4th Annual “Milwaukee Gospel Jubilee” to Benefit Progressive Community Health Centers

MILWAUKEE, WI — The 4th Annual Milwaukee Gospel Jubilee will be held on Friday, February 3, 2017 at 7:30pm at the Historic Turner Hall Ballroom hosted by Progressive Community Health Centers. A multi-generational event, the Jubilee will feature local Gospel performers ranging in musical styles for an evening of celebration and soul. The event benefits Progressive Community Health Centers, with all proceeds from ticket sales supporting the agency’s work to increase awareness and vital health care access to underserved Milwaukeeans.

Milwaukee Gospel Jubilee will include appearances from the legendary Queens of Harmony, accompanied by local quartets Voices of Faith, The Sermonettes and O.W.’s Exalters. The dynamic duo, SistaStrings, will also perform at the event, offering unique classical instrumentals paired with traditional gospel themes. In a world where it can be hard to find sources of praise and inspiration, Gospel music manages to be both joyful and exuberant. The Historic Turner Hall Ballroom provides a perfect setting to experience and enjoy the down-home grace this music evokes.

The origins of the event came about in 2013 when a new Progressive CHC board member, musician/songwriter John Sieger (Semi-Twang, R&B Cadets and The Subcontinentals) was looking for a meaningful way to contribute to the organization’s capital campaign to build a new clinic. While listening to an interview with Aretha Franklin where she talked about her roots in Gospel, John recognized a striking connection – Progressive CHC ministers to the physical, while Gospel ministers to the soul. Using Gospel to raise awareness and financial support for Progressive CHC seemed like a natural fit to Sieger. He also saw an opportunity to shine a light on some of the remarkable Gospel talent in Milwaukee that is typically only experienced in central city churches. He called on a few friends to see if there was any interest in working on a creative collaboration like this and the event is now celebrating its fourth year.

Reflecting on the deeper significance of Gospel music, Sieger added: “What Gospel music does is it elevates. Practiced in churches across Milwaukee and virtually every city and town in America, Gospel is a gift of massive proportions – yet it often remains hidden from mainstream public view. Subtract it from the cultural landscape, and nearly everything you love about modern music falls into a vacuum. It’s not an exaggeration to say that, without Gospel, there would be little in Pop, Rock or Rhythm & Blues worth listening to. That includes everything from James Brown to The Beatles. Music that endures this long and influences so many is doing something worthy of our attention.”

Tickets for the Milwaukee Gospel Jubilee are on sale now for $20 each and can be purchased at the Pabst Theater box office at 144 E. Wells Street, online at pabsttheater.org or by calling the box office at (414) 286-3663.

The Milwaukee Gospel Jubilee is made possible through generous support from the following sponsors: Froedtert Health & the Medical College of Wisconsin, Aurora Health Care, John Shannon and Jan Serr, Black Shoe Hospitality, Children’s Community Children’s Community Health Plan, Colectivo Coffee, HGA Architects, Hunzinger Construction, Patterson Dental and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan.

About Progressive Community Health Centers

Progressive Community Health Centers is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) providing medical, dental and integrated behavioral health services to primarily underserved and uninsured populations in Milwaukee’s central city. Serving the Greater Milwaukee area since 1999, Progressive CHC’s mission is to improve the health and quality of life of the community by providing culturally competent services that address identified needs. In 2015, Progressive CHC cared for approximately 9,000 patients, 80% of whom were either uninsured or received subsidized health benefits. Progressive CHC currently operates two primary clinics on the city’s northwest side (Hillside Family Health Center and Lisbon Avenue Health Center) and recently unveiled an innovative urgent care and primary care delivery model in partnership with Aurora Sinai Medical Center. For more information, please visit their website at www.progressivechc.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.