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United Way Thanksgiving Halftime Show

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 get the Motown medley
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to download the halftime medley. Proceeds benefit United Way.


NFL, UNITED WAY & MOTOWN GET MOVING THIS THANKSGIVING

Performances by Melanie Fiona, KEM, Shontelle, Forever the Sickest Kids, Vita Chambers and Hal Linton

Heat Wave – Vita   Aint No Mountain High Enough – Shontelle   I’ll Be There – Melanie Fiona
         
Higher Ground – KEM   I Heard It Through the Grapevine – Hal Linton   Dancing in the Street – Forever the Sickest Kids


NFL fans danced in their seats at home and at Ford Field in Detroit during the 2009 United Way Thanksgiving Day Halftime Show: A Motown 50th Anniversary Tribute. The Motown tribute took place during halftime of the first game of the NFL's Thanksgiving tripleheader when the Detroit Lions hosted the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, November 26 at 12:30 PM ET on FOX.

This special halftime event featured six of the brightest talents from the current roster of Universal Motown Records performing classics from Motown's All-American songbook.

Bringing the unforgettable songs of Motown back to the Motor City were: MELANIE FIONA, who brings together vintage grooves in her debut album; KEM, a leader in the

neo-soul movement with two gold-plus albums and two No. 1 singles; international Top 10 hit singer/songwriter SHONTELLE; and the alternative rock/electronic six-man band FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS. The halftime show also featured two newcomers: VITA CHAMBERS, who honors Motown's classic era with a mix of rock, pop, and soul, and HAL LINTON, who updates the great vocal tradition of Motown's Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder for the new century.

The halftime show set list was taken from the golden era of Motown, the company founded by BERRY GORDY that revolutionized contemporary music in the late Fifties through Seventies with its influential fusion of pop, blues, R&B, rock and gospel elements.

Click here to download a copy of the halftime medley as well as music from each of the artists. Proceeds from the medley benefit United Way.

Melanie Fiona, KEM, Hal Linton, Shontelle and Vita Chambers also joined United Way to volunteer at the Detroit Boys & Girls Club's "I Am Thankful" Dinner on Tuesday, November 24. The young volunteers served food, interacted with the guests and serenaded the audience with holiday songs.

This was the 11th year that United Way has worked with the NFL on the Thanksgiving Halftime Show to inspire NFL fans across the country to get involved in their communities. Now in its 36th year, the United Way/NFL partnership is the longest running charitable collaboration of its kind and connects NFL PLAY 60 with United Way's goal of 1.9 million more healthy young people by 2018.