Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame hosts its second induction ceremony in Downtown Atlanta
The Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame (BMEWOF), a product of the partnership between the Black American Music Association (BAM) and the Georgia Entertainment Caucus (GEC), hosted its second induction ceremony on Thursday, February 17.
The ceremony was held in February to commemorate Black History Month.
Officially titled The Crown Jewel of Excellence™ Induction Ceremony, the event took place outside of Mercedes-Benz Stadium on the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and Northside Drive, where the BMEWOF is located on the sidewalks.
The 2022 inductees included Tyler Perry, Ray Charles, Cicely Tyson, New Edition, Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie, Prince, Mary J. Blige, TLC, Donald Lawrence, Yolanda Adams, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Snoop Dogg, and Lauryn Hill.
During the ceremony, inductees were honored with the unveiling of their sidewalk plaques, similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The late Cicely Tyson’s great-niece Renne Henry accepted on behalf of her aunt and Rhonda Ross on behalf of her father Berry Gordy.
Following the ceremony, BMEWOF held a The Celebration Brunch at The Tabernacle hosted by Atlanta’s own Karyn Greer of CBS 46, along with radio personality Frank Ski, which also consisted of a few performances.
Though Lauryn Hill did not show up for her induction, her former bandmate Wyclef Jean gave a performance to honor Nigerian musician, who was considered as an International
Fan Vote along with Bob Marley. The category was introduced this year to give fans the opportunity to vote for a global superstar.
Last year, BMEWOF unveiled its inaugural class of inductees which included Quincy Jones, James Brown, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Sean Combs, Beyoncé, Usher, Missy Elliott, Outkast, Shirley Caesar, and Kirk Franklin.
The 2021 induction ceremony was held in June, however, Michael Mauldin, music mogul and co-founder of the BAM, made it known last year that the organization was moving to have bi-annual induction ceremonies. The second 2022 induction ceremony is already scheduled to take place sometime in June.
