Song Features Powerhouse Performance by Singer Maurissa Rose of Detroit 

Detroit, Michigan (November 20, 2012) – It’s a tradition that goes back 86 years, one of the oldest, largest and most spectacular Thanksgiving Day parades in America, and this year, America’s Thanksgiving Parade® in Detroit will showcase a sizzling new theme song celebrating its proud heritage. Dan Yessian, founder of the music composition and production company Yessian Music in Farmington Hills, Michigan, was chosen by The Parade Company CEO Tony Michaels to write a catchy, joyous song paying homage to this year’s parade theme - its 86-year-history. The aptly named 86 Years has, according to Yessian “a Jazzy rhythm that gives a nod to Broadway, but is squarely rooted in Detroit funk. Naturally, I wanted to score something different than last year's theme which was "Celebrate America...Celebrate Detroit." 

“Our parade truly embodies Detroit and its surrounding communities, celebrating thanks for who we are, where we live and all we have,” explained Yessian. “When I was asked to write another song, I composed something I believed would be as exciting as songs we’ve created for past parades. And, as in years past, we were thrilled to be able to use the phenomenal local talent available to us in Michigan.” 

86 Years features Detroit’s own recording artist Maurissa Rose singing lead vocals, backup vocalist Susan Calloway, engineer/bassist Scotty Gatteño, guitarist Jeff Dittenber and keyboard player Kurt Schreitmueller. The brass section was arranged by Walter White, who formerly worked with Wynton Marsallis. The song was executive produced and mixed by Yessian Music’s Grammy® Award winning Gerard Smerek who is best known for mixing and producing such Detroit superstars as Anita Baker, Bob Seger and Aretha Franklin. 

Singer Maurissa Rose, who recently recorded a duet with R&B Universal Motown recording artist KEM on his hit single If It’s Love which was a Top 10 Hit on the R&B Billboard chart, was incredibly excited to be involved with the project. “86 Years is such a catchy song and I think people will enjoy it so much,” she said. “I’m so proud to be part of Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day history.” 

Dan Yessian founded Yessian Music in a converted bait shop in Farmington, Michigan in the early 1970s. Today, Yessian Music boasts offices and studios in Detroit, New York, L.A and Hamburg, Germany, with about 30 employees and over a hundred freelancers. Yessian’s sons, Brian Yessian, Executive Creative Director, and Michael Yessian, Head of Production, have taken the company to an international level working on projects around the globe. The company has written and produced countless music tracks for Coke, Ford, Ikea, L'Oreal, Disney and many more, both in the U.S and overseas. 

Recent successes for the company include arranging and producing the "Sunday Night Football" opener featuring the on camera performance by Faith Hill plus music for five advertisements during Super Bowl 2012, including NBC's "The Voice", the"Gillette...Pro Glide Styler" launch which was spoofed on Saturday Night Live as well a Budweiser spot entitled "Eternal Optimism".  Yessian Music  has also created music for notable TV shows including “NCIS,” “Sesame Street” and television promos for "Revolution", "Law and Order", “America's Got Talent" as well as for film trailers including “The Terminator.” The company also creates music for theme parks such as Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Universal Studios Singapore, Happy Valley Shanghai, as well as museums in the U.S., and Canada.