Bay Area acts unite in the name of restoring Oakland blues ‘Walk of Fame’
Blues musicians are gathering together to support efforts to restore “The Music They Played on 7th Street Oakland” Walk of Fame to its former glory.
The West Coast Caravan of All Stars, Oakland Blues Divas, JC Smith, Alvon Johnson, Mississippi Chuck Wallace and Fillmore Slim are among the many blues talents set to perform at the Walk of Fame benefit concert on April 21 at Yoshi’s in Oakland.
Money raised will be used to help replace the some 40 plaques that were forcefully removed from the ground by thieves a few months back. The theft occurred on the stretch of the installation that runs along Seventh Street between Wood and Willow streets in West Oakland, according to Ronnie Stewart, Bay Area Blues Society founder and executive director, who spearheaded this project to honor artists and other individuals who have contributed to the mighty musical legacy of the East Bay.
The total price tag to purchase and reinstall new plaques is around $150,000, says Stewart, who will also be performing at the benefit as part of the West Coast Caravan of All Stars.
The theme of the show is “Best of the West” — and music lovers will certainly get plenty of that during this concert, which does indeed feature so many of the area’s top blues/R&B musicians. Along with the names already mentioned, the gig will also include Dee Dee Simon, Mike Skinner, Karl Bracy, Silk-E and a number of others.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. and tickets start at $30; yoshis.com.