Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Salutes B.B. King With Benefit Birthday Concert Event
June 02 2005 - 6:04PM
PR Newswire (US)
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Salutes B.B. King With Benefit Birthday
Concert Event BILOXI, Miss., June 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- B.B.
King, the undisputed king of the blues music genre, is turning 80
years old this year, and Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ:Isle)
is set to host a birthday party honoring the artist that thousands
of King fans can enjoy. Timothy M. Hinkley, president and COO of
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., announced today details of the B.B.
King 80th Birthday Benefit at a press conference held at the B.B.
King Blues Club in New York's Times Square. Hinkley said that the
regional gaming company will host a concert on the evening of
Saturday, July 30. The venue, located in King's home state, will be
the 8,000-seat Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum and Convention
Center ( http://www.mscoastcoliseum.com/ ) in Biloxi. Isle of Capri
Casinos, Mississippi's largest publicly held company, is hosting
the country's only official B.B. King birthday celebration with
King present, to raise funds for the planned B.B. King Museum,
located in Indianola, Miss. The $10 million B.B. King Museum and
Delta Interpretive Center ( http://www.bbkingmuseum.org/ ) will be
dedicated to honoring the international bluesman, preserve the
Delta blues heritage and encourage and inspire young artists and
musicians. A groundbreaking ceremony for the museum is scheduled
for Friday, June 10. Executive director for the B.B. King Museum
Allan Hammons said, "The B.B. King Museum is a multi-million-dollar
project and, while we are on schedule, there's still much to do. We
are very grateful for the Isle of Capri's generosity and efforts on
our behalf, and we are all looking forward to an unbelievable night
on July 30 with the King of the Blues." The benefit concert will
include a silent auction, video presentation with messages from
notable celebrity friends of King, as well as performances by
Deborah Coleman, Bobby Blue Bland, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Jody Williams
and Dickey Betts. The evening will be completed with King playing
several of his greatest hits in a show-stopping, once-in-a-lifetime
jam, accompanied by all of the artists in attendance. "By hosting
the official B.B. King 80th Birthday Benefit, we intend to honor
one of Mississippi's most cherished natives for the many years that
he has entertained and inspired us with his unique style and
legendary talent. We also want to play a proactive role in raising
funds to help establish the B.B. King Museum, which will serve as a
benchmark for cultural preservation and arts education in our
state. And finally, we have always operated the Isle of Capri to be
based on the simple principle of fun; therefore, we want to provide
an evening of fun and entertainment for Mr. King's fans," said
Isle's Hinkley. King, who was present at the conference, thanked
Isle of Capri for its efforts and support before blowing out
candles on his Lucille-shaped birthday cake. King is also
celebrating this milestone year with other significant events,
including a European tour this summer, the release of his duets
album with Universal Music later this year, and the publishing of a
book in September titled "B.B. King's Treasures" with Bullfinch
Press. Tickets for the B.B. King Birthday Benefit can be purchased
through Ticketmaster.com and will go on sale July 1. Photos from
the press event can be found by logging onto:
http://acct.netcomsus.com/ISLEOFCAPRI/ , password: bbking. Isle of
Capri Casinos, Inc., a leading developer and owner of gaming and
entertainment facilities, operates 15 casinos in 13 locations. The
company owns and operates riverboat and dockside casinos in Biloxi,
Vicksburg, Lula and Natchez, Mississippi; Bossier City and Lake
Charles (two riverboats), Louisiana; Bettendorf, Davenport and
Marquette, Iowa; and Kansas City and Boonville, Missouri. The
company also owns a 57 percent interest in and operates land-based
casinos in Black Hawk (two casinos), Colorado. Isle of Capri's
international gaming interests include a casino that it operates in
Freeport, Grand Bahama and a two-thirds ownership interest in
casinos in Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton, England. The company
also owns and operates Pompano Park Harness Racing Track in Pompano
Beach, Florida. This press release may be deemed to contain
forward-looking statements, which are subject to change. These
forward-looking statements may be significantly impacted, either
positively or negatively by various factors, including without
limitation, licensing, and other regulatory approvals, financing
sources, development and construction activities, costs and delays,
weather, permits, competition and business conditions in the gaming
industry. The forward-looking statements are subject to numerous
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those expressed in or implied by the statements
herein. Additional information concerning potential factors that
could affect the Company's financial condition, results of
operations and expansion projects, is included in the filings of
the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including,
but not limited to, its Form 10-K for the most recently ended
fiscal year. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020502/ISLELOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc.
CONTACT: Lori Hutzler Eckert, Isle of Capri, +1-850-855-0055, or ;
or Katie Cronin of Hill and Knowlton, +1-312-255-3044, or , for
Isle of Capri Web site: http://www.theislecorp.com/
http://www.mscoastcoliseum.com/ http://www.bbkingmuseum.org/
http://acct.netcomsus.com/ISLEOFCAPRI/
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