UB40, Janis Joplin, and music promoter Harvey Goldsmith became the first in a week of legends to be unveiled on Camden's Music Walk of Fame.
Three ceremonies took place on Camden High Street on Monday (September 4) with crowds hearing tributes from the likes of Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend, Chrissie Hynde, and Suggs.
The trail of stones embedded into the pavement recognises trailblazers from all eras and genres in the music industry who have changed the face of pop culture.
Gordon Mac founder of the UK's first dance radio station Kiss FM, and DJ Paul Trouble Anderson, who is credited with introducing House music to the UK, will be honoured on Tuesday; HipHop pioneers The Sugarhill Gang on Wednesday; British singer songwriter Eddy Grant on Thursday; Buzzcocks and Muswell Hill heroes The Kinks receive their accolade on Friday, and singer songwriter Billy Bragg and RnB legends Shalamar on Saturday.
The week of celebrations culminates in the first annual Camden Music Festival on Saturday. Music Walk of Fame Founder Lee Bennett said: "It’s been an incredible first day of unveilings here in Camden. It's quite an undertaking to put on a whole week of stone unveilings, but definitely a worthwhile task in order to immortalise these stars in a hub of music and creativity that is Camden. We are really looking forward to the rest of the unveilings this week and especially our first ever music festival on Saturday."
Ali Campbell of UB40 which formed in Birmingham in 1978, recalled how the band's first London gig was in Camden. It led to another booking at Rock Garden where Hynde saw them and invited them to tour with The Pretenders : "I'm very proud to be given this honour and it's great to be back in Camden. I remember being so thrilled to be playing at Dingwalls. We'd only ever heard about Dingwalls when we read about it in the music press, with Madness and all those guys who were pop stars as far as we were concerned.
"I'm very proud of this award. I'm also proud of the part I played in promoting the music I love.. Reggae. We started UB40 with that aim in mind. And Reggae is now the most influential music in the world. The contemporary Dance music that’s happening now, all of its production techniques comes from Reggae. So it's a beautiful thing. Big love to everybody. Thank you for this award."
Many of the late Janis Joplin's family were present for the unveiling including siblings Laura and Michael Joplin, who recalled a memory of her special one off UK show: "Just yesterday, my wife and I were out for an early morning walk and we ended up at the Royal Albert Hall. I was standing there on the steps remembering one of the letters that she had written home about selling out the Albert Hall, and how proud she was, just ecstatic. I'm standing on the stairs, and I could still feel her glee and pride. And I really enjoyed that. It was a wonderful moment."
Accepting his accolade, promoter Harvey Goldsmith CBE, whose achievements include co-organising the Live Aid concerts said: "Music never stops. There's always something going on, and there's always something new. I'm pleased to play my part. It is an amazing industry. Music is the global ambassador and long may that continue."
With existing stones to the likes of The Who, Madness, Amy Winehouse and David Bowie, The Music Walk of Fame is not just stones laid into the pavement, but uses Augmented Reality technology to turn the streets of Camden into a museum that anyone can access through their mobile.
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