Music superstar Usher is coming to Turner’s TNT on Thanksgiving Eve in the newest edition of Neighborhood Sessions, the ongoing series of music specials created by State Farm. The special highlights Usher and State Farm’s efforts to revive music and arts education in Chattanooga and surrounding communities by benefitting The Nancy Lackey Community Education Fund, named for Usher’s late grandmother. The fund’s first initiative is to give grants and other support to schools and local community nonprofits to introduce music and art back into many of those schools and after-school programs where there is real need. In addition, the special features a performance by Usher held at his childhood middle school, Dalewood. Members of the community were surprised with acc ess to the concert after donating art supplies to support the initiative.
Neighborhood Sessions featuring Usher marks the fourth special in the Neighborhood Sessions series, which gives the biggest names in music a chance to thank the neighbors who helped make them who they are today, and who continue to help life go right for members of their communities every day. The special is slated to premiere on TNT Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).
The concert at the center of Usher’s Neighborhood Sessions special features some of his biggest hits performed on a specially constructed stage on the football field at Dalewood Middle School, where Usher attended school. Throughout the special, Usher addresses the importance of music and arts education for childhood development and introduces viewers to various people in Chattanooga who are impacting the community by donating their time and talent. He also introduces some of the neighbors who do their part to help others and bring positive change to the community, proving that Good Neighbors Help Life Go Right™.
Launched by State Farm with the assistance of NYC-based advertising agency Translation, Neighborhood Sessions is a series that gives artists the opportunity to express their gratitude and give back to the communities that made them great. Each Neighborhood Session is designed to be as distinctive as the community it represents, leveraging local State Farm agents to identify and support vital local causes.
In teaming up with State Farm, Turner Ignite’s Content Partnerships team developed a rich campaign that spans linear, digital and social platforms, as well as many of the Turner networks. To extend the series objective, Turner collaborated with State Farm to create custom videos that provide an additional look at Usher’s return to Chattanooga, visiting the places that were meaningful to him as a young child, and his championing of arts programs in the community that helped shape him. This content will run in isolated commercial pods through Turner Native Plus in primetime programming across TNT, as well as Turner’s Adult Swim, TBS, truTV and Turner Sports. On social media, additional content will be distributed to a targeted audience from TNT social handles through Turner’s social optimization capability, Launchpad.
The Neighborhood Sessions series of specials began in February 2015 with megastar Jennifer Lopez performing in her hometown of the Bronx. It was followed in October by a special featuring music superstar Toby Keith, whose concert was taped in his hometown of Moore, Okla. This past September, Neighborhood Sessions featured Dave Matthews Band onstage in their hometown of Charlottesville, Va. for a special 25th anniversary concert.
Usher Bio
