Five African-American leaders will be honored at the 2016 BET Honors gala held at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C. They are: producer-director Lee Daniels, Ariel Investments president Mellody Hobson, former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder, singer Patti LaBelle and Epic Records CEO L.A. Reid. Arsenio Hall will host the event which will include performances by Fantasia, Ledisi, and The Deele.
L.A. Reid was one of the original members of The Deele. The R&B band was known for their 1980s hit singles “Body Talk” and “Two Occasions.” Reid was on drums, and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds was on keyboards. They recorded three albums. In the late 1980s, Reid and Edmonds started crafting their talents as songwriters for other artists including Reid’s girlfriend, Pebbles (“Girlfriend”) and The Whispers (“Rock Steady”). In 1989, the two left the band and founded LaFace Records. The 2016 BET Honors will air on March 14 at 8pm on BET.
