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BayFest Announces Additional Acts

Aug 25th, 2011


BayFest Music Festival announced today a variety of additional acts that will perform at the 2011 Festival. Newly added performers include Wiz Khalifa, B.o.B., NEEDTOBREATHE, All‐4‐One, Wet Willie, Dennis Nelson, Justyna Kelley, Will Kimbrough and Sara Jean Kelley.

Wiz Khalifa is well‐known for his hit single, ʺBlack and Yellow,ʺ which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. His most recent album, Rolling Papers, was released in March 2011 and debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart. In June, Khalifa won Best New Artist at the BET Awards.

B.o.B.’s debut single, ʺNothinʹ on You,ʺ reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. ʺAirplanes,ʺ B.o.Bʹs second single, emulated this success, peaking at number one. His third single, ʺMagic,ʺ became B.o.Bʹs third consecutive top ten hit on the charts. He was nominated for five Grammy Awards in 2010.

NEEDTOBREATHE first reached popularity on the Christian music charts, but has broken into the mainstream pop charts with hit singles like “More Time” and “Something Beautiful.” The band released their third album, The Outsiders, in 2009 to huge success, peaking at number 20 on the Billboard 200. Numerous NEEDTOBREATHE songs have been used on television coverage and for movies.

Dubbed the ʺDukes of R&B,ʺ All‐4‐One has sold 22 million records worldwide. All‐4-Oneʹs hit ʺI Swearʺ won a Grammy Award in 1995 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and enjoyed an eleven‐week run at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It has been named by ASCAP as one of the greatest love songs of the 20th Century.

Formed in the home of BayFest, Wet Willie hit it big with the hit “Keep on Smilin’,” which reached number 10 on the Billboard singles chart. The band followed up with a number of additional hits, including “Weekend,” “Country Side of Life,” and “Everything That ‘Cha Do (Will Come Back to You).”

Local favorite Dennis Nelson has been entertaining audiences for more than 30 years. He earned much of his fame from his band, Finger Roll, which brought him together with Otis Williams of the Temptations. During his collaboration with Williams, Dennis, along with other top producers, was instrumental in the Temptationsʹ album Earresistible, which won a Grammy for Best R&B Traditional Vocals in 2000. His accomplishments also include writing ʺHyperactiveʺ for Robert Palmerʹs Gold/Platinum album Riptide.

Justyna Kelley is best described as lying comfortably along the Sheryl Crow and Colbie Callait continuum. Justyna reaches beyond her good looks with hooks that deliver across a broad range of musical styles. Her debut album, Over the Moon, delivers songs that are easy on the ears and pull heavily on the heart.

Will Kimbrough, a Mobile native, began his musical career as a founding member of Will & the Bushmen. In his quest to develop his musical capacities to their fullest, Will Kimbrough has become a modern‐day Renaissance Man. With songs recorded by Jimmy Buffett, Little Feat and others, Kimbrough’s multidisciplinary approach has led to many desirable collaborations in the studio and on‐stage with well‐known artists.

With a mixture of traditional country, bluegrass and blues, with modern Americana; sultry vocals, and haunting lyrics, Sara Jean Kelley mesmerizes audiences with her 1969 Gibson B25.

These acts join a lineup of previously announced acts that include headliners Toby Keith, KoRn, Jill Scott, Duran Duran, 3 Doors Down, Anthony Hamilton and many more. For a full list of scheduled performers, visit www.bayfest.com.