Medleys Hired For 41st Annual Gay Pride Parade

Medleys In Motion Mobile DJ Service has been hired by Standard Bank & Trust Company of Chicago (for the 3rd year in a row) to provide the musical entertainment on their float during the 41st Annual Chicago Gay Pride Parade Sunday, June 27, 2010.  DJ's Koeppen, Slobe & May Jr. (even Koeppen's parents) will be on the float along with several other Medleys In Motion "fans".

The 2010 Grand Marshal is Chely Wright. Wright, 39, recently became the first major country star to come out publicly as a lesbian. Her memoir, "Like Me," and new album, "Lifted Off the Ground," were released last month. The Kansas native has said she experienced a community in which homosexuality was shunned and she had to hide her life for her music.

Past Grand Marshal's have included Eric Alva. Eric is best known for coming out in 2007 and joining Congressman Martin Meehan in introducing the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, a bill designed to repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Wilson Cruz, one of the lead actors on the television show "My So-Called Life", Former Major League Baseball player Billy Bean, star of "Star Trek" George Takei, Former NBA player John Amaechi and Alexandra Billings.

The Chicago Pride Parade will have over 250 parade entries and over 500,000 spectators.  It has grown to become the second-largest parade, behind the annual Bud Billiken Parade, which is also the largest African-American parade in the country. Just 150 people participated in the first Pride parade in Chicago in 1970.

"We are excited to return to the parade again this year as it is always such a great day," says Gregory Koeppen Medleys In Motion Owner.  "We are fortunate to live in such a diverse and accepting area.  The Pride Parade truly brings out individuals from all walks of life including gay, lesbian, straight, black and white showing acceptance and inclusion of all," adds Koeppen.  

Medleys In Motion performed in past parades working for the Chicago Professional Networking Association (CPNA), Chicago Police & Fire Departments and Harris Bank.

The parade will step off at Noon from the corner of Halsted & Belmont, proceeding north on Halsted (to Broadway); then south on Broadway (to Diversey); then east on Diversey to Cannon Drive, in Lincoln Park.  Past parades have lasted over three hours.

WLS-TV Channel 7 will provide taped coverage of the parade which will air later that night at 11:35pm. 

Floats in the parade will include all Chicago TV and major radio stations, the Chicago Police & Fire Departments, Jewel Food Stores, Altos, United Airlines, and the Chicago Tribune just to mention a few.  Politicians from past parades that are expected to return include Governor Pat Quinn, Secretary of State Jessie White, former Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka and many others!

Koeppen has worked for Standard Bank & Trust voicing several radio and television commercials for them in 2009 and 2010.

We would like to thank Standard Bank & Trust Company of Chicago for hiring us this year and we look forward to entertaining over 500,000 people on Sunday, June 27!

Happy Pride Chicagoland!

2010 Grand Marshal Chely Wright