On Saturday, July 27, the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame celebrated its one-year anniversary with four new inductees, a red carpet event and a free concert performed by Zapp. The new inductees include Donald Lawrence, Randy Crawford, Shirley Murdock and the late Roger Troutman and the Zapp band. All four inductees have strong connections to Cincinnati, where their musical careers have contributed to the city’s musical legacy.
Lawrence, a Grammy-nominated gospel singer and songwriter, graduated from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Crawford, a Grammy-nominated jazz and R&B singer, performed at clubs in Cincinnati in her early years and is renowned for her 1979 hit “Street Life” with The Crusaders. Murdock, an Ohio native, was discovered by Troutman and won a Soul Train Music award for Best New Artist in 1987. Troutman and his band, Zapp, were iconic contributors to funk with their signature use of the talk box and close friends of Bootsy Collins. They also hail from the Cincinnati and Dayton areas.
Thousands of people were in attendance for the event, dressed in all-white attire, as they entered through the Walk of Fame to take part in the “Parade of Stars,” hosted by singer Big Robb, and into the Andrew J Brady Music Center downtown to begin the ceremony. The ceremony was hosted by Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame founder/president and Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece, and co-hosted by Jawn Murray of the Sherri show.
“I want to thank all of y’all for being here today because we are on the cusp of continuing to make history,” Reece said to the crowd in her opening speech. “What we’re doing today is not what we’re doing for ourselves, but what we’re doing for the future generations to come, to let them know that we were here, we impacted music and they will continue to make good music going forward if they follow the plan of those that came before them.”
The induction ceremony began with Collins presenting the award to Troutman and the Zapp brothers, followed by speeches from Murdock, Crawford’s sister and Lawrence, in which they spoke of their connections to the Cincinnati area and thanked their friends and family.
“Before you leave, take a picture of yourself — tell them you were here, but take a picture outside,” said Reece. “Because when people think of a Walk of Fame, they think of stars in Hollywood … But it’s just a star, it doesn’t tell the story. What we’ve done is build an interactive monument where mama, grandma, grandpa, daddy and the grandkids can come and learn the stories of Black artists and musicians, and do it in an interactive way.”
In April 2021, while serving as the deputy director of tourism for the state of Ohio, Reece developed the idea for the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame as she was working closely with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In July 2021, the creation of the Walk of Fame was unanimously approved by the Hamilton County Ohio Board of Commissioners. The Walk of Fame’s first inductees in 2021 included Collins, the Isley Brothers, Otis Williams and the Charms and Dr. Charles Fold. It officially opened its doors to the public in July 2023 following its two-year construction process, offering an “interactive, technology-driven experience.”
In just one year, the Cincinnati Black Walk of Fame has amassed numerous awards and national recognition, including over four Muse awards and was ranked among the top 11 Black music museums in the United States by Blavity, making it Ohio’s newest award-winning tourist attraction. It has also been featured in publications such as Billboard, Essence, Vibe and the Black Enterprise.
Keep scrolling to see everything CityBeat saw at the one-year anniversary celebration of the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame.
Photos by Aidan Mahoney
