Melanie Fiona Co-Headlines BET’s Music Matters Tour II w/ Marsha Ambrosius

True artists understand the importance of bringing live music back to the art form. That’s why Grammy-nominated SRC/Title 9/Universal Motown Records artist MELANIE FIONA has joined forces with ex-Floetry songstress Marsha Ambrosius and Grammy-nominated southern folk-soul singer Anthony David for the second installment of BET’s Music Matters Tour. Co-headlined by MELANIE FIONA and Marsha Ambrosius, BET’s Music Matters Tour II will give audiences a complete musical experience by combining meaningful lyrics with passionate performances that will prove just how much music still matters. The outing kicks off on March 16 at the South Side Music Hall in Dallas, Texas and wraps on April 17 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama. With the hotly anticipated summer 2011 release of MELANIE FIONA’s second album, The MF Life, fast approaching, and Marsha Ambrosius’s long-awaited solo debut album, Late Nights, Early Mornings, now in stores, BET’s Music Matters Tour II is a definite must-see. “I love Marsha [Ambrosius] — I’ve loved her forever — and we recently got to know each other a little better over the last year,” said MELANIE FIONA, “so it was just a perfect union, great energy, great music on the tour, and we couldn’t be more excited.”

An electrifying live performer known to bring audiences to their feet with her soulful vocals and dazzling stage presence, MELANIE FIONA promises to deliver a standout live show not to be missed. In addition to revisiting popular favorites such as her No. 1 smash hit “It Kills Me” from her critically acclaimed debut album, 2009’s The Bridge, she will also showcase her powerful new single, “Gone and Never Coming Back,” plus other songs from her upcoming sophomore album, The MF Life.

Early reaction to “Gone and Never Coming Back” has been stellar. Vibe.com writes that the deeply emotional ballad — written by Andrea Martin and produced by Jay Fenix — “finds the songstress crooning over a love that was meant to be forgotten,” and Billboard calls it “a catchy tune about heartbreak and despair.” Tune in to BET’s 106 & Park on Tuesday, March 8 at 6pm EST to watch MELANIE FIONA co-host the show with Terrence and debut the world premiere of her stunning new music video for “Gone and Never Coming Back,” directed by Colin Tilley.

MELANIE FIONA’s 2009 breakout debut album, The Bridge, received a 2010 Juno Award nomination for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year. The album’s success was propelled by the anthemic hit single “It Kills Me,” which topped Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for 10 weeks and earned the Toronto native a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance. MELANIE FIONA was named iTunes’ Best New R&B/Soul Artist of 2009 and she won the trophy for Best New Artist at the 2010 Soul Train Awards, in addition to picking up four nominations at the 2010 BET Awards, plus a 2010 NAACP Image Award nod for Outstanding New Artist. In 2010, MELANIE FIONA was the only artist to be invited to perform on BET’s Rising Icons program for the second year in a row, and in 2011, she earned her second Grammy nomination in the category of Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for her guest appearance on “Wake Up! Everybody” by John Legend and The Roots, featuring Common.

BET Music Matters II Tour Dates:
March 16 South Side Music Hall Dallas, TX
March 17 SXSW Austin, TX
March 18 House of Blues New Orleans, LA
March 19 Varsity Theatre Baton Rouge, LA
March 20 Arena Theatre Houston, TX
March 22 1015 Folsom San Francisco, CA
March 23 Harlow’s Sacramento, CA
March 26 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, CA
March 31 House of Blues Cleveland, OH
April 1 Royal Oak Music Theatre Detroit, MI
April 2 House of Blues Chicago, IL
April 4 Theatre of the Living Arts Philadelphia, PA
April 5 Irving Plaza New York, NY
April 6 The Birchmere Alexandria, VA
April 7 Ram’s Head Live Baltimore, MD
April 8 The National Richmond, VA
April 11 Center Stage Theater Atlanta, GA
April 12 Cannon Center for the Performing Arts Memphis, TN
April 13 Limelight Entertainment Complex Nashville, TN
April 14 Mansion Montgomery, AL
April 15 Platinum of Birmingham Birmingham, AL
April 16 Florida Theatre Jacksonville, FL
April 17 Von Braun Center Hunstville, AL

In honor of Women’s History Month, Melanie Fiona would like to present her “Every Woman” alter ego shoot with Derek Blanks. Check out the exclusive behind the scenes footage of the shoot, and stay tuned for the final product to be released this Thursday!