NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The Apollo Theater, a bastion of Black music and culture and one of New York City's most storied venues, celebrates its 90th anniversary this year.
On Tuesday, the historic theater held its annual spring benefit 鈥� its largest annual fundraising effort, this year raising $3 million 鈥� with a star-studded event featuring Usher, , Big Daddy Kane, Jordin Sparks and more.
Sparks opened the night with an impressive medley of Stevie Wonder鈥檚 鈥淪uperstition,鈥� Aretha Franklin鈥檚 鈥淩espect,鈥� and Chaka Khan鈥檚 鈥淚鈥檓 Every Woman.鈥� Then Kym Whitley emerged as a hilarious host, joking about the producer Babyface, who was being honored, arguing that he should now be known as 鈥淕rown-man-face, sexy-face, kiss-your-face.鈥�
Later, she'd offer her own transformative story at The Apollo, sharing with the audience that it was on that stage where she first made an appearance as a stand-up comedian on television. 鈥淚f you can make it at The Apollo,鈥� she said, 鈥淵ou can make it anywhere.鈥�
Speeches were given by a number of Apollo representatives, including , chairman of the board Charles Phillips, executive producer Kamilah Forbes as well as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
But it was the performances that really got the crowd on their feet. Dancers treated to a choreographed medley of his own songs, from 鈥淵eah!鈥� to 鈥淏urn,鈥� 鈥淐aught Up" to 鈥淐onfessions Part II鈥� and beyond.
Usher, who just a few months ago wowed audiences with his own career retrospective while headlining , was presented with the Icon Award.
In his speech, he recalled watching with his late grandmother. 鈥淚 remember thinking, 鈥楳an, someday I鈥檓 gonna make it to that stage,' and 鈥榟opefully one day, I鈥檒l get a standing ovation,'鈥� he said as everyone in the audience stood. 鈥淚 stand before you humbled by your appreciation.鈥�
鈥淵ou know, they say if you make it in New York, you can make it anywhere," he continued, referencing Whitley's comments from earlier. 鈥淲ell, if you can make it to The Apollo, you can do anything.鈥�
Fat Joe and Kwanza Jones, formerly winners of The Apollo's famed Amateur Night, came out and led the crowd in a singalong of Babyface's 1989 hit, 鈥淪oon as I Get Home.鈥� They were tasked with introducing the super-producer, who had been presented the day prior with the inaugural legacy award at The Apollo Theater's 2024 Walk of Fame ceremony.
鈥淚 never imagined I would get this,鈥� Babyface said . 鈥淚 never saw myself actually, you know, being here at The Apollo. I didn鈥檛 want to perform here because I didn鈥檛 want to get booed, but I didn鈥檛 get booed,鈥� he laughed. 鈥淚鈥檓 so glad that I came here for The Apollo.鈥�
On Tuesday, his acceptance speech mostly ditched the jokes to express gratitude. 鈥淭o be here at The Apollo 鈥� what's so hard for me to find the words, because if I鈥檓 honest, I just never saw myself as like being on The Apollo stage. I was always the guy behind the scenes and writing songs for everyone else,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am just in awe to be considered as part of this.鈥�
鈥淚'm just going to thank everybody. Normally I stand up here, I'm funnier than this,鈥� he continued, 鈥淯sually, I am. But I'm just, I'm really just so taken by this, and I just want to thank you for the bottom of my heart. I appreciate it.鈥�
The night ended with a series of singers coming out on stage to serenade Babyface with some of the most famous songs he produced: 's 鈥淵ou Mean the World to Me,鈥� Eric Clapton's 鈥淐hange the World," Whitney Houston's 鈥淚'm Your Baby Tonight鈥� and so on.
Standouts included Karyn White doing her own 鈥淪uperwoman,鈥� getting everyone out of their seats for his 鈥淢y, My, My鈥� and of course, Babyface himself closing the night out with 鈥淲hip Appeal.鈥� They're called classics for a reason.
