LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Warner Bros. Records Inc. announced its plans today for the spring release of Sing America: A Celebration of America and its Music. All Warner Bros. Records Inc. net profits from the commemorative CD set, which will feature recordings by artists ranging from Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Stevie Wonder to Paul Simon and Bob Dylan, will go to Save America’s Treasures, a public-private partnership led by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. The monies raised will establish the Fund to Save America’s Treasures, to be administered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the private-sector partner with the White House Millennium Council on the Save America’s Treasures program.

The announcement of the release of Sing America was made at the historic Los Angeles Theater, the grandest movie palace in the movie industry’s hometown, and one of the many historic sites toured by the First Lady during her visit to Los Angeles.

"While preserving historic sites doesn’t take place overnight, it is exciting to see committed people working together to ensure that wonderful pieces of our heritage, such as the historic Broadway Theater District, are preserved," said Mrs. Clinton. "Through the Save America’s Treasures program we hope to encourage all Americans to seize this opportunity to seek out the historic places in their own communities and to work together to ensure their long-term survival."

"In developing this project we wanted to create a musical tapestry of artists whose scope embodies the richness and diversity of American culture," said Warner Bros. Records Inc. Vice Chairman David Altschul. "Music is one of America’s greatest treasures, and we can think of no better way of celebrating American music, than by making sure that other national treasures remain vital parts of the American experience."

"We salute the First Lady for her leadership on the Save America’s Treasures initiative and commend Warner Bros. Records Inc. for responding to the call to preserve the best of our past as a gift to the future," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust. "The endowed Fund to Save Americas Treasures, made possible by Warner Bros. Records and music fans nationwide, will provide a permanent resource that will enable us to save the places that tell America’s story for decades to come."

Net profits from Sing America: A Celebration of America and its Music will establish an endowed fund for preservation, to be administered by the National Trust. Interest from the fund will provide grants to assist nonprofits and local governments in preservation-related activities. Applications for the preservation fund will likely be available in the fall of 1999. For more information, contact: Save America’s Treasures, c/o National Trust for Historic Preservation 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 588-6104.

Save America's Treasures is a program of the White House Millennium Council created in 1997 by the President and First Lady to celebrate the accomplishments of this American century, and to engage every sector of our society in giving "gifts to the future" that convey our rich heritage. Save America's Treasures is a bipartisan partnership between the U.S. Government and private individuals, corporations, foundations and experts in the fields of architecture, art, archives and historic preservation. The National Trust for Historic Preservation serves as the private partner to Save America's Treasures, coordinating the public awareness and education campaigns and working with preservation partners, including Heritage Preservation and the National Park Foundation, and the Millennium Committee to Save America's Treasures to raise funds for the most urgent preservation needs identified at the state and national levels.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, chartered by Congress in 1949, is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable. It fights to save historic buildings and the neighborhoods and landscapes they anchor. Through education and advocacy, the National Trust is revitalizing communities across the country and challenges citizens to create sensible plans for the future. It has six regional offices, 20 historic sites, and works with thousands of local community groups nationwide.

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