On Friday, October 5,
top entertainers came out to celebrate The Living Legends Foundation’s 2018
honorees at its 22nd Award Show and Dinner at Taglyan Cultural Complex in
Hollywood, CA.
“This year’s awards ceremony was one of the best – if not
the best – in the foundation’s 27-year history,” says David. C. Linton,
Chairman of the Living Legends Foundation. “The attendance surpassed previous
years and included people not only from radio and records but all areas of
entertainment. It is a testament to the achievements of the honorees as well as
the great work by the organization. I would like to thank all of our sponsors,
board members, volunteers, and everyone who came out to make this event a
record-setting year.”
Eddie Levert, Yo-Yo, Kenny Lattimore, and Lenny Williams
were among the guests to pay tribute to this year’s distinguished honorees.
Hosted by radio personality DeDe McGuire of the syndicated radio show “DeDe in
the Morning,” the awards show honored Michael Mauldin, CEO of Mauldin Brand,
Inc., with the Lifetime Achievement Award; Hurricane Dave Smith, Vice President
of Programming and Operations of Radio One Atlanta, was presented with the Jerry
Boulding Radio Executive Award; Cynthia Johnson, CEO of Aloro Marketing,
received the Music Label Executive Award; Eddie Sims and Belinda Wilson,
Partners of Moonridge Entertainment International, were recipients of the
Entrepreneur Award; Denise Brown Henderson, Esq., Principal, was presented with
the first-ever Mike Bernardo Executive Award, which is given to an outstanding
female executive for demonstrating excellence in music and entertainment; Pat
Shields, Partner of Black Dot LLC, was the recipient of the A.D. Washington
Chairman’s Award; and Bruce W. Talamon, photographer and author, who recently
released his critically acclaimed book “Bruce W. Talamon Soul, R&B and Funk
Photographs 1972 – 1982,” was presented with a special Living Legends honor.
Sylvia Rhone, President of Epic Records, and Azim Rashid,
Senior Vice President of Promotion of Roc Nation, were the Honorary Chairperson
and the Event Chairperson, respectively. Kenny Lattimore, Grammy
Award-nominated recording artist, performed a set of his signature hits. The
LLF also presented a special live tribute to the late Aretha Franklin that
included performances by Margo Thunder, recording artist and former lead singer
of 9.9; Reggie Calloway, multiple award-winning recording artist and songwriter
and executive of Sound Royalties; Lenny Williams, recording artist and former
lead singer of Tower Of Power, Yo-Yo, recording artist; and Lattimore.
The L.A. City Council presented Certificates of Recognition
to the Living Legends honorees, which was given by Dina Andrews, Sr. Field
Deputy/CD 8 West. The LLF was chartered in Los Angeles in 1991. The program
line-up also featured a presentation by LoLita Toney, Director of Development
and Chief of Staff of the National Museum of African American Music, scheduled
to open in 2019 in Nashville, TN.
The Living Legends Foundation’s 2018 sponsors included
Platinum Sponsors Hitco Music, Sound Royalties and Warner Chappell Music; Gold
Sponsor Epic Records; Entertainment Sponsor The Estate of Michael Jackson;
Silver Sponsors All Access Music Group, City National Bank, Empire Distribution
Group, and Money Making Conversations; Table Sponsors Anchor Promotions,
Atlantic Records, Billboard Publications, BMG Music Group, Capitol Records,
Cynthia Johnson, Def Jam Records, Motown Records, RCA Records, RocNation, and
WU Music. Specialty Cocktails were presented by Revel Spirits. Media Partners
included EURWEB.com, Moses Media, Music Industry Quarterly, Radio Facts, and
The Urban Buzz.
The gifting sponsors for honorees and guests included Angelo
Ellerbee, Bruce W. Talamon, Dr. DeForest Soaries, Dr. Frisby Hair Products,
Demo, Empire Distribution, Hollywood Fit Body, Kenny Lattimore, Logan
Westbrooks/Ascent Publishing, LA Dodgers, LA Lakers, Louis Carr/DLS Men’s Conference
& Soul Train Music Awards, Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, HBO, My Black
Is Beautiful, OWN, Pedi-Licious Footwear, Revel Spirits, Rhino Records, SESAC,
Shea Moisture, Sheri Riley, Sound Royalties, The REAL, Tracy Robinson, Under
Amour, US Bank, and Warner Bros. Home Video.
The Living Legends Foundation continues its mission to honor
the best and the brightest in the ever-changing and evolving music and
entertainment industries. The foundation’s core mission is to honor pioneers
and professionals who have broken new ground in the areas of broadcasting,
recorded music, marketing, retail, publicity, publishing, digital, creative,
and philanthropy.
The Living Legends Foundation Officers and Board Members
include Chairman David Linton, President Varnell Johnson, Vice-President Jacqueline
Rhinehart, Recording Secretary Pat Shields, founder and Treasurer C.C. Evans,
and General Counsel Kendall Minter, Esq. Board Members include Vinny Brown,
Sheila Eldridge, Marcus Grant, Tony Gray, Ken Johnson, Barbara Lewis, Miller
London, Sidney Miller, Kathi Moore, Jon Platt, Gwendolyn Quinn, Sam Weaver, and
Colleen Wilson.
The Living Legends Foundation Advisory Board includes a list
of distinguished entertainment executives, including founder Ray Harris, Monica
Alexander, Vivian Scott Chew, Don Cody, George Daniels, Brad Davidson, Michael
Dawson, Esq., Skip Dillard, Kevin Fleming, Shannon Henderson, James Leach,
Vicki Mack Lataillade, Gail Mitchell, Azim Rashid, Lionel Ridenour, Kevin Ross,
A.J. Savage, T.C. Thompkins, Irene Ware, Tyrone Williams, Buzzy Willis, and
Tony Winger.
