Eleven-time Grammy-winner Shirley Caesar, dubbed The First Lady of Gospel, has been giving soul-stirring performances for over 60 years. Raised in Durham, North Carolina, Caesar began singing as a young girl in church and went on to perform as a member of the Caravans, a leading female Gospel group of the 1960s. Caesar has been honored everywhere from Oprah Winfrey’s Legend’s Ball to Broadway to The White House; she gave a now infamous speech on the evolution of Gospel Music to the US Treasury Department. Renowned for her enthusiastic live performances and recently inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, “the energy transmitted between her and her audience makes most rock’n’roll fanaticism seem like empty piety.” (San Francisco Examiner) Caesar’s 41st album, I Know the Truth, includes a mix of hip hop, church and quartet, and she continues to work as the pastor at Mt. Calvary Word of Faith in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Gospel for Teens is a program of The Mama Foundation for the Arts and Vy Higginsen’s School of Gospel, Jazz and R&B Arts for youth ages 13 to 19. Founded by writer and producer Higginsen as well as gospel legend Dr. Emily “Cissy” Houston (Whitney’s mother), the young group has performed throughout New York City at Lincoln Center, the Apollo Theater and the American Museum of Natural History.
Venue Information:
The BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival is one of New York City's longest running, free, outdoor performing arts festivals and is held every summer at the Prospect Park Bandshell. View seating arrangements here.
All Performances Rain or Shine. In the event of dangerous weather we will be communicating updates on our website, Facebook, and Twitter.
To learn more about our COVID-Safety precautions, visit our FAQ page.