Three-Time Grammy Nominee Raphael Saadiq to Perform at 17th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards(R) Vie...( LOS ANGELES Feb. 4 /- The Elton John ...),Health

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The Elton John AIDS Foundation announced today that Grammy-nominated artist Raphael Saadiq will perform at the 17th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) Academy Awards(R) Viewing Party on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. The event will be co-hosted by Sir Elton John and David Furnish, and will be co-sponsored by Chopard, Jo & Raffy Manoukian, and Vh1.

Oakland native Raphael Saadiq made his entree into the music world in the late 1980s as the lead singer and bass player for the multi-platinum R&B group Tony! Toni! Tone!. After leaving the group, the multi-talented Saadiq took his love of music and began writing and producing for some of today's top musicians including Joss Stone, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J. Blige. In 2000, his work as a producer won Saadiq a Grammy for the song "Untitled" off D'Angelo's Voodoo, and in 2002, he released his much-anticipated first solo album Instant Vintage, a collection of soulful songs that earned him five Grammy nominations. In September 2008, Saadiq released his third solo album, The Way I See It, which landed him the #1 position on iTunes Top Albums of the Year as well a spot on Rolling Stone's Best Album's of 2008 list and 2008 Billboard Critics Top 10 list. The Way I See It has earned Saadiq three Grammy nominations, including Best R&B Album, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group for his song "Never Give You Up" featuring Stevie Wonder and CJ Hilton.

'The Way I See It' is a masterpiece," said Sir Elton John. "I think it is one of the best albums of the year and certainly the best R&B album of the year. I'm absolutely thrilled and excited that he will be performing at our Oscar party. I can't wait to hear the songs live."

The Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Aw
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