State Champ Radio Living Legends Foundation
The Living Legends Foundation has set Oct. 4 as the date for its 2024 awards dinner and gala. The event, also celebrating the foundation’s 33rd anniversary, will take place at Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood.
This year’s slate of industry honorees includes:
Donnie Simpson, Jerry Boulding Radio Award: The legendary radio and television personality signed off the airwaves earlier this year after a 55-year career that began at Detroit’s WJLB-FM and included tenures at Washington, D.C., outlets WKYS-FM, WPGC-FM and WMMJ-FM. Also known for his long-running stint as host of BET’s Video Soul, Simpson is a Radio Hall of Fame and National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame inductee.
L. Londell McMillan, Kendall A. Minter Entertainment Advocate Award (renamed after the noted industry attorney who died last year): The chairman/CEO of The McMillan Firm and veteran entertainment attorney is currently co-managing the Prince Legacy (one of two holding companies overseeing the star’s estate). McMillan’s list of clients over the years has included Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. Under the firm’s NorthStar Group division, McMillan also serves as executive publisher of Source magazine.
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Joi Brown, the inaugural Impact Player Award: Brown is the founder/CEO of Culture Creators, whose same-titled foundation has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships over the past two years in keeping with its mission of being a vital link between global cultural leaders and the next generation of diverse creators. Through its annual Innovators and Leaders Awards brunch, Culture Creators has honored industry executives and creatives such as Byron Allen, Swizz Beatz, H.E.R. and Epic Records chairwoman Sylvia Rhone.
Chris Chambers, Media Executive Award: Founder/CEO of The Chamber Group, Chambers has represented star clients in music, entertainment, fashion and sports such as Usher, Mariah Carey, OutKast, Drake, Naomi Campbell and Kelly Rowland. His firm has also worked with corporate and lifestyle clients ranging from Versace and HBO to Netflix and the Essence Music Festival. Prior to launching The Chamber Group, Chambers served as a publicity executive for labels such as Mercury, Interscope, Arista and LaFace Records.
Mike Kelly, Music Executive Award: A radio broadcaster and record label executive of more than 40 years, Kelly served as PD of legendary St. Louis station KATZ-FM. He then segued into record promotion at various labels, including Arista, Motown, Elektra, Warner Music Group and Atlantic. His resumé lists working projects by artists such as Whitney Houston, Missy Elliott, Bruno Mars and Jack Harlow. Kelly currently works as a radio consultant via his company, Real One 24/7 Promotion and Marketing.
Gwen Franklin, Mike Bernardo Female Executive Award: Before her latest venture as founder/CEO of empowerment organization B. Lifted Up! Inc., Franklin helmed senior executive posts in radio promotion, marketing, sales and artist development through stints with Casablanca, A&M, Capitol, Mercury and RCA Records. The list of artists she’s worked with includes Quincy Jones, Donna Summer, Janet Jackson, MC Hammer and SWV.
In a release announcing the upcoming awards dinner and gala, Living Legends Foundation chairperson David Linton commented in part, “As we reflect on the brilliance and excellence of today’s global music and entertainment leaders, we’re pleased that the organization remains the longest-standing Black music organization to date, founded in 1991 by Black music executives. And as we approach another milestone year, we’d like to further cement the organization as the key stakeholder in Black music by reclaiming our mission of ‘protecting and preserving the legacy of those who create, market and elevate Black music,’ which includes R&B, hip-hop, jazz, blues, country, reggae and world music.”
Walt “Baby” Love, a 2022 inductee into the Radio Hall of Fame, will receive another honor in October as he’s one of eight individuals slated to be recognized by the Living Legends Foundation at its annual awards dinner and gala. Love will receive the Ray Harris Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s event.
Love has hosted three long-running radio programs — The Countdown with Walt “Baby” Love, Gospel Traxx and The Urban AC Countdown. For 21 years, Love worked at Radio & Records as its urban radio and music editor while simultaneously hosting his syndicated radio shows.
Nelson George, who likewise first made his mark in music trade journalism before broadening his focus, will also be honored. George, who wrote for Billboard in the 1980s before becoming a noted author and filmmaker, will receive the Media Icon Award.
The other honorees are Ed Lover, star of The Ed Lover Show with Monie Love (Jerry Boulding Radio Award); Lionel Ridenour, founder/CEO of Anchor Promotions (Music Executive Award); Tracey Jordan, partner of Lazin/Jordan Productions (Mike Bernardo Female Executive Award); Rocky Bucano, executive director of the Universal Hip Hop Museum (Hip Hop Visionary Award); Vernon Brown, Esq., founder of V. Brown & Company (Entertainment Advocate Award); and Shanti Das, former music executive and founder of Silence The Shame (A.D. Washington Chairman’s Award).
“This year is particularly special because, in addition to our annual awards ceremony, we are also celebrating 50 years of hip-hop,” said Living Legends Foundation chairman David C. Linton in a statement. “We are the first generation of music executives to help break and recognize hip-hop as a global music art form. Most of our board and advisory members were responsible for signing many of today’s hip-hop legends and icons to recording contracts and record label imprint deals, ultimately creating the phenomenon known to the world as ‘hip-hop culture.’ Additionally, for the past three to four decades, many of our board members have guided the careers of these legends and icons via management, marketing, radio promotions, publicity, sales, and A&R.”
This year’s awards dinner and gala will be held on Friday, Oct. 6 at Taglyan Cultural Complex, 1201 N. Vine Street, Hollywood. The red carpet and cocktail reception begin at 6:30 p.m. with the awards dinner starting at 7:30 p.m.
This year’s dinner chairs are Skip Dillard, brand manager and program director for Audacy’s WXBK/94.7, the Block, New York City; and Lady B, on-air personality at Classix 107.9 in Philadelphia.
Founded in 1991 and incorporated in 1992, the Living Legends Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization and has been funded primarily by corporate contributions and individual donations. The organization has expanded its mission to assist those who have served the music industry and who have what it calls “a confirmable need.”
Over the past 30 years, the foundation has honored more than 100 leaders in the areas of broadcasting, film, recorded music, media, publishing, radio, publicity and marketing.
For more information, visit the organization’s website.
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