Farmers Angel City Classic Mourns Loss of Legendary Music Icon, Promoters Pledge to Continue Scheduled “Stax Records Fifth Quarter Tribute to Isaac Hayes”

Anticipated L.A. Memorial Coliseum Match-Up Between Morehouse and Prairie View to Bestow Fitting Honors to Deceased Oscar and Grammy Award Winning Superstar

LOS ANGELES, CA–(EMWNews – August 11, 2008) – The Farmers Insurance Group Angel City

Classic team is deeply saddened to learn about the untimely death of

incomparable singer, songwriter and music industry pioneer Isaac Hayes.

“Isaac Hayes will forever be known as a gifted musical genius. An Oscar and

Grammy Award winning artist with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of

Fame, we have all been anticipating how exciting it was going to be to have

him be part of this Classic,” said Black Educational Events CEO John T.

Fleming, whose company is producing the event. “Now, the planned tribute

has even greater meaning, as throngs of attendees will also be coming to

pay their respects to Mr. Hayes’ life and legacy.”

Hayes was the first African American to win an Academy Award in a

non-acting category for “Best Original Song” for the hit blockbuster

“Shaft.” With his deep baritone voice, signature bald head and innovative

sense of style, he laid the foundation for “urban music.” It was because of

his many accomplishments that Hayes was scheduled to appear Saturday,

September 27, 2008 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the Concord

Stax Fifth Quarter Concert immediately following the Classic.

This was the same venue where he gave his breakout performance over 35

years ago during Wattstax, a concert held to quell tensions and soothe a

community still reeling from the Watts Riots during a very turbulent period

in American history.

Stax Records VP of Artist & Repertoire, Collin Stanback, foresees an

outpouring of artists joining what will inevitably be a huge celebration

for Hayes. “This is of course tragic news about the loss of such a giant in

the music business. Stax Records was in many ways the house that Isaac

built as a prolific songwriter and performer and I can’t think of a more

fitting way to show our gratitude for everything he gave us than to fill

the L.A. Coliseum with all of his fans,” said Stanback.

Expected to be the largest gathering of African-Americans for a sporting

event in the country, title sponsor Farmers Insurance Group is also joined

by Concord Music Group/Stax Records, Tri-Destined Studios, McDonalds, Wells

Fargo, Wachovia, Metro, Coors Light, NBC Universal’s “The Express,”

MoneyGram, Law Offices of Skadden Arps, SCLC L.A., U.S. Bank, Avon,

Enterprise, Food-4-Less, 3BAAS Media, and actor/producer Nick Cannon’s

“Stop Hating” campaign.

For more information on the event, visit www.angelcityclassic.com