Andre Harrell Will Be Honored By Russell Simmons, Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx & More Celebrities In BET Special
Andre Harrell will receive a tribute for his contributions to music with a special created by BET.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Harrell died at the age of 59 on Friday, May 8. Once they learned of the news, many celebrities, including his protege Sean “Diddy” Combs, shared kind words about Harrell on social media. According to BET News, more celebs will show how much Harrell meant to them in a public way. BET will air Harrell’s memorial broadcast, Mr. Champagne and Bubbles, on Sunday, May 24.
The special was named after Harrell’s nickname and is set to include some of the famous friends he made throughout his career. Jamie Foxx, Babyface, Naomi Campbell, Lee Daniels, Clarence Avant, Russell Simmons, Kimora Lee Simmons, Robin Thicke, Chris Rock, and Mariah Carey are all slated to share their thoughts about Harrell. Other appearances are set to be made throughout the special. Not only will the taping air on BET, but several other networks will air the commercial-free broadcast, including BET Jams, BET Soul, and Diddy’s network, REVOLT TV, where Harrell acted as vice chairman.
Mr. Champagne and Bubbles will be executive produced by Harrell’s ex-wife Wendy Credle, his son Gianni Credle Harrell, and Rikki Hughes. Credle said the special will honor her ex-husband’s wishes for a lively tribute. She shared he was always “the life of the party” and would never want his loved ones to remember him in a somber way.
“This Tribute is our gift to Andre,” Credle said. “When his day came, Andre said, ‘Listen, if they ain’t playing Frankie Beverly and Maze’s ‘Before I Let Go’ at my funeral, guess what, I ain’t going. He said, ‘I don’t want a funeral. I want a party.’ Well, Andre, in the words of Frankie, ‘You made us happy, This you can bet, You stood right beside us, And we won’t forget.”‘
A native of Bronx, New York, Harrell gained notoriety back in the 1980s and 1990s as the founder of Uptown Records. After having a music career of his own, he decided to nurture upcoming artists through his label. He was the first to sign acts like Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, and megaproducer Teddy Riley, who was in the R&B group Guy. Uptown also included the late rapper Heavy D, who was the first artist under the label.
DJ D-Nice was the first to announce that Harrell passed away. He shared the news with his followers on Instagram live during his renowned social media series, Club Quarantine. The cause of Harrell’s death remains unknown.
