UB40 featuring Ali Campbell play a special show at KOKO to celebrate the band's induction into the Music Walk of Fame.

The intimate gig on September 4 follows the stone unveiling ceremony on Camden High Street as the Birmingham icons join the likes of The Who, Madness, and Amy Winehouse on the heritage walkway.

Following the red carpet event, the band's original frontman Campbell will celebrate with a concert exploring the 45-year legacy of the band which put British reggae on the global map.

Ham & High: Ali Campbell performing to the crowds in RioAli Campbell performing to the crowds in Rio (Image: Frank Benbini)

"I feel honoured to be inducted in the Music Walk of Fame and I feel proud to have played a part in promoting Reggae, the music I love, and blessed to have worked with all the great musicians I met along the way," he said.

Eleven more artists will be added to the Music Walk of Fame between September 4-9 - including Janis Joplin, Buzzcocks, Eddy Grant, The Kinks and Billy Bragg - with stones embedded into the pavement. The unveilings will culminate in a free all-day music festival on September 9 with Buzzcocks, Bill Bragg, Shalamar, Soul II Soul Founder Jazzie B, and Rusty Egan playing on the main stage in Hawley Crescent, while a sound system on Camden High Street will feature DJs programmed by Mi-Soul Radi.

Named after a government unemployment form, UB40 was formed by a group of Birmingham art school friends in 1978. They recieved a boost in 1980 when Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde spotted them and asked them to support her on tour, and they went on to sell 70 million records.

With their rootsy blend of Reggae and pop, they brought hits such as Eric Donaldson’s ‘Cherry Oh Baby’, Lord Creator’s ‘Kingston Town’ and Johnny Osbourne’s ‘Come Back Darling’ to a new, global audience and clocked up three UK number ones; Red, Red Wine, (I Can't Help) Falling in Love With You, and I Got You Babe with Chrissie Hynde.Ham & High: The original frontman of UB40, Ali Campbell performs at KOKO in Camden on September 4. The original frontman of UB40, Ali Campbell performs at KOKO in Camden on September 4. (Image: Supplied)

Campbell left the band in 2008, and four founder members continue to perform and record as UB40 with Matt Doyle as lead vocalist.

Last year, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell recorded the album Unprecedented with original band member - trumpeter and percussion player - Astro. He died in November 2021 after a short illness and the album is a fitting memorial to his work.

Tickets for UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell at KOKO are available from www.myticket.co.uk