'MACY'S 4th OF JULY FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR'

NBC’s annual “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular” celebrates the nation’s birthday with all-star performances from Dierks Bentley, Kelly Clarkson, Brad Paisley, Flo Rida and Meghan Trainor. America’s most spectacular party will take place from two locations on the East River in midtown and within the South Street Seaport district. Adding a second location this year will provide even more dazzling pyrotechnics as the 39th annual Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks ignite the New York City skyline. The show will be fired from four barges positioned between 23rdand 37thstreets in midtown and from one double-barge positioned below the Brooklyn Bridge. Emceed by “TODAY” show co-hosts Willie Geist and Tamron Hall, the show will air Saturday, July 4 (8-10 p.m. ET/PT) with an hour long encore presentation at 10 p.m.

“NBC is excited to join Macy’s once again in celebrating the 4th of July,” said Doug Vaughan, Executive Vice President, Special Programs and Late Night, NBC Entertainment. “We have an amazing line up of artists to complement the fireworks spectacle that will dazzle from two locations along the East River.”

In honor of this year’s bravery theme, the presentation will include more than 50,000 pyrotechnic shells and effects during a 25-minute synchronized display. New shells and effects include multi-colored transformation ghosts, blue and red octopi, crescent moons, patriotic stars, double hearts, roaring dragons, screaming banshees, purple rain, and spider webbed shaped shells. The show will combine these mesmerizing effects in 22 different colors, including new neon highlighter yellow, green and pink.

“This year's Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks will be an amazing spectacle featuring more than 50,000 effects in the nation's largest Independence Day celebration," said Amy Kule, Executive Producer of Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks. “Setting the patriotic tone for the high flying explosions will be a magnificent score featuring the U.S. Air Force Band and renowned artists Emilio and Gloria Estefan, debuting their inspiring original song, ‘America’ with VH1 Save the Music’s Park Place Community Middle School Choir, as well as music stars CeCe Winans and Rodney Atkins performing new versions of classic patriotic tunes.”

Platinum-selling artist and country music superstar Dierks Bentley released his seventh album “Riser” in 2014. The CMA, ACM and Grammy nominated album has spawned three consecutive #1 hits with "I Hold On,” "Drunk On A Plane” and “Say You Do," and he follows with "Riser" as his latest release. Bentley's six previous studio albums have sold more than 5 million copies, notched 13 chart-topping singles, earned 12 Grammy nominations and countless CMA, ACM and CMT nominations. Bentley recently kicked off his 40-city summer headlining the “2015 Sounds of Summer Tour.”

Grammy Award winner Kelly Clarkson has released six studio albums, one greatest hits album, one holiday album, sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and has had 10 singles in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. Clarkson's sixth studio album, “Piece By Piece” debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 chart marking her third #1 debut on the chart. She is the recipient of three Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards, and one CMA Award. Clarkson will hit the road this summer on her “Piece By Piece Tour.”

Critically acclaimed singer, songwriter and guitarist Brad Paisley released his current single “Crushin’ It” in early 2015, and kicked off his “Crushin’ It World Tour” in May. Throughout his career Paisley has earned three Grammys, two American Music Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards and 14 Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year. Paisley has written or co-written 20 of his 23 #1 singles with the first being his 1999 hit “He Didn’t Have To Be” and his most recent, “Perfect Storm,” from his chart topping 2014 album “Moonshine in the Trunk.”

Miami-based rapper and International superstar, Flo Rida has sold nearly 90 million singles worldwide, and recently released his new EP "My House" which features the RIAA platinum certified "G.D.F.R. (Feat. Sage The Gemini)." In 2007 Flo Rida spent 10 consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 with platinum certified hit “Low (Feat. T-Pain).” Flo Rida’s other multi-platinum certified singles include; “Right Round (Feat. Ke$ha),” “In The Ayer (Feat. will.i.am),” “Club Can’t Handle Me (Feat. David Guetta),” “Good Feeling,” “Wild Ones (Feat. Sia),” “Whistle” and “I Cry.”

Grammy nominated multi-instrumentalist Meghan Trainor broke onto the music seen in 2014 with her bestselling single “All About That Bass.” It spent a record-breaking eight weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, was certified 6x-platinum, and earned Trainor Grammy nominations for 2015 Record of the Year and Song of the Year. In January, Trainor released her debut album “Title” which also includes the hits “Lips Are Movin” and “Dear Future Husband.”

The telecast is a production of Universal Television in association with Macy’s. It is produced by Brad Lachman Productions with Lachman serving as executive producer. Bill Bracken is producer.

Lachman’s credits include a variety of NBC specials, including the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” in addition to the last four years of “Michael Bublé’s Christmas Special".

For more information and photos from the show please visit the NBC Universal Media Village website at http://www.nbcumv.com/mediavillage/

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