Image from "Cincinnati Enquirer," January 16, 1983
This Saturday, July 25, the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame will host its sixth annual induction ceremony, where two new inductees—R&B and funk group Heatwave and radio station WCIN—will be immortalized.
The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, founded in 2021 by Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reese, celebrates the accomplishments of Black artists, songwriters, producers, and musicians from Southwest Ohio through annual inductions to its attraction along the Ohio riverfront.
’70s funk band Heatwave was formed in London, but two of its founding members, brothers and vocalists Johnnie Wilder Jr. and Keith Wilder, hailed from Dayton, Ohio. Known for their singles “Boogie Nights,” “The Groove Line,” and “Always and Forever,” the band is notable for bringing Dayton’s funk sound overseas to England. Songwriter and keyboardist Rod Temperton, even wrote some of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits, including “Rock with You” and “Thriller.”
Image from "Cincinnati Enquirer," June 2, 2003
WCIN, Cincinnati’s first Black music radio station, launched in 1953 and ran until 2007. It was a highly regarded soul music station that featured a variety of African American personalities, including Joseph “Jack the Rapper” Gibson, regarded as the father of the Black appeal radio format, and local radio personality Lincoln Ware.
“WCIN was so important because we wouldn’t know who a lot of these artists were if they had not gotten played on WCIN,” says Reese. “So many artists like James Brown would beg WCIN to play their records.”
The Walk of Fame seeks to honor the legacy of musical artists and personalities who have shaped the sounds and faces of Black music in Cincinnati and Southwest Ohio as a whole. The outdoor, interactive permanent attraction shares the stories of legacies in hip hop, gospel, pop, and more. It attracts tourists from all over the world, and to date, it has had more than 300,000 visitors.
Heatwave and WCIN are the 21st and 22nd inductees to receive stars at the Walk of Fame, joining the likes of famed Black artists such as James Brown, William “Bootsy” Collins, and the Isley Brothers.
Image from "The Cincinnati Post," March 13, 1989
While inductees officially receive stars, the Walk of Fame also recognizes “influencers”—individuals who have made a significant impact on Black music and are recognized for their contributions. Influencers may be considered for future induction and the opportunity to receive a star.
Four influencers will be recognized at this year’s induction: Radio personality and R&B historian Tyrone DuBose, “Cincinnati Blues Man” Keith Little, singer-songwriter and entertainer Vicky Vee, and Grammy-winning hip-hop producer Marquis Davis (known by his alias M-80).
“The theme this year is homecoming, because that is, to me, the mission of the Walk of Fame, which is to bring the legacies back home to where it all began, right here in Ohio,” says Reese. “There’s nothing like it in the country right now.”
The event kicks off with a parade at 9 a.m. on Mehring Way, led by local dance team Q-Kidz. The stars will be unveiled at 9:30 a.m., with the induction ceremony starting at noon in the Andrew J. Brady Music Center. The event is free and runs in conjunction with the Cincinnati Music Festival taking place at Paycor Stadium from July 23 to 25.
After the ceremony will be an outdoor concert featuring 2022 inductee and electro-funk, soul, and R&B group Midnight Star, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary, followed by performances from singer-songwriter Regina Belle and 2024 inductee Shirley Murdock.
Reese, who created the Walk of Fame to celebrate the legacy and untold stories of musicians and songwriters from Cincinnati, believes that this year’s inductees are important because they help tell the full history of Black music.
“Back when there wasn’t streaming, it was very difficult for Black artists to get their music played on the radio, and if you didn’t have a big record label that was helping, you didn’t get on the air,” says Reese. “It’s hard to tell a story of how an artist, like our past inductees, sold this many records if you don’t know how they started and got big, with WCIN.”
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