Grand Prix Has Local Flare To Entertainment Lineup

DETROIT (WWJ) - A number of well-known local performers -- including some legendary Motor City acts -- will add to an impressive entertainment lineup at the June 1-3 Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix.

Motown pioneers the Four Tops will perform the United States National Anthem prior to the start of the IZOD IndyCar Series race on Sunday. Known for their numerous hits including "Baby I Need Your Loving" and "Reach Out I'll Be There," the Four Tops have come to symbolize the Motown sound.

Thornetta Davis, another Detroit-born music icon, will sing the Canadian National Anthem prior to the start of the IndyCar race. Known for her soulful blues vocals, Davis has performed on the national stage and has collaborated with such famous Detroit-area artists as Bob Seger and Kid Rock.

Senior Master Sergeant Mark Kaufman of the 127th Civil Engineering Squadron at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township will sing both the U.S. and Canadian National Anthems before the GRAND-AM Rolex Series race on Saturday.

A diverse collection of talent will also perform on the MotorCity Casino Hotel Entertainment Stage throughout race weekend, located inside the Meijer Family Fun Zone. Some popular local acts will join the previously announced weekend headliners, which include Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, the B-52s and Ronnie Dunn.

Singer and songwriter Frankie D'Angelo will take the stage in the morning on Friday. A native Detroiter, D'Angelo has played all across the country in pop-rock bands and opened for big names like The Killers, KISS, Fall Out Boy and Everclear.

Motown cover band Serieux will also entertain the crowd on Friday with hits from the Motown era, complete with costumes and synchronized dance moves. Based in Detroit, the group pays tribute to music that made Detroit famous around the world. They've opened for legends like Earth, Wind and Fire, the Four Tops, the Neville Brothers and K.C. and the Sunshine Band and they'll set the stage for Mitch Rider and the Detroit Wheels on Friday night.

Robin Horlock will be the first music act on the stage on Saturday. From original acoustic music to rock covers, Horlock has displayed a wide range of musical ability as a singer and songwriter that performs all over metro Detroit.

Cover band 80's Inc, will keep the music flowing with their renditions of techno and rock hits from bands like Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Duran Duran, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake and Def Leppard. They're the perfect band to open up for the B-52s on the MotorCity Casino Hotel Entertainment Stage on Saturday evening.

Second Ebenezer Gospel Choir will get the morning started on Sunday followed by Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences Choir, recently profiled on NBC's "Today Show" and known of their popular take on the Jay-Z hit song, with a distinct Motor City flare -- "Detroit State of Mind."

British Beat 66, will take the stage next on Sunday. Playing covers of songs from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five and Freddie & the Dreamers, British Beat 66 puts their own twist on classics.

Country music star Ronnie Dunn, formerly of Brooks & Dunn, will entertain fans with his music prior to the start of the IndyCar race before British Beat 66 comes back to close the full weekend of entertainment on Belle Isle after all the racing action has concluded.

The marching band from Detroit's Martin Luther King High School will also be on-site on Sunday and will be performing in the Meijer Family Fun Zone, the race paddock, around the Scott Fountain and during pre-race ceremonies.

For more information and a complete listing of entertainment acts, visit www.DetroitGP.com.