It’s Time for The 15th Annual McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration® Gospel Tour

In honor of Gospel Music Heritage Month, which takes place  annually in September, McDonald’s is serving inspiration with a side of friendly banter for music  fans of all ages. Starting Sept. 19 through Oct. 10, the 15th annual McDonald’s Inspiration  Celebration® Gospel Tour, a long-standing event that is fostering community through the deeply  rooted tradition of gospel music, will take place virtually every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on BET  Network’s YouTube channel and BET.com. 

Brought to fans by McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden movement, award-winning gospel  artists hailing from the Gulf Coast, West Coast, Carolinas and DMV regions will put their talent  and artistry on full display while showing which region produces the greatest gospel hitmakers  and hits. Multi-award-winning musician and syndicated radio personality Lonnie Hunter will host  the four-part “Gospel City Playlist” series, featuring legendary gospel artists like Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Israel Houghton, and rising gospel artists like Mali Music and Pastor Mike Jr.,  among many others. 

For the first time in tour history, fans can watch the show from the McDonald’s app while reppin’  their city. Ahead of each show, fans can also experience a virtual red carpet hosted by social  media comedian @NotKarltonBanks who will perform lively skits, host spirited interviews with  tour artists and give viewers a peek behind-the-scenes.  

“Faith and inspiration are a core part of gospel music, and an integral part of McDonald’s  community-based gospel tour,” said Erica Campbell, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and  2021 McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour performer. “Communities need inspiration, and I am proud to join such an amazing line-up of artists to help reach gospel music  lovers nationwide.” 

Each year, the concert series helps raise awareness of Ronald McDonald House Charities®  (RMHC®) and its mission to improve the health and well-being of children and their families,  which is critically important today as the country continues battling COVID-19. Virtual concert  goers will be able to donate to RHMC live at RMHC.org/ICGT2021. McDonald’s has supported  RMHC for more than 40 years as the founding mission partner and continues to support global  charity in a variety of ways. Since 2012, The McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration® Gospel Tour  has raised more than $1.08M to help families stay close when their children are ill. 

“We are excited to make the tour virtual for the second year as we celebrate 15 years of the  awesome McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour,” said Harry Smith, Indiana  McDonald’s Owner/Operator and Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour Owner/Operator chair.  “We are committed to feeding and fostering the communities in which we operate, and this  longstanding, free celebration of gospel music is one of the many ways we are uplifting and  encouraging our guests, crew members and community.” 

A full list of the 2021 tour dates and artist lineup follow: 

September 19: Gulf Coast 

• Bri Babineaux
• DOE
• Jonathan Nelson
• L Spencer Smith
• Pastor Mike Jr.
• Sir the Baptist

September 26: West Coast 

• Erica Campbell
• Dawkins & Dawkins
• Dewayne Woods
• Israel Houghton
• Lena Byrd Miles
• Mali Music

October 3: Carolinas 

• Blanche McCallister Dykes
• Isaac Carree
• John P. Kee
• Melvin Crispell III
• Tasha Cobbs-Leonard

October 10: DMV 

• Anthony Brown
• JJ Hairston
• Maurette Brown Clark
• Patrick Riddick

Visit www.blackandpositivelygolden.com for streaming information and additional details. Follow  @WeAreGolden on Instagram for tour updates and to join the conversation around which  playlist is best using #blackandpositivelygolden.

About McDonald’s USA Community Efforts 

The McDonald’s 15th Annual Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour is just one of many company  initiatives created to connect with the communities McDonald’s serves. These efforts also  include webinars such as Classroom Convos, which focus on topics currently impacting Asian  and Pacific Islander American students, the HACER® Education Tour, which provides  information to navigate the college application process, the Black & Positively Golden Mentors  Program, which pairs industry leaders with up-and-coming changemakers in the same fields,  and the Archways to Opportunity program for restaurant crew which provides educational  resources to eligible employees at participating U.S. restaurants. Together, with  Owner/Operators, we are feeding and fostering our communities.

About McDonald’s USA 

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,  visit www.mcdonalds.com. 

About Ronald McDonald House Charities 

Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®), is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation that  creates, finds, and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children  and their families. Through its global network of nearly 260 Chapters in more than 64 countries  and regions, and its three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House®, the Ronald McDonald  Family Room® and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, RMHC helps families with sick  children stay together, and close to the medical care their child needs at leading hospitals  worldwide. RMHC programs not only provide access to quality health care, they enable family centered care ensuring families are fully supported and actively involved in their children’s care.  For more information, visit rmhc.org. Follow RMHC on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and  LinkedIn.