Wednesday, June 4th, 2025. Apollo Theatre. Harlem, New York. — The Apollo Theatre held its 2025 Spring Benefit on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. The annual event began with a Red Carpet Walk at 4:30 pm at the Victoria Hotel.
The Benefit aims its efforts to celebrate the theatre’s rich legacy and commitment to its future mission as a leading arts and cultural organization. The annual benefit solidified the Apollo Theatre as an economic driver for Harlem and the city of New York, an effort that keeps the arts thriving in New York City. With philanthropic aims, the benefit garners elite business, political, entertainment, and philanthropic communities in support of The Apollo. Special guest honorees included the legend, Grammy-Award Winning Record Executive-Producer, A&R and Lawyer, Clive Davis; 13-time Grammy award-winning Babyface joined the multi-platinum Grammy award-winning recording artist Monica and Sherrese Clarke Soares, of HarbourView Equity, all of whom presented Clive Davis with a special legacy award. The star standard event headlined legendary performers, such as Busta Rhymes, Deborah Cox, Shoshana Bean, Harlem fashion designer, and legend Dapper Dan, along with several others. Music industry Veteran and former Apple Music Global Creative Director, Larry Jackson, joined the special reception and the red carpet interviews. Record executive and producer, LA Reid, was also present to honor the music Mogul.
The event featured an illustrious red carpet appearance from Hostess, Actress and Comedian, Kym Whitley, who interviewed on the Red Carpet to express her appreciation of the theatre and Clive Davis, the man who fathered the careers of many black artists that shaped the Apollo.
Danielle Niecey: “What would you like to say about tonight’s event with The Apollo honoring Clive Davis?”
Kym Whitley: “Oh, it’s going to be an iconic night. Clive Davis, of course, he is definitely a legend. You know time goes so fast..you know…this is Clive Davis, you look back at all the lives he’s changed and I’m excited to be a part of this. It’s my second year hosting and we are honoring some great people that need to be honored.”
Danielle Niecey: “ How do you feel about the Apollo Theatre making such innovative changes?”
Lightheartedly, Kym Whitley jokes:” The little log up there is tired, and it’s tired of everyone touching it. We know the Apollo is old, and I am excited to see the changes that come to the theatre.”
Kym Whitley also shares that she has a new up-and-coming moving with Adam Sandler, “Happy Gilmore II” on Netflix, releasing July 25th, also featuring comedic greats, Ben Stiller, Lavell Crawford, and Puerto Rican Rapper, Bad Bunny.
Canadian R&B Singer-Songwriter, Producer, Actress, and legend Deborah Cox, both a guest and performer at the event, confessed to The Knockturnal that she,“…still gets butterflies” pre-performances, especially honoring a great such as Clive Davis. Deborah notes, “It feels like a full circle moment. I used to watch The Apollo to make sure I had the stamina to get through my performances; so to be here now, honoring the man, the person who started my career, is really amazing. To still be standing after 25 years in music and in the business because of his effort and belief feels so…” Deborah sighs and continues, “I owe him a tremendous amount of gratitude.”
Michelle Ebanks, the CEO and president of the Apollo Theater, was also present and offered insight on the legacy of the innovations of the Apollo Theater, where it’s headed, “I’m just in awe of where the Apollo has come from over 91 years. The history itself and the legacy and the most world-renowned artists that have that have been discovered on the very historic Apollo stage, and I’m blown away by how much it’s shaped our very culture, globally. To know today that we still have iconic performances, like this past Saturday, Raphael Saadiq performed here, with standing room only. He is the artist’s artist. Knowing that we are about to undergo historic renovations means that we will have a more beautiful, restored, and vital space for both performer and audience alike.”
Danielle Niecey: “So the idea isn’t to get rid of the old Apollo Theatre, it’s to build on it?”
Michelle Ebanks: “Precisely. We have to keep building. We have to remember our origin, our history, to learn from it and celebrate it as well as be in the present and be relevant today, and our audience today, so that an 18-year-old or a 20-year-old gets to discover The Apollo for themselves. That’s what this journey, this renovation, is about.”
Danielle Niecey: “What changes can those who are more familiar with the historic Apollo expect to see in the renovations to come?”
Michelle Ebanks: “We’ll just be more Apollo. We won’t be unrecognizable. We’ll be more of who we have been, with a more modern spin, more visibility. You may see more of us on social media, more on us by way of video. Maybe more streaming. We’ll be more of who have been and in a way that’s relevant today. And what’s also important is that The Apollo is all about audience participation. The audience still decides who wins on Amateur night, and participation will always be key to who we are; that is forever in our DNA, and we’ll find ways to modernize that participation as the heart of who we are.”
Singer songwriter, Shoshana Bean graced the carpet along with Martha Redbone, Avery Sunshine, and Camille Brown, who also stopped to speak with The Knockturnal, echoing mutual sentiments of the full circle moment performing at the Apollo theater, sparked, while honoring Harlem’s very own, Teyana Taylor. Sherri Shepherd graced the red carpet, sending her love to her fans and readers at The Knockturnal. Actress Jerry Johnson, influencer Eni Popoola; TV personality Nick Arrington shared that he was excited to hear that he was most excited to hear the wisdom of Clive Davis in his acceptance speech, “I hope that he’s not prepared I hope what he says comes from here,” Nick points to his heart, “…I just want to hear what he thinks, his perspective, because I learn best from those from those who’ve been here before me. Clive’s been on this planet for a long time, he’s seen a lot. Being around people of tenure is where you learn the most.”
Actress, BET Host and Voice Artist, RaVal Davis, and many more were present on the carpet. HarbourView Equity’s Sherrese Clarke Soares, The Apollo Board of Directors Chair, Charles Phillips and The Apollo’s Vice Chairs Felicia and Ben Horowitz of the Horowitz Family Foundation; along with Sponsors Paramount, represented by Marva Smalls; Natasha and Aaron Holiday, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Patricia M. Zollar, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP / Howard Schiffman, HSBC Bank USA’s Racquel Oden; GCM Grosvendor’s Derek Jones and Goldman Sachs’ Lou D’Ambrosio among other board members and benefactors also made appearances at the show to stand in solidarity of the renovations coming to the legendary Apollo theater.
Other interviews and commentary from Larry Jackson, who sang the praises of his mentor Clive Davis and his impact on how he influenced greats such as Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, and many more. The legendary Busta Rhymes shared his perspective on both the culture and prestige of the Apollo Theatre, and how new music artists have the privilege and opportunity to carry the legacy and a baton that upholds the culture of the Apollo Theatre as a cultural cornerstone for a black artistry.
Danielle Niecey: “What are you most excited for in terms of The Apollo continuing on the legacy as it changes and becomes more innovative?”
Busta Rhymes: “I’m more excited about that than anything itself. It’s obviously needed, especially in these times of hearing the ongoing narrative of these dudes that consider themselves ‘the powers that be’ trying to shut down everything concerning black history, and black museums, and black education, and black contribution to culture, and the importance of our existence. It’s nothing new, though, we’re just seeing it in a flagrantly disrespectful way these days, and in these times, and I just think that renovation is always cool as long as the establishment’s narrative doesn’t change and the history doesn’t go away and it doesn’t get erased or removed. So as long as that is what’s happening in the renovations, I am super cool, and I already know The Apollo isn’t having it any other way.”
Clive Davis, escorted on the Red Carpet by Record Executive, Larry Jackson, and HarbourView Equity Founder and Vice Chair, Sherrese Clarke Soares, spoke with The Knockturnal before receiving his award.,
Danielle Niecey: “How does it feel to have fathered so many careers that have shaped black culture?”
Clive Davis: “You know, today, tonight is so special. The Apollo theatre is not just a theatre, it’s history. It represents the best in music/ For me, growing up, I never had a thought of being in music; to be recognized in this way is touching, special, and I’ll never forget it.”
Danielle Niecey: “What message do you have for the artists that are moving the culture forward? What message would you like to send to them that they can run with for the rest of their careers?”
Clive Davis: “Well, my message to artists always is to ‘work hard’. You have to have the work ethic, you’ve got to immerse yourself in music, you can’t just be existing in an internalized way. You got to make it so that it’s part of your soul and that it is a part of your life; that way, you can give it back when you put your individual stand on it.”
Clive also shared his heartfelt remorse in the absence of the late, great Whitney Houston, a longing in which he expressed hurts deeply that she was not there to witness and share in the acceptance of his award at the Apollo.
The red carpet kicked off the intimate cocktail reception at the Apollo stages at the Victoria where veteran Larry Jackson and Pat Houston inducted music legend Clive Davis into the Apollo, legendary walk of fame; and the fabulous Teyana Taylor, who did not make the Red Carpet, was presented with the Innovator of The Year award, The benefit raised nearly 3.2 million for year-round world class, artistic education and community program marketing 2025 to be one of the most successful benefits in Apollo theater history.
