LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, November 9, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Two incredible legends in the music industry celebrated their success in a big way on Saturday, November 5th at the Grammy Museum in the heart of downtown LA. Both Felton Pilate and Michael Cooper who are original members of the Funk group known as Confunkshun, were surrounded by friends, family, and fans from all over the world when they were pleasantly surprised with not one, but two types of awards that recognized them as pillars of inspiration to the entertainment industry and communities from far and wide.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, November 9, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Two incredible legends in the music industry celebrated their success in a big way on Saturday, November 5th at the Grammy Museum in the heart of downtown LA. Both Felton Pilate and Michael Cooper who are original members of the Funk group known as Confunkshun, were surrounded by friends, family, and fans from all over the world when they were pleasantly surprised with not one, but two types of awards that recognized them as pillars of inspiration to the entertainment industry and communities from far and wide.
"An Intimate Evening with Felton Pilate" was put together by Pilate's wife Jennifer, in honor of his seventieth birthday. The star-studded red-carpet extravaganza was held in the Clive Davis Theater inside the Grammy Museum. The evening began with celebrities coming in to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and picture-perfect moments shared amongst the crowd as they graced the red carpet in their formal attire. Once in the theater, a tone of genuine admiration filled the room when Pilate was introduced by “We Luvv Rare Grooves” host, Clifton Moseley who then showcased a beautiful music video tribute to Pilate highlighting the numerous songs he has written for Confunkshun.
This was followed by an on stage interview where the two men discussed Pilate's incredible work. All of the guests were also entertained by Pilate who performed several songs, including two from the new Confunkshun Christmas album. The evening progressed with the Music & Medicine host, Moshe Lewis introducing stellar performances by the iconic Janice Marie Johnson of the group, "Taste of Honey', the soulful Michael Cooper, and Felton and Jennifer Pilate who wowed the crowd with several classic duets.
To culminate the ceremony, Pilate's publicist, Desirae L. Benson went on stage to inform all the guests that the night was not over and that there were a few special surprises in store for everyone to see. She then summoned Dr. Kenneth Curry to come join her on the stage where he explained to the curious crowd exactly why he was there. Once he explained that he would be presenting both Pilate and Cooper with Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from the Christian Bible Institute under the direction of Dr. Tony V. Lewis, the shock on the faces of Pilate and Cooper were priceless. The guests went wild and began cheering for the two men as they stepped on the stage to join their wives who were now standing there as well. They had no idea this was going to happen; all they knew was they were there to celebrate Pilate's birthday.
Pilate expressed his thoughts and said, "I felt confusion, shock, and disbelief when it became clear what was happening. I had to turn my back to the audience for a moment to try to control and hide the tears, it didn’t work, I was overwhelmed with emotion." Cooper was equally surprised and explained, "I was completely caught off guard at the presentations and the preparation for the event that I thought was only a birthday celebration for Felton. It turned out to be far more than I could have imagined. To be presented with a Doctorate degree for my contributions to music was completely overwhelming to me."