A Charity Event featuring Melba Moore with Paul Laurence & 4PM

The Progress XChange, Inc. is proud to present its Inaugural Charity Event Featuring...

Melba Moore

Hailing from New York City, the former public school music teacher has released over twenty albums, earned 3 Grammy nominations (Best New Artist – 1971, Best R&B Vocal Performance – 1976, and Best Rock Vocal Performance – 1985) and garnered several R&B top ten hits and Number 1 singles (Love’s Comin’ at Ya, Mind Up Tonight, You Stepped In To My Life, Lean on Me, Falling, Just a Little Bit More to name a few).

In addition to recording, Melba’s 5-octave vocal range lead her to a career in theater where her first major stint was in the original cast of the Broadway smash Hair, replacing Diane Keaton. Two years later, she won a Tony Award for her performance in Purlie. Moore’s stage work is prolific – leading her to be the first African-American to play the lead role of Fantine in Les Miserables.

Moore’s rendition of Lift Every Voice & Sing was added to the US National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2017 as an “American Aural Treasure.”  This past summer, Moore received the Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring her career and community service.

To experience Melba Moore on stage, with all of her versatility, is to experience the full range of emotions music can conjure.

Paul Laurence

As one of Moore’s producers at HUSH, her production company, Paul Laurence wrote, co-wrote and/or produced countless hits for A-listers (Stephanie Mills, Kenny G, Freddie Jackson, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Moore, Kashif, Meli’sa Morgan and others) during the post-disco era, several of which went to # 1 R&B.

Paul’s set includes all of the hits his genius put to pen and chart.

The Official 4PM

In 1991, Roberto, Reney (Ray), Larry and Martiz formed an acapella group name IV Real and started competing in talent shows around the Baltimore, MD area. It was in 1994 when the group caught the attention of a label executive and were signed and in the studio recording material for their very first album under the new name 4PM – an acronym for For Positive Music.

The following year, 4PM successfully secured a top spot on Billboard’s Top Ten, peaking at #8, with their rendition of Sukiyaki.  The record was certified Gold in the US, Canada and Japan and certified Platinum in Australia.  Their success was followed by an international tour with phenomenal success throughout the continent of Asia.  Their first single of their latest project A Song For Everyone is Some of The Time.   Look for it on all music and video streaming platforms.

The Progress XChange is not for profit 501(c)(3) organization whose vision is to elevate high school students from underserved communities towards opportunities for a better quality of life. ‘The XChange’ exists to increase the likelihood of high school upperclassmen the opportunity to gain their respective choices by achieving above average scores through comprehensive college entrance exam (ACT/SAT) preparation. 

Simply put, our mission to narrow the divide in our small way.  We value a love of learning and have a passion and belief in those too often overlooked.  We operate in a spirit of humility, authenticity, empathy and mindfulness.