Fight Night Celebrates 20th
Celebrity Fight Night will mark its 20th
anniversary April 12 at JW Marriott
Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix.
As it has for 20 years, the charity event
will honor Muhammad Ali.
Joining Ali for this milestone occasion
will be performers Michael Bublé (left),
The Band Perry and Kenny Rogers.
International superstar Michael Bublé has won four Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. With four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 topping the charts for five weeks, he has become an international favorite. Additionally, guests will have the chance to bid on a live auction package to enjoy a private dinner with Bublé.
Kenny Rogers, a Country Music Hall of Fame member, has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. He has been voted “Favorite Singer of All Time” by USA Today and People magazine. Rogers was the first musical performer ever at Celebrity Fight Night in 1996.
Joining Bublé and Rogers on the stage will be Grammy-Award winning country music group The Band Perry.
During the gala, Bublé, entertainment icon Robert De Niro as well as philanthropist John Paul DeJoria will be honored with Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Awards. Billy Crystal will make a special introduction for De Niro; and Bobby Kennedy Jr. will introduce DeJoria.
Grammy Award-winning leading lady of country music Reba McEntire will return as the evening’s emcee for her ninth consecutive year. Also returning will be 16-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer David Foster, who will serve as musical director for his 15th year.
Celebrity Fight Night premiered in the Valley in 1994 when local celebrities donned oversized boxing gloves for a comedic fight in the ring before 300 attendees. Today, more than 1,200 guests attend the event.
Over the past 19 years, Celebrity Fight Night has raised $87 million for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute and other charities.
Celebrity Fight Night Italy
At the personal request of Andrea Bocelli, the event is expanding globally. September 2014 will mark the first time the event will take place outside of Phoenix in Florence, Italy.
Celebrity Fight Night has partnered with Andrea Bocelli for several years as he provided dinner in his home and a private concert as an auction item. Last year, for the 2013 gala, he was able to come to Phoenix and sang a duet with Jennifer Lopez. After the party, he and his wife were so taken with Fight Night that he immediately suggested holding a similar event in Italy, says Fight Night founder and CEO Jimmy Walker.
The result is a five-day trip to Florence, Italy, on a private jet for 80 people. Bocelli will conduct a private tour of the city and host guests in his home for a full night of entertainment. Currently, there are only 8 seats left on the plane, according to Sean Currie, executive director of Celebrity Fight Night Foundation. Reba McEntire will make the trip and perform one of the evenings.
The Florence event will benefit the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute.
Celebrity Fight Night trip to Italy
