Published: March 08, 2011

MELANIE FIONA to Co-Headline BET's Music Matters Tour II

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NEW YORK - (BUSINESS WIRE) - True artists understand the importance of bringing live music back to the art form. That's why Grammy-nominated SRC/Title 9/Universal Motown Records artist MELANIE FIONA has joined forces with ex-Floetry songstress Marsha Ambrosius and Grammy-nominated southern folk-soul singer Anthony David for the second installment of BET's Music Matters Tour. Co-headlined by MELANIE FIONA and Marsha Ambrosius, BET's Music Matters Tour II will give audiences a complete musical experience by combining meaningful lyrics with passionate performances that will prove just how much music still matters. The outing kicks off on March 16 at the South Side Music Hall in Dallas, Texas and wraps on April 17 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

With the hotly anticipated summer 2011 release of MELANIE FIONA's second album, The MF Life, fast approaching, and Marsha Ambrosius's long-awaited solo debut album, Late Nights, Early Mornings, now in stores, BET's Music Matters Tour II is a definite must-see. "I love Marsha [Ambrosius] - I've loved her forever - and we recently got to know each other a little better over the last year," said MELANIE FIONA, "so it was just a perfect union, great energy, great music on the tour, and we couldn't be more excited."

An electrifying live performer known to bring audiences to their feet with her soulful vocals and dazzling stage presence, MELANIE FIONA promises to deliver a standout live show not to be missed. In addition to revisiting popular favorites such as her No. 1 smash hit "It Kills Me" from her critically acclaimed debut album, 2009's The Bridge, she will also showcase her powerful new single, "Gone and Never Coming Back," plus other songs from her upcoming sophomore album, The MF Life.

Early reaction to "Gone and Never Coming Back" has been stellar. Vibe.com writes that the deeply emotional ballad - written by Andrea Martin and produced by Jay Fenix - "finds the songstress crooning over a love that was meant to be forgotten," and Billboard calls it "a catchy tune about heartbreak and despair." Tune in to BET's 106 & Park on Tuesday, March 8 at 6pm EST to watch MELANIE FIONA co-host the show with Terrence and debut the world premiere of her stunning new music video for "Gone and Never Coming Back," directed by Colin Tilley.

MELANIE FIONA's 2009 breakout debut album, The Bridge, received a 2010 Juno Award nomination for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year. The album's success was propelled by the anthemic hit single "It Kills Me," which topped Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for 10 weeks and earned the Toronto native a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance. MELANIE FIONA was named iTunes' Best New R&B/Soul Artist of 2009 and she won the trophy for Best New Artist at the 2010 Soul Train Awards, in addition to picking up four nominations at the 2010 BET Awards, plus a 2010 NAACP Image Award nod for Outstanding New Artist. In 2010, MELANIE FIONA was the only artist to be invited to perform on BET's Rising Icons program for the second year in a row, and in 2011, she earned her second Grammy nomination in the category of Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for her guest appearance on "Wake Up! Everybody" by John Legend and The Roots, featuring Common.

BET Music Matters II Tour Dates:
March 16	South Side Music Hall	Dallas, TX
March 17	SXSW	Austin, TX
March 18	House of Blues	New Orleans, LA
March 19	Varsity Theatre	Baton Rouge, LA
March 20	Arena Theatre	Houston, TX
March 22	1015 Folsom	San Francisco, CA
March 23	Harlow's	Sacramento, CA
March 26	El Rey Theatre	Los Angeles, CA
March 31	House of Blues	Cleveland, OH
April 1	Royal Oak Music Theatre	Detroit, MI
April 2	House of Blues	Chicago, IL
April 4	Theatre of the Living Arts	Philadelphia, PA
April 5	Irving Plaza	New York, NY
April 6	The Birchmere	Alexandria, VA
April 7	Ram's Head Live	Baltimore, MD
April 8	The National	Richmond, VA
April 11	Center Stage Theater	Atlanta, GA
April 12	Cannon Center for the Performing Arts	Memphis, TN
April 13	Limelight Entertainment Complex	Nashville, TN
April 14	Mansion	Montgomery, AL
April 15	Platinum of Birmingham	Birmingham, AL
April 16	Florida Theatre	Jacksonville, FL
April 17	Von Braun Center	Hunstville, AL