BET Gospel Explosion Weekend Set to Blast Off at Paramount's Kings Dominion July 16 - 17

BET Gospel Explosion Weekend Set to Blast Off at Paramount's Kings Dominion July 16 - 17

Two-Day Event Includes Concert Featuring Kurt Karr & The Kurt Karr Singers and a Christian Comedy Show

WASHINGTON, June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Prepare for spiritual shockwaves when the BET Gospel Explosion descends upon Paramount's Kings Dominion on July 16- 17. The lineup for this family-oriented weekend of fun includes a Christian comedy show with side-splitting laughs from comedians Hamburger and Michael Washington and concert performances by some of the hottest names in gospel. Bringing down the house in two gospel concerts are Kurt Karr & The Kurt Karr Singers, Tye Tribbett & G.A., 7 Sons of Soul, Ted & Sheri, Debra Killings, and Izzy. Hosting the weekend's blast of inspiration is comedian extraordinaire, Sean Sarvis.

"With the success we have had in other markets, BET is excited to bring Gospel Explosion to Paramount's Kings Dominion in Virginia," said Stephen Hill, BET Executive Vice President of Programming and Talent. "The combination of electrifying gospel artists and comedians along with the excitement of the park, is bound to ignite the crowd with spirit and inspiration."

Gospel Explosion kicks off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 16 with a Christian comedy show in the Paramount Theater. The hilarious Sean Sarvis will host the event as comedians Hamburger and Michael Washington keep the crowd in stitches. Then at 6:00 p.m. the Paramount Theater ignites with the gospel concert featuring Tye Tribbett & G.A., 7 Sons of Soul, Debra Killings and Izzy with special guests Kurt Karr & The Kurt Karr Singers. The weekend's inspirational blast culminates on Sunday, July 17 with a 6 p.m. Gospel Concert hosted by Sean Sarvis featuring Ted & Sheri, 7 Sons of Soul, Debra Killings and Izzy and special guests Kurt Karr & The Kurt Carr Singers. In addition, the popular BET Sunday series LIFT EVERY VOICE, with host Gerard Henry, will be on-hand taping segments of the show to air on BET in August.

BET Gospel Explosion at Paramount's Kings Dominion is open to the public, with tickets available beginning June 4 at Paramount's Kings Dominion Guest Services (804/876-5000), all Ticketmaster outlets and on the Internet at http://www.ticketmaster.com/.

ABOUT PARAMOUNT'S KINGS DOMINION

PARAMOUNT'S KINGS DOMINION-Doswell, Va., I-95 exit 98. The Best of Hollywood Entertainment. Now Playing. Paramount's Kings Dominion is a 400- acre theme park that's home to more than 200 rides, shows and attractions. The park features one of the largest coaster collections on the East Coast, including the world's first air-launched coaster, HyperSonic XLC(TM), two children's areas and WaterWorks, a 19-acre water park playground that's included with park admission. NEW IN 2005, TOMB RAIDER: FIREFALL(TM), a multi-sensory adventure attraction inspired by Paramount Pictures' blockbuster films. Combining high thrills with a unique environmental theme and special effects, this new attraction launches adventurers on the ride of their lives! Located 20 miles north of Richmond, Va. and 75 miles south of Washington, D.C. Open daily during the summer; weekends in the spring and fall. For more information call (804) 876-5000 or visit KingsDominion.com.

ABOUT BET

BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA; VIA.B), is the nation's leading television network providing quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs programming for the African-American audience. The BET Network reaches more than 80 million households according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is a dominant consumer brand in the urban marketplace with a diverse group of branded businesses: BET.com, the Number 1 Internet portal for African Americans; BET Digital Networks - BET Jazz, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, specializing in a full range of event production services, including event management, venue selection, talent recruitment, sound, lighting and stage production; and BET Books, the nation's leading publisher of African-American themed romance novels under the Arabesque imprint which also publishes compelling fiction under the Sepia imprint and inspirational fiction and nonfiction under the New Spirit imprint.

Source: BET (Black Entertainment Television)

CONTACT: Anne Williams of BET, +1-202-608-2063, anne.williams@bet.net; or Sarah Lovejoy of Paramount's Kings Dominion, +1-804-876-5115, sarah.lovejoy@paramountparks.com

Web site: http://www.bet.com/ http://www.kingsdominion.com/ http://www.ticketmaster.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Requests for media credentials for working media who wish to cover the BET Gospel Explosion at Paramount's Kings may contact either Anne Williams at 202/ 608-2063 and anne.williams@bet.net or Lyntina Townsend at 202/ 608-2745 and lyntina.townsend@bet.net. The deadline to request credentials is JULY 8, 2005.

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