Countdown to Stardom! 10 Finalists Battle for Rising Star Tour Title; Gospel's Next Superstar to be Named in Detroit on November 4

Countdown to Stardom! 10 Finalists Battle for Rising Star Tour Title; Gospel's Next Superstar to be Named in Detroit on November 4

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Chrysler Financial and Vickie Winans present the finalists of the Chrysler Financial Vickie Winans' Rising Star Talent Contest.

Rising Star Finalists

Finalist City Win Date Hometown Shana D. Wilson Detroit 7/28 Sterling Heights, Mich. Toneisha Harris Baltimore 8/11 Salisbury, Md. Debra Winstead Washington 8/12 Weldon, N.C. Rachel M. Bethea Atlanta 8/26 Tucker, Ga. Curtis Gulledge Chicago 9/8 Benton Harbor, Mich. Linda N. Crawford Philadelphia 9/10 Philadelphia, Pa. Datisha Pickett Orlando 9/15 Jacksonville, Fla. Tiara Purifoy Los Angeles 9/30 Palatine, Ill. Lenora Jones Houston 10/6 Missouri City, Texas KeAndria Wilson Dallas 10/6* Cedar Hill, Texas

* Dallas competition held in Houston

Ten finalists prevailed over more than 500 talented vocalists that submitted material from all over the United States to reach the Rising Star finals. In each city, a panel of judges selected one vocalist to move to the finals based on their performance. These finalists now travel to the grand finale show in Detroit on November 4, at the Masonic Temple to compete for the title of top gospel artist and receive a prize package consisting of a recording contract with Destiny Joy Records (including a $10,000 signing bonus), and a two-year lease on a 2006 Chrysler 300C.

"All the vocalists are just amazingly talented individuals," said Vickie Winans. "We have the 10 best gospel vocalists in the country competing on November 4, and I can't wait to see them shine during the finals."

The Chrysler Financial Vickie Winans' Rising Star Tour kicked-off on July 28 in Detroit, crisscrossed the country, and finished in Houston on October 6. Admission to the Rising Star Tour concerts was free. One of the primary goals of the concerts was to educate people about their personal finances and endorse the belief that education leads to personal and spiritual empowerment.

"Chrysler Financial strongly believes in the importance of financial literacy and empowerment. Through real-life financial anecdotes from Vickie Winans during her performance, we partner together to stress the important role that managing ones personal finances has in realizing ones dreams and career ambitions," said William F. Jones Jr., Vice President -- Chrysler Financial.

General admission tickets for the Detroit show on November 4, 2005, are free and available through http://www.vickiewinansrisingstar.com/ or by calling toll-free at 1-866-428-9849.

About Chrysler Financial

Chrysler Financial offers a complete line of world-class automotive financial products and services for both dealers and consumers of Chrysler, Jeep(R) and Dodge vehicles. In 2005, Chrysler Financial continues to offer vehicle wholesale and retail financing, fleet management and lines of credit to all 3,900 Chrysler Group dealers. As an industry leader in support technology, Chrysler Financial provides its customers with the most innovative and efficient methods of doing business. For more information on Chrysler Financial visit http://www.chryslerfinancial.com/ .

Source: Chrysler Financial

CONTACT: Amber Paauwe of Chrysler Financial, +1-248-427-3126, arp11@dcx.com ; Tara Murphy or Paula Donner of 360 Media, Inc., +1-404-577-8686, info@360media.net

Web site: http://www.vickiewinansrisingstar.com/ http://www.chryslerfinancial.com/ http://www.daimlerchryslerservices.com/na

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