*NSYNC Prep For Free Miami Concert, CBS Special
(11/2/01)

Jive Records recording artists *NSYNC will perform in a free Veterans Day (November 11) benefit concert in Miami Beach, Florida, with special guests Mpress, Dante Thomas, Tito Puente Jr., Willa Ford, and Deborah Cox. Other artists might be announced closer to the concert date. The show, dubbed the *NSYNC & Friends Benefit Concert, is scheduled to take place on the sands of South Beach between 8th and 16th Streets. The concert gates will open at 4 p.m. ET for general admission, and the show will begin at twilight.

In an exclusive interview with LAUNCH, singer Chris Kirkpatrick explained that *NSYNC decided to return to Miami because it was forced to cancel two concerts at Miami's Pro Player Stadium earlier this year due to heavy thunderstorms. "A lot of that has to do with the fact that we had a show scheduled for Miami that got canceled because the weather kind of almost destroyed our stage. And it's kind of our way of giving back to Miami, saying, 'We're coming back to do another show,' and we're going to tie in some of the charity stuff to that also."

The concert is a tribute to the heroes of the New York City Police and Fire Departments, and proceeds from the sales of VIP tickets and concessions will benefit the families of those heroes impacted by the September 11 World Trade Center attack. The concert will also benefit the United Way Of Miami-Dade's Miami Recovery Fund, which provides assistance to workers in the local Miami area who have lost their jobs since September 11.

The city of Miami Beach, the Ocean Drive Association, and Ocean Drive magazine are the sponsors of the concert. A 24-hour information hotline has been established for the event at (305) 673-7222 or (305) 673-7400.

Following the concert, *NSYNC will leave Miami and head directly to the Bahamas, where the group will tape a concert live at Atlantis Paradise Island on November 14 and 15. The two concerts on the beach, which are free for guests staying at the resort, will be edited into a concert special that will air November 23 on CBS.