Pop Artist, Penny Ford, R&B Group, Midnight Star, and Other Artists Join Founding Inductees, Bootsy Collins and the Isley Brothers, and Will Receive Their Stars at a July 23rd Dedication and Induction Ceremony in Cincinnati, Ohio During the Cincinnati Music Festival

CINCINNATI - June 1, 2022 - PRLog -- Today at the Hard Rock Casino-Cincinnati, Hamilton County (OH) Commissioner and Founder of the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, Alicia Reece, kicked off Black Music Month with the announcement of its 2022 Inductees, who include- Pop artist, Penny Ford, R&B Group, Midnight Star, Rapper and Hip-Hop Producer, Hi-Tek, and Jazz guitarist, Wilbert Longmire. All of these artists will be a part of the Dedication and Induction Ceremony of the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, which will be held on July 23, 2022, at the Andrea Brady Music Center in downtown Cincinnati during the Cincinnati Music Festival.

"The Cincinnati Music Festival weekend is one of the largest African American music festivals in the country and has a major economic impact on our County. The State of Ohio and Hamilton County have a rich history of African American music artists, producers, and song writers and our Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame will ensure a permanent place to recognize their accomplishments for the entire world to see," states Commissioner Alicia Reece. "This partnership creates a mega music weekend!"

The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame is founded by Hamilton County Commissioner and former State of Ohio Tourism Director, Alicia Reece. On April 26, 2021, Commissioner Reece introduced the concept to build a one-of-a-kind, interactive, and outdoor tourist attraction that would celebrate the contributions of Black musical artists, songwriters, and producers of various genres of music. These artists were either born, lived, or recorded major hit records in Cincinnati and the Southwest Ohio area as well as impacted the music industry, both domestically and internationally. On July 1, 2021, the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, a public/private partnership, unanimously passed by the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners. Later that month, the Cincinnati Black Music Walk Fame hosted a privately funded kick-off ceremony honoring its Founding Inductees- Bootsy Collins, Otis Williams, Dr. Charles Fold, and the Isley Brothers.

The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame is located along the Ohio Riverbank across from the Paul Brown NFL Stadium – home of Cincinnati Music Festival and next door to the Andrew Brady Music Center. In all, the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame will be a free family tourist attraction that will feature LED screens with video content, a dance area, artists kiosks, and interactive augmented reality experiences. The attraction will also be able to accommodate 200 of the Inductee stars. The project is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2023.

The privately funded Dedication and Induction Ceremony on July 23, 2022 will be a community celebration that is free and open to the public. During the July 23rd event, eight of the stars will be unveiled in the ground at the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame. Sponsors of this event are P&G, The Kroger Company, the Cincinnati Music Festival, Hard Rock Casino-Cincinnati, All in Cincinnati, and Alta Fiber.

For more information, visit https://www.cincyblackmusicwalkoffame.org and follow the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame on Facebook and Instagram. For media inquiries, contact Kathleen Crawford with L.A.I. Communications.