, and the Tallahassee Golden Voice Talent Showcase and Master Class will take place October 4-5.

These additions to the Inspiration Celebration Gospel tour are just some of the ways McDonald’s continues to change for the better and demonstrates its ongoing commitment to the community. For more information on the tour and the Black & Positively Golden ongoing movement, follow @WeAreGolden on Instagram.

You can also celebrate the journey by following @RCAInspiration on Instagram and tag hashtags #wearegolden #blackmusicmonth #blackculture #blackmusic.

Media Contacts:

For RCA Inspiration

W&W Public Relations

Aliya Crawford / Aliya@w-wpr.com

Jacinda Chen / Jacinda@w-wpr.com

For McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour

Burrell Communications Group

Paris Ivory-Taylor / pivory@burrell.com

Bria Purdiman / bpurdiman@burrell.com

About RCA Inspiration

RCA Inspiration is the Gospel label operating under Provident Music Group, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Presenting the very best in Gospel and Inspirational Music, RCA Inspiration is the home of top artists Donald Lawrence, Donnie McClurkin, Israel Houghton, Koryn Hawthorne, Marvin Sapp, Travis Greene, and many more. Visit https://rcainspiration.com/.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to more than 25 million customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Instagram at@WeAreGolden and Facebook www.facebook.com/mcdonalds. To learn more about the Black & Positively Golden initiative, visitwww.blackandpositivelygolden.com.