91Èȱ¬

A celebration of the music of Elvis Presley hosted by Chris Evans

The 75th birthday of Elvis Presley will be celebrated this summer as part of 91Èȱ¬ Radio 2's commitment to offering a scorching summer of stellar live music performances.

In the year that the King of Rock 'n' Roll would have turned 75, Radio 2 will bring together some of the greatest names in pop and rock music to perform his best loved and most popular songs as part of Elvis Forever, a concert to be held in London's Hyde Park on Sunday 12 September, hosted by Radio 2 Breakfast Show presenter Chris Evans.

Radio 2 Breakfast Show host Chris Evans says: "As the Radio 2 audience knows, I am a huge Elvis fan and it's an honour to host such a celebration of the enduring appeal of his music."

The proceedings will be led by Chris plus other guest presenters who are all great fans of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, culminating in a spectacular firework finale.

The line-up of stars performing at Elvis Forever will be announced shortly.

This thrilling exclusive concert will be broadcast live on Radio 2, and in the following week listeners will also be able to hear highlights across the station's daytime shows. The Radio 2 website will feature exclusive backstage footage and interviews from the event.

Lewis Carnie, Head of Programming for Radio 2, says: "Elvis's music has an enduring appeal to Radio 2 listeners of all ages, so I'm thrilled that our friends at Graceland in Memphis are working with us on this event. What better way to pay tribute to the Elvis's incredible legacy than to bring together the stars of today to perform his greatest and best-loved hits?"

Radio 2's Elvis Forever concert follows the smash success of last year's event, Thank You for the Music... A Celebration of the Music of Abba, which featured Kylie Minogue, Jamie Cullum, Lulu, Chaka Khan, The Feeling and a host of other stars performing their own take on some of Abba's biggest hits, alongside original members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.

Further highlights of Radio 2's summer of live music will include Paolo Nutini playing live in his hometown of Paisley in August and Scissor Sisters performing live from London for Radio 2 In Concert later this year.

Notes to Editors

Elvis Forever – Sunday 12 September 2010, Hyde Park, London.

Gates open 5pm; entertainment on stage from 6.30pm.

Tickets cost £30.00 plus booking fees. Full ticket information at bbc.co.uk/radio2.

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