B-52s Honored With Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star

HOLLYWOOD, CA — A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled Thursday honoring the B-52s, the self-proclaimed "World's Greatest Party Band," which has sold more than 20 million albums.

Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson and Keith Strickland spoke at the late-morning ceremony Thursday in front of Amoeba Music. They were joined by the pioneering all-female rock band the Go-Go's and comedian Fred Armisen.

"We started this band just to entertain ourselves with our friends, and I don't think any of us imagined that one day we'd get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame," Strickland said.

"When we first started making music in a former mortuary ... in Athens, Georgia, none of us could have envisioned this moment," Wilson said.

"Looking at this star, I'm struck by the sheer serendipity of it all - - that an unlikely group of friends could come together to high dive into the stream of consciousness and find a unique sound that would take us on this incredible journey," Wilson added.

"I'm so happy that I'm in a band because I have no marketable skills after dropping out of college," Schneider said.

Pierson reflected on how the group changed after founding guitarist Ricky Wilson died of complications from AIDS in 1985 at age 32. Strickland, the group's original drummer, later took over as lead guitarist.

"Our band now is the best, most talented band that makes us shine and rock and what we are today," Pierson said.

The ceremony came one day before the band performs at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista and two days before concluding The Cosmic De-Evolution Tour at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert.

The star is the 2,861st since the completion of the Walk of Fame in 1961 with the initial 1,558 stars.

"Honoring The B-52s with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a celebration of their unforgettable music, fearless spirit and the nostalgia they've created for generations of fans," Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, said in a statement.

"Their unique sound and energy have truly become part of Hollywood's musical history."

According to a biography on their website, theb52s.com, the band was formed on an October night in 1976 following drinks at an Athens, Georgia, Chinese restaurant and played its first gig at a friend's house on Valentine's Day 1977.

Naming themselves after Southern slang for exaggerated bouffant hairdos, the newly christened B-52's — Schneider, Pierson, Strickland, Cindy Wilson and Ricky Wilson — soon began weekend road trips to New York City for gigs at CBGB and a handful of other venues.

The band released its first single, "Rock Lobster," in 1978 and its first album, "The B-52's," on July 6, 1979. The album included both songs from its first single, the garage rock party classic "Rock Lobster" and "52 Girls," six original songs recorded for the album and a cover of the Petula Clark hit "Downtown."

The album sold more than 1 million copies, earning platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

The album placed 99th on VH1's 2003 list of the greatest albums of all time and 198th on Rolling Stone's 2020 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The band was presented as The B-52's with an apostrophe until 2008.

The band's next two albums, "Wild Planet," released in 1980, and "Whammy!" released in 1983, were certified gold.

Their fifth album, "Cosmic Thing," released in 1989, was their top seller, with more than 4 million copies sold, earning quadruple-platinum certification. It rose to fourth on the Billboard 200 chart.

The sixth of their seven studio albums, "Good Stuff," released in 1992, was certified gold. Their latest studio album, "Funplex," was released in 2008.

The B-52s received their first Grammy nomination in 1990 for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals for the single "Love Shack." Their next nomination came the following year in the same category for the single "Roam."

Their third and most recent nomination came in 1993 for best alternative music album for "Good Stuff."

City News Service