The Bronx Walk of Fame is a 23-block corridor along the Grand Concourse, one of the main boulevards in the Bronx, the northernmost borough of New York City, with street signs honoring people who have lived in the borough and had worthy accomplishments. Individuals selected for honor frequently have been celebrities in artistic fields, but there also have been relative "unknowns" who have quietly made their mark on society, and several groups have also been honored. Elections to the Bronx Walk of Fame are held annually.
  Location within New York City  Bronx Walk of Fame (New York) | |
| Established | 1997 |
|---|---|
| Location | Grand Concourse from 138th Street to East 161st Street, The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°49′36″N 73°55′22″W / 40.82667°N 73.92278°W |
| Type | Hall of Fame |
| Founder | Fernando Ferrer |
| Owner | Bronx borough president, Bronx Tourism Council |
| Public transit access | New York City Subway (149th Street),  (138th and 149th Streets),  (138th and 149th Streets),  (161st Street),  (161st Street) |
| Nearest parking | Street parking and nearby private garages |
| Website | http://bronxtourism.wpengine.com/bronx-walk-of-fame/ |
History edit
Fernando Ferrer, borough president of the Bronx from 1987 to 2001, conceived the idea for the Bronx Walk of Fame in 1997 to honor people who had ties to The Bronx and made significant contributions to society.[1]
The initial induction ceremony, on June 1, 1997, coincided with the conclusion of the 25th Bronx Week, an annual spring celebration of street festivals and concerts throughout the Bronx, a parade, and the Bronx Ball, a black-tie gala that includes a ceremony for the inductees.[2] The inductees' names were inscribed on street signs mounted on lampposts on the Grand Concourse from East 161st Street to East 158th Street, in front of the Bronx County Courthouse, each bearing the name of an honoree. The original design included the honoree's name in the center of the sign, the words "The Bronx" above and "Walk of Fame" below, and stylized images of the Bronx County Courthouse on the left and a pizza shop on the right.[1]
In 2007, the signs were replaced with a new design featuring a different typeface, a redrawn courthouse, and the pizza shop replaced by an Art Deco building meant to evoke the architectural style of many of the apartment buildings on the Grand Concourse. As more honorees have been added over the years, the signs have been placed further southward, extending past East 149th Street, beyond which there are much fewer pedestrians, and reaching the southern end of the Grand Concourse at East 138th Street.[1]
In 2019, a five-year project was announced to reconstitute the walk along the Grand Concourse starting at East 149th Street near Hostos Community College and the main Bronx Post Office, extending to 167th Street near the Bronx Museum of the Arts. The new alignment would give an opportunity to group inductees by similar accomplishments, install new plaques, allow more pedestrians to have a better opportunity to see the plaques, and create a digital map.[1][3]
Election process edit
Nominations can be made by anybody in the community, and selections are determined by a committee consisting of the Bronx borough president, The Bronx Tourism Council, and The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation. Inductees' names are announced prior to Bronx Week. Their names are inscribed on oversized street signs that are unveiled in front of the Bronx County Courthouse located on the Grand Concourse between East 158th and 161st Streets, where they remain on lampposts for one year before being transferred to different locations along the Grand Concourse to make room for the next group of honorees.[1]
The Bronx Walk of Fame is maintained by the Bronx Tourism Council. Since 2012, the number of inductees has been limited to five per year. In 2020, Bronx Week celebrations and the Walk of Fame selections were cancelled because of the COVID-19 epidemic, which hit New York City particularly hard that spring.[4][5]
List of honorees edit
The following people have been honored with election.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]
| Year | Name | Field or Talent |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | John Benitez (born 1957) | drummer, guitarist, songwriter, and music producer |
| Nate Archibald (born 1948) | professional basketball player; six-time NBA All Star | |
| Regis Philbin (1931–2020) | television host, actor, singer, and producer | |
| Renée Taylor (born 1933) | actress, screenwriter, playwright, and director | |
| Robert Klein (born 1942) | comedian and actor | |
| 1998 | Angela Bofill (born 1954) | singer and songwriter |
| Garry Marshall (1934–2016) | film producer, director, screenwriter, actor, and comedian | |
| Red Buttons (1918–2006) | comedian and actor | |
| Rita Moreno (born 1931) | actress, dancer, and singer | |
| 1999 | Esai Morales (born 1962) | actor |
| Felipe López (born 1974) | professional basketball player | |
| Hal Linden (born 1931) | actor | |
| Joe Franklin (1926–2015) | radio and television host | |
| 2000 | Dave Valentin (1952–2017) | musician |
| Dolores Hope (1909–2011) | singer | |
| *Guy Williams (1924–1989) | actor and model | |
| Marvin Scott (born 1938) | newscaster and anchorman | |
| Neil deGrasse Tyson (born 1958) | astronomer | |
| Sam Garnes (born 1974) | professional football player | |
| Yomo Toro (1933–2012) | musician | |
| 2001 | Burt Young (born 1940) | actor |
| Colin Powell (1937-2021) | United States Army general, secretary of state, and diplomat | |
| Diahann Carroll (1935–2019) | actress, singer, model | |
| E.L. Doctorow (1931–2015) | author | |
| Ed Kranepool (born 1944) | professional New York Mets baseball player | |
| Jim Ryan (born 1939) | news reporter and anchorman | |
| Johnny Pacheco (1935-2021) | musician, arranger, composer, music producer, and bandleader | |
| KRS-One (born 1965) | rapper | |
| Lyn Brown | newscaster | |
| Ace Frehley (born 1951) | musician and songwriter | |
| *Stanley Kubrick (1928–1999) | film director, producer, and screenwriter | |
| 2002 | Cathy Moriarty-Gentile (born 1960) | actress and singer |
| Danny Aiello (1933–2019) | actor | |
| Gabe Pressman (1924–2017) | television journalist | |
| *Rosetta LeNoire (1911–2002) | actress, producer, and casting agent | |
| Ray Barretto (1928–2006) | musician and bandleader | |
| The Chantels | pop music group whose original members were Arlene Smith, Sonia Goring Wilson, Renée Minus White, Jackie Landry Jackson, and Lois Harris | |
| 2003 | Daniel Libeskind (born 1946) | architect |
| Kool DJ Red Alert (born 1956) | disc jockey | |
| Jake LaMotta (1922–2017) | professional boxer; world middleweight champion | |
| Jimmy Sabater (1936–2012) | musician | |
| Joey Kramer (born 1950) | musician; drummer for Aerosmith | |
| Liz Torres (born 1947) | actress, singer, and comedienne | |
| Michael Kay (born 1961) | sportscaster | |
| Valerie Simpson (born 1946) | singer, songwriter, and music producer | |
| 2004 | *Bobby Darin (1936–1973) | singer, songwriter, and actor |
| Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five | hip hop group | |
| John Patrick Shanley (born 1950) | screenwriter, director, and playwright | |
| Shelley Morrison (1936–2019) | actress | |
| Sonia Manzano (born 1950) | actress, screenwriter, author, singer, and songwriter | |
| Willie Colón (born 1950) | musician | |
| 2005 | Army Archerd (1922–2019) | newspaper columnist |
| *Charlie Palmieri (1927–1988) | musician and bandleader | |
| Daniel Schorr (1916–2010) | journalist | |
| Dominic Chianese (born 1931) | actor, singer, and musician | |
| Ed Pinckney (born 1963) | professional basketball player | |
| Eddie Palmieri (born 1936) | musician and bandleader | |
| Joseíto Mateo (1920–2018) | musician, songwriter, and singer | |
| Kurtis Blow (born 1959) | rapper | |
| The Chiffons | pop music group whose members were Judy Craig, Patricia Bennett, Barbara Lee, and Sylvia Peterson | |
| 2006 | Art Donovan (1924–2013) | professional football player |
| Bobby Sanabria (born 1957) | musician | |
| La India (born 1969) | singer and songwriter | |
| Manny Azenberg (born 1934) | theatre producer | |
| Mary Higgins Clark (1927–2020) | author | |
| Tony Guida (born 1941) | newscaster and anchorman | |
| Afrika Bambaataa (born 1957) | rapper[14] | |
| 2007 | Aventura | singing group whose members are Romeo Santos, Henry Santos, Lenny Santos, and Max Santos |
| Budd Friedman (born 1932) | founder of the Improv comedy clubs | |
| Dion DiMucci (born 1939) | singer and songwriter | |
| Doris Roberts (1925–2016) | actress | |
| *Luther Vandross (1951–2005) | singer, songwriter, and record producer | |
| 2008 | Adam Rodriguez (born 1975) | actor |
| Ruth Westheimer (born 1928) | born Karola Siegel, known as "Dr. Ruth", German-American sex therapist, talk show host, author, professor, Holocaust survivor, and former Haganah sniper. | |
| Grandmaster Caz (born 1960) | rapper and disc jockey | |
| Larry Chance and the Earls | singing group | |
| Rock Steady Crew | break dancers | |
| 2009 | Charles Fox (born 1940) | composer |
| Grand Wizzard Theodore (born 1963) | disc jockey | |
| Judy Reyes (born 1967) | actress | |
| Melissa Manchester (born 1951) | singer, songwriter, and actress | |
| Tony Orlando (born 1941) | singer, songwriter, and music producer | |
| 2010 | Ed Lewis (born 1940) | founder of Essence magazine |
| Herman Badillo (1928–2014) | United States congressman, Bronx borough president | |
| Jerry Vale (1930–2014) | singer | |
| Joanie Madden & Cherish the Ladies | music group | |
| 2011 | Charles Latibeaudiere (born 1969) | television producer |
| Chazz Palminteri (born 1952) | actor | |
| Irene Cara (1962–2022) | singer, songwriter, and actress | |
| Joy Bryant (born 1974) | actress | |
| 2012 | Fat Joe (born 1970) | rapper |
| Sol Negrin (1929–2017) | cinematographer | |
| Tyson Beckford (born 1970) | model, actor | |
| Valerie Capers (born 1935) | musician and composer | |
| 2013 | Ellen Barkin (born 1954) | actress |
| Miguel Angel Amadeo (born 1934) | musician and composer | |
| Robert Abrams (born 1938) | New York State attorney general, Bronx borough president | |
| 2014 | David Zayas (born 1962) | actor |
| Priscilla Lopez (born 1948) | actress and dancer | |
| Rachel Ticotin (born 1958) | actress | |
| Willie Colon (born 1983) | professional football player | |
| Swizz Beatz (born 1978) | rapper and record producer | |
| 2015* | *Alfredo Thiebaud (1940–2014) | local businessman |
| Dolph Schayes (1928–2015) | professional basketball player; 12-time NBA All Star | |
| Malik Yoba (born 1967) | actor | |
| Stacey Dash (born 1966 or 1967) | actress | |
| 2016 | Arlene Alda (born 1933) | musician, author, and photographer |
| Eduardo Vilaro (born 1964) | dancer and choreographer | |
| Peter Sohn (born 1997) | animator, director, and voice actor | |
| Vincent Pastore (born 1946) | actor | |
| 2017 | Manny Villafaña (born 1940) | medical device inventor |
| Funkmaster Flex (born 1968) | disc jockey, rapper, record producer, actor, and radio host | |
| Prince Royce (born 1989) | singer and songwriter | |
| Selenis Leyva (born 1972) | actress | |
| 2018 | Tarana Burke (born 1973) | activist who started the Me Too movement |
| Slick Rick (born 1965) | rapper and record producer | |
| Maggie Siff (born 1974) | actress | |
| 2019 | Regina Spektor (born 1980) | singer, songwriter, and pianist |
| Iran Barkley (born 1960) | professional boxer | |
| Carolyn Porco (born 1953) | astronomer | |
| 2020 | no inductees, elections cancelled because of the COVID-19 epidemic[15] | |
| 2021 | Kid Capri (born 1967) | disc jockey, writer, producer, actor[16] |
| Sal Abbatiello (born 1952) | music business executive | |
| Joe Conzo Jr. | photographer | |
| 2022 | Eif Rivera | artist, illustrator, television director |
| Luis Antonio Ramos (born 1973) | actor | |
| Remy Ma (born 1980) | rapper | |
| 2023 | Sunny Hostin (born 1968) | lawyer, journalist, and television host |
| Juliet Papa (born 1963) | radio journalist | |
| God-Is Rivera | technology executive | |
| SWV | R&B vocal trio whose members are Cheryl (Coko) Gamble, Tamara (Taj) Johnson, and Leanne (Lelee) Lyons. | |
* Posthumous honoree
External links edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e "Bronx Walk of Fame". bronxtourism.wpengine.com. The Bronx Tourism Council. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ "Capping Week of Festivities With the Bronx Walk of Fame". New York Times. June 1, 1997. p. CV18. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- ^ Mitchell, Alex (April 11, 2019). "Bronx Walk of Fame anticipates a major overhaul". Bronx Times. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ Cohen, Jason (April 15, 2020). "Bronx Week 2020 canceled for the first time in nearly 50 years in response to COVID-19". bxtimes.com. Bronx Times. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ "Visiting New York – The Bronx, New York City – Attractions – Bronx Walk of Fame". visiting-newyork.net. Visiting New York. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ "The Bronx Walk of Fame" (PDF). Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ Rocchio, Patrick (May 2, 2015). "Borough President Diaz announces Bronx Week 2015 honorees". bxtimes.com. Bronx Times. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ "Bronx Week 2016 Honors Bronxites in the Field of Arts and Entertainment". norwoodnews.org. Norwood News. May 4, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ Turner, Tatyana (May 10, 2017). "Bronx Week to Induct Four to Walk of Fame". norwoodnews.org. Norwood News. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ Valenzuela, Sarah (May 11, 2018). "BP announces 2018 Bronx Walk of Fame Inductees". bxtimes.com. Bronx Times. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ Benjamin, Michael (May 6, 2019). "BP Diaz Announces Walk of Fame Honorees at Bronx Week 2019 Kick Off". bronxchronicle.com. Bronx Chronicle. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ "Bronx Week returns with Walk of Fame inductees celebrating 'essential workers of hip-hop'". bronx.news12.com. News 12 Bronx. May 5, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
- ^ "Bronx Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony". bronxnet.org. May 12, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
- ^ "Borough's Favorite Sons and Daughters Honored on Bronx Walk of Fame". Norwood News. June 29, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ "BP Diaz, Bx Tourism Council & Bronxnet Celebrate "The Best of the Bronx" in Place of 'Bronx Week'". bronxboropres.nyc.gov. Bronx Borough President. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ "Kid Capri among new inductees welcomed into Bronx Walk of Fame". News 12. May 15, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ Meara, Paul (May 14, 2022). "Remy Ma Celebrated With Street Sign On Bronx Walk Of Fame". Black Entertainment Television. Retrieved December 31, 2022.