Fort Monroe welcomes Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds in concert

Posted August 4, 2010
By Stephanie Slater
Casemate staff writer

08/04/2010 - FORT MONROE, Va. — Touted as a "statistical juggernaut" and with a myriad of top 10 hits as well as 10 Grammys, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds may strike another "10" when he performs live at Fort Monroe this month.

Babyface – with local opening act, Slapwater, – will perform at 5 p.m. in a concert Aug. 21 at Walker Airfield.

The concert is free and open to the public; fireworks will follow.

"Babyface is a fabulous entertainer and what he's done in his career is just staggering," said Maria Jackson, event coordinator. "So many entertainers from all music genres have partnered with him to harness his creativity," she added. Edmunds has produced and written music for many artists such as Prince, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Pink, Fall Out Boy and Phil Collins, to name a few.

"His music appeals to all generations and I can tell you that we've already had a tremendous response from the community when they heard he was coming to Fort Monroe. This concert is going to be big and a great community event," said Jackson.

Edmonds' career took off in 1989 with the top 10 hit "It's No Crime" from his double platinum album "Tender Lover." Babyface continued to score with four more platinum albums, including "Grown and Sexy" in 2005. His latest album, "I Need a Love Song," was released in December 2008.

"If you were to closely examine the annals of modern pop music history, few creative forces have been more seminal or have impacted the contemporary pop/urban genres as much as Kenny Babyface Edmonds," according to his website, www.babyfacemusic.com. "He has reached icon status as a poignant tunesmith, prolific hit maker/producer, superstar recording artist and revolutionary label owner."

Gates to the concert area open at 5 p.m., with Slapwater starting at about 5:30 p.m., followed by Babyface at around 8 p.m. A spectacular fireworks display will round out the evening at approximately 9:30 p.m.

No pets, coolers, backpacks, outside food or beverages may be brought into the concert area. Food and drinks will be available for purchase on site. Guests are encouraged to bring folding chairs or blankets for comfortable seating. Weapons are not allowed on post.

Visitors are offered the following traffic and installation access information to make arrival and departure run smoothly.

• Access to the installation for anyone 18 years and older requires a valid picture ID. All three installation gates will be open at 4 p.m. for the evening's activities; however, the Ingalls Road entrance is restricted to vehicles with a DoD decal or VIP invitation. McNair and Stilwell Roads will be accessible for the general public. All vehicles are subject to searches and all traffic will be directed by law enforcement personnel to parking areas.
• Those that live on Fort Monroe and plan to have non-DoD visitors at their living quarters should have them arrive prior to 4 p.m. Non-DoD visitors arriving after that time will not be permitted to turn off designated routes (Fenwick and Stilwell Roads) unless they are escorted by a military ID-card holder.
• The Mercury Boulevard bridge will be closed to inbound and outbound traffic at 8:50 p.m. The route will reopen at the conclusion of the fireworks display, as soon as the Hampton Police Department has cleared the bridge, at about 10:30 p.m. Initial departure from the post will be over the Mugler Bridge to Phoebus.
• Long lines of traffic at the end of the evening are to be anticipated. Motorists are asked to be patient and be very observant of pedestrians crossing streets and parking lots on the way to their vehicles.

Fort Monroe is committed to ensuring all events are accessible to people with disabilities. Contact the Fort Monroe EEO Office at 757-788-3500 if special accommodations are necessary to attend this event.