FRED JONES JR. BUILDS UPON
ENTERTAINMENT SUCCESS
TO SUPPORT EDUCATION

When Fred Jones Jr. originally conceived the idea of two well-matched southern football teams squaring off in an annual grudge match, he knew it would be entertaining and would draw crowds of tens of thousands from across the region. But the success of the Southern Heritage Classic® Cultural Celebration has exceeded his original vision beyond his dreams.

Emboldened by the cause to help fund worthy educational institutions and encouraged by growing attendance, Fred Jones Jr. added many activities to the football game since its launch in 1990. The Southern Heritage Classic® Celebration attracts fans from across the country, many of whom schedule family vacations and reunions around the annual football game. It makes sense, because the Southern Heritage Classic® Celebration has developed into a weekend jam-packed with a fashion show, concerts, a golf tournament, tailgate parties, a coaches luncheon, a battle of the bands, and more. There is something to meet the varied interests of fans of all ages.

Fred Jones Jr. never doubted that the Memphis community would support the event. Growing up in the Cleaborne Homes housing project in the Memphis area, Fred Jones Jr. worked during the day and went to school at night to earn his college degree from Memphis State University in 1971. He recognized that the support of his family and friends was vital to that achievement, and he wanted others to have that same support and opportunity. Having discovered a knack for putting together entertainers with large audiences in the most attractive venues, he blended that talent with his love for education and for helping the community to which he himself was grateful. From that combination, and a wealth of experience, the Southern Heritage Classic® Celebration was born.

Fred Jones Jr.'s experience includes associations with a roster of well-known, first-class talent including Isaac Hayes, The Isley Brothers, Prince, Bill Cosby, The Commodores, Stevie Wonder, Parliament-Funkadelic, Luther Vandross, LL Cool J, Count Basie, Tyler Perry, Jill Scott, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, The O'Jays, Usher, and hundreds more. He also assembled national blues and jazz tours for several international companies. He's an owner/limited partner of the Memphis NBA team, the Memphis Grizzlies. But Fred Jones Jr. considers his most fulfilling business endeavor to be the Southern Heritage Classic. "I've had a lot of fun throughout my career and I've had the pleasure to work with hundreds of fascinating, talented people. But there is no thrill for me bigger than getting to hand Jackson State University and Tennessee State University checks every year after the Southern Heritage Classic® Celebration and knowing that money will be used by schools that really need and deserve the assistance."

Now that SportSouth airs the Southern Heritage Classic football game, the event has grown beyond the attention of the Memphis region. For Fred Jones Jr., it doesn't matter how big it grows to be, it will always have the nostalgic flavor of a hometown tradition: "The Southern Heritage Classic® Celebration has become the premier sports and entertainment event in Memphis. While it has taken on the size of a huge city event, it has retained the small-town warmth and feel that is so characteristic of events in the Memphis area. The Southern Heritage Classic® Celebration really belongs to the community."

That attitude is one reason Fred Jones Jr. has earned recognition from a host of prestigious organizations. His most recent honors include:

• Being named the 12th most influential African-American in the state by Business Tennessee magazine.
• 2007 Citizen of the Year by the Epsilon Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
• The 2006 Circle of Honor from the Memphis Black Business Association
• The 2006 induction into The Society of Entrepreneurs
• 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year from the National Alliance of Market Developers
• The 2004 Kate Gooch Award for Service to the Community from Leadership Memphis
• Induction in 2002 into Alumni Hall of Fame for Memphis City Schools
• The 2002 Award of Excellence from the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
• The 2001 Dr. R. Q. Venson Pioneer Award from the Memphis Kemet Jubilee, Inc.
• The 2000 Outstanding Community Sales Award from the Sales and Marketing Executives of Memphis

Major corporations in the area enthusiastically support the Southern Heritage Classic. FedEx is the presenting sponsor, and Allstate Insurance, AutoZone, Nike, Ford Division, First Tennessee, Budweiser, Harrah's Entertainment, Carrier Corporation, Governor's Highway Safety Office, Tyson Foods, and Cricket Communications, are among other companies that lend their sponsorship as well. The list of generous sponsors continues to grow every year.

For more information on the Southern Heritage Classic® Celebration and other events, call SMC Entertainment at (901) 398-6655 or toll free (800) 332-1991.