James Brown Honored At Historic Grand Opening Of Cincinnati Black Music Walk Of Fame

James Brown was among the inductees honored at the grand opening of the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame.

On Saturday, July 22, the late Godfather of Soul had his star placed with others honoring Cincinnati music legends Philippé Wynne, who sang lead in The Spinners, and Louise Shropshire, who penned the lyrics of the iconic civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome.” Babyface’s original R&B group The Deele also received a star for their musical contributions and ties to the city.

The star-studded new class joins 2021 founding inductees Bootsy Collins, the Isley Brothers, Dr. Charles Fold, and Otis Williams, and 2022 inductees Penny Ford, Midnight Star, Wilbert Longmire, and Hi-Tek.

While it’s the third ceremony, it’s the first where Cincy’s official Black Music Walk of Fame was unveiled.

Coming on the heels of Black Tech Week and the annual Cincinnati Music Festival (aka Jazz Fest,) the new Walk of Fame adds to the culture of Black excellence the entire city takes pride in celebrating.

“What I love about the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame is that it brings all those pieces together,” Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“When this wonderful weekend is over, the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame becomes a permanent fixture that people can go to 365 days.”

It was a labor of love for Reece, who takes pride in the interactive features incorporated into the Walk of Fame.

“When you talk about Black Tech Week and you talk about the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, which is using technology to bridge the generational gap, you start talking about jobs, you start talking about being futuristic,” she says.

(Photo: Kevin J. Watkins/Courtesy of the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame)

The new Walk of Fame takes visitors on an interactive trip through time with some of Cincy’s most iconic music stars. Visitors can play songs from Ohio music legends like Wynne and John Legend, film a dance cameo with Collins and Ford, or play the drums with Hi-Tek.

Collins was front and center for the grand opening to finally see his star as a founding inductee. The Parliament-Funkadelic alumnus, who ignited his professional career performing with Brown, was honored in 2021 when Reece was still in the process of developing the official Walk of Fame.

But as a Cincinnati native and Black music legend, Collins needed little convincing to get involved early on.

“This is something I definitely want to commit my time to. It was right on time,” Collins said.

The grand opening came at the same time as the Cincinnati Music Festival where Jill Scott, Al Green, Babyface, Parliament, Snoop Dogg, and more shut it down for the thousands in attendance. The festival serves as a huge tourist attraction for the city, bringing in $107 million to the local economy each year.

Now, the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame can add to what the city has to offer.

“It creates the springboard for jobs for a tourism attraction, because make no mistake about it, the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame is a tourism attraction,” Reece says.