Yahoo News The Who become first rock legends to get paving stone on Camden's Music Walk of Fame
Rock legends The Who have been “immortalised” with the first paving stone in Camden's new Hollywood Boulevard-style Walk of Fame.
The Music Walk of Fame will stretch along the road between The Roundhouse and Koko, and organisers plan to award a further 20 stones in the coming year, with artists including The Clash, Amy Winehouse, Madness and Prince expected to be celebrated. Plans are to eventually lay out more than 400 plaques over the next 20 years.
The granite plaques will turn the stretch of Chalk Farm Road and Camden High Street into a virtual music museum and visitors will be able to see the stories behind the stars by accessing footage on a free app that will recognise the one-metre-square tributes.
In a statement, The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend said: “We are honoured to be the first band with a stone on the Music Walk Of Fame. Camden has always been vital to London’s thriving music scene and is, as we all know, a world-renowned hub for the arts. As Londoners, it’s very surreal to be immortalised in stone on Camden High Street, and it’s quite something to know that people can pop by and see us anytime, albeit virtually.”
Music Walk of Fame Founder Lee Bennett said: "What a great day for music, fans, the world, London, and Camden. To cap it off by having one of the greatest bands of all time, I’m thrilled to bits.”
A panel of industry insiders as well as fans were asked to decide which artists should be recognised, and other figures in the music world, including executives and producers, are also expected to be honoured.
Documents prepared for Camden council, which has backed the scheme, estimated last year that the project could generate more than £1.7 million as a tourist attraction in the next two decades with events and concerts planned to mark unveilings.
The Who are releasing their first new album in 13 years, WHO, on Friday. From today fans can have an exclusive preview of the second single to be released from the album, I Don’t Wanna Get Wise, via the Music Walk of Fame app.
