CINCINNATI — The newest Ohio Tourism Attraction is opening this summer. The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame’s newest inductees were announced which are The Deele, Louise Shropshire, Philippé Wynne and the honorary inductee is James Brown.
Spectrum News 1 got a behind-the-scenes look at the progress of the attraction and spoke with one of the newest inductees about what it means to be honored.
It’s a trip down memory lane for two members of The Deele.
You may remember them from some of their greatest hits, like Body Talk.
“This is the one that started it all," Dee Bristol, one of the lead singers for The Deele, said. "This is the one that had us sitting around the radio, like wow, our song’s on the radio!”
But they’re most known for another song
“That’s actually our biggest hit, that’s Two Occasions," Bristol said.
But it’s more than reliving the glory days for Dee Bristol and Kayo. They along with their bandmates are gaining a new award as the newest inductee into the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame.
“You can’t be nothing but honored, especially being our hometown," Kevin "Kayo" Roberson, the bass player for the band, said. "I don’t even have the words to say how appreciative I am of that.”
At the home of the Walk of Fame, it’s still a construction site, but not for long. Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece showed what the space will look like in just two months' time.
“This is where they’ll have an augmented reality of Penny Ford who sang 'I got the power!'" Reece said. "And they’ll have avatars and they’ll be able to stand here and you’ll be able to dance and then you’ll be inside with Penny performing.”
Reece spearheaded the project back in 2021 and is making sure it is more than just a few stars displayed but full of technology, lights and water features.
“That’s why we wanted to have this, not just be Hollywood stars where they’re just on the sidewalks. We wanted to provide an experience," Reece said.
She credits her parents, who worked in the music industry in the Queen City, for giving her the inspiration for the project.
“It wasn’t really until my mother passed at 57 from breast cancer that I started to realize that I have a responsibility that these stories don’t die when we die," Reece said. "We got to pass them along in a way that the whole world can be a part of it.”
For these musicians, they’re grateful for the opportunity.
“Seeing that star put in the ground and I can look myself in the mirror and say hey man, you did that!” Bristol said.
And look forward to being all together again at what is sure to be an emotional opening.
“We’re gonna be up there crying," Kayo said. "No I’m just kidding, but it probably will feel like that because it’s a special moment.”
The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame is set to open on July 22 with all sorts of live music and entertainment lined up for the event.