Mary J. Blige to headline Wawa Welcome America on July 4th

This is a return to the A-list after last year.

Wikimedia Commons

Mark Dent

Apr. 21, 2017, 9:27 a.m.

Mary J. Blige, known as The Queen of Hip Hop Soul and a top hitmaker of the 90s and early aughts, will headline Wawa’s Welcome America concert this summer, the city announced this morning.

She’ll be joined at the festival by locals Boyz II Men, who will be honored for their music achievements and philanthropy. Boyz II Men formed at Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts more than 25 years ago.

The theme for the show is “Everyone is a History Maker.”

More acts are likely to be announced in the coming weeks. Last year, Welcome America featured Leon Bridges and Leslie Odom Jr. and a tribute to Philly legends Gamble and Huff, creators of The Sound of Philadelphia.

It’s unlikely we’ll see The Roots, though. After headlining the concert for several years during the Mayor Michael Nutter administration, they bowed out last year and Questlove sarcastically tweeted about the event.

Welcome America is one of the biggest concert events every year in Philly, with an estimated 175,000 people seeing the headlining act and up to 700,000 showing up for the full day of festivities on July 4.

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