Melba Moore, a singer who has won many awards, now has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The 77-year-old musician was the 2,760th person to get the honor last week. Jimmy Jam, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Freda Payne, and Lunell were all there to honor Moore.
Katt Williams, a comedian, was also there to honor Moore’s successes. But later, Williams would be known for how kind he was. Moore told everyone that Williams paid the full $75,000 fee so that she could get her well-deserved star.
Sunday, she wrote a message to the Next Friday actor and shared it on her Instagram.
“Thank you to KW in public. He is the only person who pays for my Star………I’m still shocked 2,760 August 10, 2023.”
At the end of the post, she told Williams, “Katt, in me you have a friend.”
Before the event, Moore posted on Instagram that she would get the award on August 1, 2023. She posted a clip of her moving performance of her song “Lean on Jesus” and said how proud she was of the star.
“When I think back on my life in Harlem/Newark, NJ, I’m proud. “Because I got a Hollywood Star, I thought about how good God is,” she wrote.
Moore talked about important times in her life and how she started her work in New York, which led her to Broadway, in her acceptance speech. She also called Williams a “angel” whose “kindness” and “generosity” can’t be measured or matched.
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As expected, the comedian started his speech with a joke. He said that ChatGPT gave him the same speech as Jimmy Jam, so he would have to “go somewhat off the cuff.”
He then switched gears to properly honor Moore, who he calls a “true legend.”
“These days, we call someone a legend if they’ve been doing something for 20 or 30 years, but there’s never been anything like being at the top of your game in theater, TV, music, and movies.”
He then said, “I looked up who helped Melba Moore get where she is now. Who was the person who was good at everything? I found out that person didn’t exist. Melba Moore is a one-of-a-kind in our business, and that’s what we’re celebrating.”
The actor from “First Sunday” gave Moore flowers and said that her songs “You Stepped Into My Life” and “Love’s Coming At Ya” are examples of music that “never gets old.”
“When I was a young man with a mustache growing up in Dayton, Ohio, I thought Melba Moore was a great example of a Black woman’s elegance, grace, dignity, and strength,” he said. “This strength and her ability to use problems as inspiration for her art shows how determined she is… True greatness goes beyond ability alone.”
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Moore won’t only honor her new star this year. She will also honor other landmarks. The Grammy-nominated singer will be honored by having a street in Newark, New Jersey, named after her.
In September, the corner across from her old school, Arts High School, will be renamed Melba Moore Plaza.
Moore’s whole Hollywood Walk Of Fame event can be seen below: