Palm Springs: Motown-Style "Evening Under The Stars" to Feature Legendary Mary Wilson of the Supremes, with Hostess/Emcee Della Reese

[Nicholas Snow]

Evening Under the Stars, the 16th annual gala event to benefit AIDS Assistance Program, will feature the Motown stylings of Mary Wilson of The Supremes. The ‘must see’ performance, along with cocktails, dinner, and dancing, will take place Saturday, April 25, 2009, beginning at 6:00 PM at the O’Donnell Golf Club in Palm Springs.

“Ever since Mary Wilson delighted our dinner guests two years ago, we’ve had overwhelming requests to have her back,” said Mark Anton, Board President of AIDS Assistance Program. “The people want her, so we’re overjoyed to accede to their wishes and have her back for a ‘command performance’ – this time with a Motown flair, larger dance floors, and an extended 90 minute performance. It’s going to be an extraordinary evening and I know Ms. Wilson’s exuberant show will enchant and captivate the audience.”

It was a vision of musical stardom as a Detroit teen that inspired Mary Wilson to co-found one of the most successful female singing groups in recording history – The Supremes. Since that day in 1959, Wilson has gone on to be a part of dozens of hit records, has written a best-selling autobiography, performed on stage and screen, lectured and toured the world, and continues to be looked up to as a singer who set the standard for females in the recording industry.

One of the more recent traditions of Evening Under the Stars is the special ways in which the attendees interpret each year’s theme. In 2006 it was the ‘sock it to me” Laugh-In year, and there were miniskirts, go-go boots, and psychedelic colors. 2007 saw a return to elegance for Mary Wilson’s first appearance, but the crowd enjoyed cutting loose once the dancing began. In ‘08, Pink Martini gave everyone creative license to pull all their fuchsia and hot pink out of their closets… it was a dazzling sight. For 2009, it’s Evening Under the Stars “Motown Style” which will transport us back to a particularly festive era: Be a “Dreamgirl” (or a ‘Daddy-o’) and let your imagination run wild with fashions from the early 60s… you’ll feel like you’ve walked into the set of American Bandstand, especially with the larger dance floors.

Annual Gala Event Invites Famed Vocalist and ‘Motown Diva’ to Emcee

Della Reese, famed actress and Motown vocalist, will grace the stage as master of ceremonies. Reese will head up the ‘Motown-style’ theme for this year’s occasion, which will also feature headliner Mary Wilson of The Supremes.

Renowned as both a television star and a world-famous singer of jazz, blues, R&B, gospel, and pop music, Della Reese's many talents have created a long and celebrated showbiz career. She began singing in Detroit in 1937, when she was six years old. In addition to being nominated for both an Emmy® and a Grammy®, and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Reese is also an ordained minister in the Universal Foundation for Better Living, an association of churches she helped found in the early 1980s. Besides the fabulous entertainment, Evening Under the Stars is the one night that A.A.P. sheds a light on several deserving honorees. This year, A.A.P. is honoring Craig Simrell and Mark Greganti, Tami Low, The Bottom Line Magazine, and Jay Horwitz.
“Who better to emcee this year’s Motown celebration and introduce the awards than Della Reese?” said Mark Anton, Board President of AIDS Assistance Program. “She’s a legendary woman who will delight the audience with her incredibly talented voice, and lend a great deal of class to the evening.”

Tickets for Evening Under the Stars are $395 per person and can be purchased by contacting the AIDS Assistance Program at 760/325-8481. Program ads may be reserved/purchased by calling Raymond Smith at 760-778-4536.


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Since its founding in 1991, the AIDS Assistance Program of Palm Springs remains dedicated to providing comfort and support to improve the quality of the lives of those surviving HIV/AIDS. Initiated by a small group of concerned citizens, led by the late Gloria Greene and Jeannette Rockefeller, AAP provided meals to members of the community with low incomes and suffering with HIV/AIDS. Since then, the AIDS Assistance Program's client roster has grown from approximately 20 to 530 people. For more information please contact the AIDS Assistance Program at 760/325-8481.

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