Sparks to sing national anthem at All-Star Game

NEW YORK -- Pop sensation and 2009 Grammy nominee Jordin Sparks will return to her hometown of Phoenix, Arizona to perform the National Anthem prior to the start of the 2009 NBA All-Star Game at US Airways Center on Sunday, Feb. 15. The performance will air live on TNT, Score Canada, ESPN Radio, and in more than 215 countries and territories beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Sparks rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol in 2007. With her success, she went on to win a 2008 American Music Award for Best Contemporary Artist, a 2008 NAACP Image Award for Best New Artist and a People's Choice Award for her smash hit "No Air," (her duet with multi-talented pop star Chris Brown). Sparks' self-titled debut album featuring hit singles "No Air," "Tattoo," and "One Step at a Time," was just recently certified Platinum in the U.S. which helped her become one of the few American Idol winners to have major success on the Billboard Hot 100, alongside with Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.

Sparks, who made her first post-American Idol appearance at Game 1 of the 2007 NBA Finals where she sang the National Anthem in front of a global audience, joins a long list of All-Star National Anthem performers including: Christina Aguilera, Destiny's Child, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Willie Nelson, Natalie Cole, Ben Vereen, Branford Marsalis/Bruce Hornsby, Michael Bolton, Boyz II Men, Brian McKnight, Jessica Simpson, Patti LaBelle, Martina McBride, and many more.

It was previously announced that Sparks' fellow 2009 Grammy-nominee Chris Brown will team up with 14-time NBA All-Star Shaquille O'Neal and the winners of MTV's America's Next Dance Crew, the JabbaWockeeZ, to introduce the Eastern and Western Conference teams during the pre-game festivities on Sunday, Feb. 15. In addition, five-time Grammy winner John Legend and 17-time Latin Grammy winner Juanes will perform an extended version of Legend's inspiring hit song "If You're Out There" during the NBA Cares-themed halftime show.

Other notable All-Star performances include: actor/recording artist Corbin Bleu, star of Disney's Emmy Award-winning High School Musical, will entertain fans at halftime of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam at US Airways Center on Friday, Feb. 13 (9 p.m. ET, TNT) as well as a special performance of the chart-topping single "Let It Rock," by singer/guitarist Kevin Rudolf prior to the highly-anticipated Sprite Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Saturday Night Saturday, Feb. 14 (

Jordin Sparks (Jive) -- The singer, songwriter and fashion designer from Phoenix, Arizona, rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol, leading to her reception of an American Music Award a People's Choice Award, as well as a 2009 Grammy nomination for the hit song "No Air," a collaboration with pop superstar Chris Brown. Her self-titled debut album was certified Platinum earlier this year which helped make her one of the few American Idol winners to have major success on the Billboard Hot 100, alongside with Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, and the second Idol winner to have two or more nominations after the release of one album. Before appearing on American Idol, Sparks participated in and won such talent competitions as Sprite Rising Star, Gospel Music Association GMA Academy, The Proof Is In The Pudding Contest, NBC/PAX America's Most Talented Kids, Colgate Country Showdown and the 2007 Drug Free AZ Superstar Search. In 2006, Sparks was one of six winners who won the Phoenix Torrid search for the "Next Plus Size Model" and was subsequently featured in a number of Torrid ads and promotional pieces including a full-page ad for Torrid featuring Sparks ran in the December 2006 issue of Seventeen magazine. Along with numerous TV and radio appearances, Sparks has been on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, Your Prom and World and featured in VIBE, TV Guide, Glamour, among other publications. In 2007, Sparks took part in the American Idols LIVE! Tour in addition to performing on New Years Eve Live on FOX and Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular. In 2008, she toured alongside multi-platinum artists Alicia Keys and Jesse McCartney. In August 2008, Sparks was appointed by President George W. Bush to be a member of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation for a two year term along with Corinne Baily Rae and Michael W. Smith. The multi-talented singer has also teamed up with cosmetics company Avon to become a spokesperson for the teen-focused line Mark. Sparks is currently recording her sophomore alb

NBA All-Star 2009 in Phoenix will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league's history for a global celebration of the game. Among the many events that will reach fans in 215 countries and territories in 44 languages are the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, PlayStation Skills Challenge, Haier Shooting Stars, McDonald's NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas, and the 58th NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 15 at the US Airways Center and broadcast on TNT for a sixth consecutive year, marking Turner Sports' 24th season of All-Star coverage. This will be the third NBA All-Star in Phoenix. The city also hosted the event in 1975 and 1995.

NBA Cares is the league's social responsibility initiative that builds on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. Through this umbrella program, the NBA, its teams and players have donated more than $97 million to charity, provided more than 800,000 hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 350 places where kids and families can live, learn or play. NBA Cares works with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: KaBOOM!, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, UNICEF, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.