Two Cincinnati musical icons were inducted into the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame last week.
Iconic funk band Heatwave and the staff of legendary radio station WCIN were both given stars on the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, which sits just outside the Andrew J. Brady Music Center downtown.
The Black Music Walk of Fame is littered with terrazzo stars bearing iconic names, similar to the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, but instead celebrates Black musicians from Cincinnati who went on to achieve international acclaim. Past inductees include the Isley Brothers, James Brown, Roger & Zapp, Hi-Tek, Otis Williams, Bootsy Collins, and more.
This year’s ceremony took place inside the Brady Music Center and was led by Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece, the founder and CEO of the Black Music Walk of Fame. Attendees were encouraged to wear all-white to match Reece’s plans for a “Homecoming” theme. It took place just before the final night of the Cincinnati Music Festival at nearby Paycor Stadium, which Visit Cincy and meetNKY CEO Julie Kirkpatrick told CityBeat was “the biggest tourism weekend in Cincinnati every year.”
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Heatwave was founded by siblings Keith Wilder and Johnnie Wilder Jr., before they took their band to London, England and became international superstars. They’re best known for songs like “Boogie Nights,” “Always and Forever” and “The Groove Line.” At the ceremony, the surviving original members of the band accepted an award from Reece, and received their own star on the Walk of Fame.
Meanwhile, WCIN was the nation’s second-oldest Black-formatted radio station. Known as “The Pulse of the City,” it was well-known for helping to launch the career of famous acts like the Isley Brothers or Ike & Tina Turner. It also introduced the city to local icons like beloved radio personality Lincoln Ware, who got his start at the station in his younger days. WCIN shuttered in 2007.
In addition to the two local inductees, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Regina Belle and classic R&B group New Edition were presented with a Legacy Award at the event. Belle and 2025 Walk of Fame inductee Shirley Murdock performed their most enduring hits as part of the ceremony, like “Baby Come to Me” and “As We Lay,” respectively. After the ceremony concluded, Midnight Star — a 2022 inductee — played a free concert on the Brady Center’s outdoor stage.
“I can’t tell you how wonderful this was,” Murdock told CityBeat. “It made my day.”
For more information on the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, visit the official website.
