Mary J. Blige on Harlem’s Apollo Walk Of Fame
Mary J. Blige is music royalty! Her reputation, as a global superstar, is now cemented. On Friday, May 28, 2021, at 10 a.m., Blige was inducted into the Apollo Theater’s Historic Walk of Fame. The proud singer/songwriter, holder of eight multi-platinum albums, nine Grammy Awards (and 32 nominations), two Academy Award nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, and a SAG nomination, to name a few, has for some three decades, attracted an intensely loyal fan base that is responsible for propelling worldwide sales to more than 50 million albums.
This event brought back to life Harlem‘s storied venue, whose lights have been dimmed during the COVID crisis. It will not reopen for performances until January, 2023.
It was like old times — scores of fans lined 125th Street to pay tribute to music royalty as that of Mary J. Blige. Right after her 1992 appearance on “Showtime at the Apollo”, Mary‘s career soared. She’s now, officially, become part of Harlem’s history. This was a return home for the star who’s said, “Without the Apollo, there is no recognizing of Mary J. Blige.”
The Apollo Theater, the soul of American culture and a globally recognized national treasure, honored Blige under the Apollo’s famous marquee. She glamorously appeared in a stunning green jumpsuit,. The ceremony included Apollo Theater Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes, Apollo Theater Board Chair Charles Phillips, and Billy “Mr. Apollo” Mitchell — they all showered Mary J. with laudatory remarks. “Miss Blige is more than the queen of hip-hop soul, she is a multi-talented artist who has paved the way for many of the artists we see today,” said Apollo producer Kamilah Forbes.
During her passionate remarks, Blige recognized the importance of the Apollo Theater in her life. “It means everything. I mean the Apollo is the most important thing to our culture as African-American artists. If it wasn’t for the Apollo, we wouldn’t have a chance. People wouldn’t have gotten discovered,” she said. “This was the first place I made it, you know, before Madison Square Garden,” she added. “This is it.”
Following the remarks, the Apollo unveiled a plaque recognizing Blige’s cultural significance, international success, and extraordinary longevity in the entertainment business noting the success of Blige’s debut album, “What’s the 411?”, produced by Sean “Diddy” Combs, which went multi-platinum and quickly spun off several hits including two No. R&B No. 1s: “You Remind Me“ and „Real Love”.
Blige has continued to be a figure of inspiration, transformation, and empowerment, making her one of the defining voices of contemporary music. She first appeared on “Showtime at the Apollo” in 1992 with a performance of “You Remind Me,” and went on to appear on the hit series in 1995 and 2001, and at the Apollo with a sold-out concert of her own in 2002. “My very first time performing here at the at the Apollo I was not on stage as myself, I was on stage singing background for Jeff Redd and from there on it was all history, Mary J. Blige history,” she said.
Who is Mary J. Blige?
Mary J. Blige, the hip-hop and R&B Queen, is an iconic Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, Oscar-nominated actress, producer, philanthropist and contributor to redefining R&B.
Blige began forging a unique niche for herself on the more personal second album, 1994’s “My Life”. Each subsequent album reads like a chapter from an autobiography: “Share My World” (1997), Mary (1999), “No More Drama” (2001), “Love & Life” (2003), the multiple Grammy-winning and hit-spewing “The Breakthrough” (2005), “Growing Pains” (2007), “Stronger with Each Tear” (2009), “My Life II… The Journey Continues” (2011), “A Mary Christmas” (2013) and “The London Sessions” (2014).
Next up, Blige will star as Dinah Washington in the Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect, alongside Jennifer Hudson coming out in August 2021. Blige is also working with Oscar-winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth and Amazon on an untitled documentary celebrating the 25th anniversary of her famed album “My Life”. Blige will not only be the subject of the documentary, where she will reflect on her nearly 30-year career within the music industry, but also as an Executive Producer through her own production company Blue Butterfly.
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