Kelly Clarkson Joins NBA Legends on USO Tour in Persian Gulf Region  6/7/05

Singer Kelly Clarkson Joins NBA Legends on USO Tour to the Persian Gulf Region 

Multi-platinum Artist to Perform National Anthem Prior to Game 2 of The Finals June 12 on ABC

WASHINGTON, June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Multi-platinum vocalist Kelly Clarkson and NBA Legends Artis Gilmore, Gail Goodrich, Spencer Haywood and Dan Roundfield will soon embark on a USO tour to bring a boost of morale to troops stationed in the Persian Gulf region. The group will visit a number of camps, and Clarkson will perform the national anthem via satellite prior to Game 2 of The Finals, televised in the U.S. on ABC (Sunday, June 12, 8:30 pm ET).

The group also will bring along the Larry O'Brien Trophy, which is awarded to the team that captures the NBA championship title. Troops will have the opportunity to pose with the trophy during the "meet and greet" sessions.

Clarkson, who gained worldwide recognition after she was voted the first American Idol in September 2002, recently released her second multi-platinum album, "Breakaway." The album is a top 10 staple on the charts and features such #1 hits as "Breakaway," "Since U Been Gone" and her current single, "Behind These Hazel Eyes." She will launch "The Hazel Eyes Tour" sponsored by Schick Intuition on July 6 in Lubbock, Texas.

Former NBA All-Stars Gilmore, Goodrich, Haywood and Roundfield each enjoyed stellar careers on the court. As a 7-foot-2-inch center, Gilmore was one of the league's most intimidating centers during the 1970s and 1980s. A member of the Hall of Fame, Goodrich earned two NBA Championships as the starting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971 and 1972 alongside teammates Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West. Haywood, a USO tour veteran, won a gold medal in 1968 at the Olympic Games in Mexico City before joining the NBA where he was such a devastating force in his prime that no opponent could defend him or keep him off the boards. Roundfield, a 6-foot-8-inch forward, spent six of his 12 NBA seasons with the Atlanta Hawks and was named to the NBA's All- Defense First Team three times.

This tour continues the USO tradition of bringing celebrity entertainment to troops serving far from home. The NBA has a long history of working with the USO and during this year's playoffs, current NBA stars, Legends and teams participated in numerous domestic events which included visits to military hospitals and bases. Several of today's stars have made trips for the USO this year, including Toby Keith, Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey, Gary Sinise, Henry Rollins, Warrick Dunn (Atlanta Falcons), Larry Izzo (New England Patriots), Colin Quinn and Adema.

For more than 64 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale and recreation-type services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by World Partners Avon Products, Inc., AT&T Corporation, BAE SYSTEMS, Bass Pro Shops, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Computer Systems Center, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Military Channel, Morgan Stanley, National Football League, Northwest Airlines, Inc., S & K Sales Company, TriWest Healthcare Alliance and The Walt Disney Company. Other organizations, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-0600), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information on the USO, please visit our Web site at http://www.uso.org 

SOURCE USO

-0- 06/07/2005