BET To Air Andre Harrell Tribute Special Featuring Babyface, Mariah Carey & More

BET has announced, “MR.CHAMPAGNE & BUBBLES”, a tribute to the late Andre Harrell. The special tribute will be broadcast commercial-free on Sunday (May 24) at 7 p.m. EST on BET, Fox Soul, Revolt TV, & All iONE Digital Brand as part of a collective partnership. It will be executive produced by Wendy Credle, Rikki Hughes, and Harrell’s son, Gianni Credle-Harrell.

Together, many of the biggest names in the industry will gather to celebrate Andre Harrell, who was a legendary pioneer for the music industry. Among the special guest to make an appearance for the tribute are Mariah Carey, Babyface, Lee Daniels, Robin Thicke, Naomi Campbell, and many more.

On May 7, Harrell sadly passed away from heart failure at his home in West Hollywood, CA. He was the founder of the record label Uptown Records. He was also responsible for launching the careers of Sean “Diddy’ Combs, Teddy Riley, Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, and more. His label was ranked second amongst all the major labels for the number of charted R&B singles by the end of 1994.

In 1995, Harrell became the CEO and president of Motown Records. There, he oversaw the careers of legendary artist Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and Queen Latifah. Once he left Motown Records, he became the president of Bad Boy Records. He presided over the careers of Faith Evans,112, Diddy, and many more. He also founded Nu America Records, which ignited Robin Thicke’s career.

“There is a divine message when a soul as bright as Andre’s, Mr. Champagne & Bubbles, the official life of the party, chooses to transition during a time when so many people [whose] lives he touched so deeply, cannot get together to console each other, to share joy-filled stories, and to do the “hampty hamps” two-step in the name of his love,” Credle said. “This Tribute is our gift to Andre. 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.”