Carrie Underwood, All-American Rejects, OneRepublic and more to play Sunday's "MDA Show of Strength" TV special
Carrie Underwood, who hails from Checotah; the All-American Rejects, who have Stillwater roots; and OneRepublic, the band fronted by Tulsa native Ryan Tedder, are among the performers set for this year’s Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Labor Day weekend entertainment special, now called “MDA Show of Strength.”
The show, featuring more than a dozen of today’s top entertainers, also will include inspirational “stories of strength” about families affected by muscular dystrophy and related diseases.
“MDA Show of Strength,” a three-hour primetime broadcast special, will air at 7 p.m. Sunday. The show will include performances and celebrity appearances from Hollywood, Nashville and New York.
The show will be broadcast over MDA’s “Love Network” of almost 150 television stations across the country, including Oklahoma City’s CW station KOCB-TV. It also will be streamed from mda.org. Local cutaways in each market will feature area families, sponsors and MDA service programs. For a list of stations, visit mda.org/showofstrength/love-network.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the show and the incredible talent we have lined up this year,” said MDA Interim President Valerie Cwik, M.D., in the news release. “MDA is in business to save and enhance lives. Our show will both entertain and urge the American public to answer the call to support critically important research and services for more than a million Americans affected by neuromuscular diseases.”
Along with Underwood, Pitbull, Will.i.am and Carole King are set to headline the show. Plus, the following stars also are scheduled to appear: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, B.o.B, Brandy, Luke Bryan, Gavin DeGraw, Hot Chelle Rae, Karmin, Alanis Morissette, Eva Simons, Paula Abdul, Max Adler, Jann Carl, Diana DeGarmo, Lou Ferrigno, Benji Madden, Joel Madden, Jesse McCartney, Tim McGraw, The Miz, Nancy O’Dell, Khloe Kardashian Odom, Alison Sweeney, Ace Young and more.
“This year’s show gives everyone involved a unique opportunity,” said “MDA Show of Strength” Executive Producer RAC Clark in the release. “We have a chance to tell a series of compelling stories about MDA families while delivering quality entertainment. In doing so, we can raise public awareness of MDA’s long-standing mission of help for today and hope for tomorrow.”
Clark is a longtime executive producer of the Academy of Country Music Awards and the son of the late Dick Clark.
“RAC has a history and knack for making shows and events successful, and ‘MDA Show of Strength’ will benefit from his talent,” said Pete Fisher, vice president and general manager of the Grand Ole Opry, in the release. “MDA is in good hands with RAC. He’s done a phenomenal job with the ACM Awards and has helped continue country music’s growth and popularity. He’s connected with the biggest names in the business.”
Through the years, MDA’s iconic fundraising show has presented some of TV’s most memorable moments. What started as a 21-1/2-hour Labor Day weekend telethon was shortened to six hours in 2011 in response to changing television viewing habits.
