Grammy winner Anthony Hamilton is grand marshal of Thanksgiving parade
Grammy winner and Charlotte native Anthony Hamilton is set to serve as Grand Marshal this year for the Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Hamilton will head a 120-unit line up that includes musical performers, marching bands and larger-than-life floats and balloons.
“Anthony Hamilton is an incredibly talented performer whose work has received critical and popular acclaim from audiences across the world,” said Robert Krumbine, chief creative officer for Charlotte Center City Partners.
“We are thrilled that a star of Anthony’s caliber agreed to be in the parade. But having a star who is from Charlotte as the Grand Marshal for the city’s 70th Thanksgiving Parade is simply amazing.”
Since graduating from South Mecklenburg High School, the Grammy Award winning singer has collaborated with artists including Nas, Rick Ross, Carlos Santana, Jill Scott, Tupac and Al Green to name a few. Hamilton has performed for President Barack Obama at the Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House and on shows ranging from The Jimmy Fallon Show to The TODAY Show.
The Parade is a Charlotte tradition that has entertained and inspired audiences since 1947. In 2013, Novant Health became the Parade’s title sponsor and Charlotte Center City Partners assumed management and production of the Parade.
This 70th anniversary parade is expected to draw the largest audience ever. It will start at 9:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The route will begin at the Levine Avenue of the Arts and travel north along Tryon Street to 9th Street. It will be broadcast regionally on WBTV Channel 3 (CBS) at 4:00 p.m. and streamed online at WBTV.com.
Joining Hamilton in the Parade will be:
· Carter Faith Jones, an up and coming 16-year-old singer/songwriter from Davidson, N.C.
· Kristina Lachaga, pop singer/songwriter who has shared the stage at Nickelodeon and Disney concerts and other events up and down the East Coast
· Kristy Lynn, a Nashville recording artist, country/pop singer and songwriter from Albemarle, N.C.
· Taylor Dean, a soulful vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who is breaking into the music industry
· Teresa Guidry, a country music singer/songwriter, and contestant on NBC’s “The Voice” from Rock Hill, S.C.
· Coach David Marsh and Olympic medalists from the US National Swim Team
· Tryon, rising pop duo, and brothers, Stephen and Justin Kirk from Charlotte, N.C.
· Tyler Mingo, a national and international recording artist with the Empire Records label currently resides in Charlotte, N.C.
· George Washington High School’s Marching Eagles Band, a band who has thrilled crowds in the New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, the Orlando Citrus Parade and Marshall Field’s Thanksgiving Parade (Chicago) are travelling from Danville, Va.
· UNC Charlotte Pride of Niner Nation Marching Band, in its second season with students from across each of the eight colleges at UNCC
· Miss North Carolina 2016 McKenzie Jade Faggart
· Miss South Carolina 2016 Rachel Wyatt
· Charlotte Music Award Winners Anguish, Dave Koons, and One Leg Rooster
In addition, the parade will feature 31 specialty units, 21 floats, 16 marching bands from area colleges, high schools, civic groups and faith organizations, 15 balloons, seven segwalloons (our signature balloon characters attached to Segways), and one 5’6” walking, royal turkey!
This story was originally published November 14, 2016 at 12:17 PM with the headline "Grammy winner Anthony Hamilton is grand marshal of Thanksgiving parade."