Ravinia 2026 Issue 6

HUNTERPAVILION 7:00 PM THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 , 2026 ERYKAH BADU with special guest DE LA SOUL † and THE ALCHEMIST † † Ravinia debut AMESSAGE FROMMIDTOWNATHLETICCLUBS At Midtown Athletic Clubs, tennis has always been more than a game. It began in with founder Alan G. Schwartz’s belief that tennis could open doors, build con dence, and bring people together. He carried that belief beyond Midtown’s walls and into Chicago’s underserved neighborhoods, spending time introducing children to a sport they could carry with them for life. Today, we carry that legacy forward through the Alan G. Schwartz Community Tennis Program. In partnership with the Chicago Park District, the program brings low- to no-cost instruction to public parks across the city, expanding access and creating opportunity for thousands of youth and adults each year. What began in six parks in has grown to , now reaching more than , participants annually, and continues to expand. As Midtown has evolved into a leading luxury athletic club, our commitment to investing in people and strengthening the communities that shape us remains unchanged. Whether on a tennis court, in a neighborhood park, or gathered on the Lawn at Ravinia, we believe strong communities are built when everyone has the opportunity to participate, connect, and belong. ERYKAHBADU Growing up in Dallas and attending schools for the performing arts, Erykah Badu was heavily in uenced by the soul music of the s and hip-hop of the s by the time she began fo- cusing on making her own music in the early s. She landed a gig opening for nascent neo- soul pioneer D’Angelo and stuck in the ear of his manager, who soon brought Badu and D’Angelo back together to record a cover of “Your Pre- cious Love.” Badu began working on her rst album at the same time, collaborating with the likes of e Roots and jazz bassist Ron Carter on several tracks. Released in , Baduizm de- buted at number two on Billboard ’s top albums chart, also taking the top slot among R&B discs while immediately earning her critical praise. A key part of the success was the gold-selling lead single “On & On,” which topped several R&B charts itself while clocking in at number on the Hot . e multi-Platinum album and that single would win Badu her rst two Grammy Awards as well as earn her a nomination as Best New Artist. Meanwhile, before the year was out she recorded and released Live , capitalizing on the enthusiasm for her voice—particularly on the single “Tyrone”—and solidifying her among neo-soul’s bedrock artists. Badu soon won her third Grammy contributing to “You Got Me” on e Roots’ seminal album ings Fall Apart ( ). Her then much-anticipated follow-up, Mama’s Gun , appeared in with the top- single “Bag Lady.” Collaborating with fellow Soulquarian Common, Badu notched her fourth Grammy with “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip- Hop),” which became a top- hit o the Brown Sugar soundtrack. Her own album Worldwide Underground ( ) soon followed, and a er recouping creative energy, she released the lyri- cally and musically fearless concept album New Amerykah Part One in , attacking socio- political concerns. Badu returned to personal themes and lighter jazz and soul in uences on ’s New Amerykah Part Two , and has since made numerous guest recordings, as well as the mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone . Last month she annouced the release of a new studio album co-produced with e Alchemist. Erykah Badu is making her rst return to Ravinia fol- lowing her festival debut. RAVINIAMAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 7 – SEPTEMBER 23 , 2026 70