Outside of Tom Petty and Bo Diddley, locals know very little about Gainesville’s rich music heritage, according to MusicGNV director Brandon Telg. He hopes the Gainesville Walk of Fame initiative will change that.
In partnership with MusicGNV, the project is designed to celebrate the town’s “world-renowned music scene” and bring to light the stories of Alachua County artists. Powered by community donations, The Gainesville Walk of Fame will feature star-shaped plaques installed downtown on Southwest 1st Avenue, similar to the landmarks in Hollywood and St. Louis.
“This seems like the right opportunity to use this as a way to enhance the Streatery concept and honor the musicians in Gainesville,” Telg said.
The idea of a Gainesville Walk of Fame was brought up in the ‘90s by another group, but never came to fruition. The leaders of the modern project are hopeful the landmark will be included in the renovations being made to the downtown area.
The Streatery Project will transform part of downtown into a two-block, pedestrian-friendly area, with construction starting later this year. At a City of Gainesville general policy meeting on Aug. 28, Mayor Harvey Ward said the Streatery would be a great spot for the Walk of Fame.
Telg, 36, envisions the landmark will become a tradition to visit, like the murals of downtown Gainesville, which are still being painted years after the initiative launched.
“Once the project gets forward momentum, I feel that the city will own it as something that they value and want to see continue into the future,” he said.
The concept for the Walk of Fame started bouncing around the brains of Telg and Andrew Caplan around a year ago. Caplan, a member of The Gainesville Walk of Fame advisory committee, said that the initiative will serve to both appreciate the musicians’ legacies and uplift the community.
“Not everyone knows who Against Me! is. Not everyone knows the history of Bo Diddley,” he said. “We hope that seeing those names will get people to explore those people and their music, while getting to experience some great businesses and live local music.”
Tom Petty, Bo Diddley and Against Me! are among a long list of names Telg and Caplan hope to see honored in the Walk of Fame. Others include Stephen Stills (of Crosby, Stills & Nash), Hot Water Music, Sister Hazel, Linda Lyndell and flipturn.
When considering nominees, the advisory committee ensures the artist was born or spent formative years in Alachua County and that their work achieved a national impact. Caplan hopes that if the Walk of Fame picks up enough steam, the board will expand their consideration to all local artists, including filmmakers and actors.
Caplan, 36, pictures the Walk of Fame entryway being constructed near The Bull and Loosey’s Downtown.
“The hope is that whether you're a tourist or a resident, you come, you visit, you take a stroll, you get to sort of explore some of these really great businesses that are down there,” Caplan said.
One such downtown business is co-owned by another member of The Gainesville Walk of Fame advisory committee.
Laila Fakhoury, who also co-founded Dion Dia Records and Big: Culture and Arts Festival, moved to Gainesville almost 10 years ago and noticed the town was dominated by only a few genres. Hip-hop and R&B music were lacking in representation, she said.
Though classic rock pioneers like Petty are among the most renowned figures to hail from Gainesville, Fakhoury, 27, is dedicated to educating the community on the more diverse and underrepresented musicians of local history.
“I really want to make sure that we represent the other artists as well who are within that same tier, but don't necessarily get the same kind of recognition: for example, Charles Bradley,” she said.
Fakhoury says the Walk of Fame is sure to bring a more inviting, friendly and creative atmosphere to the downtown area.
No city funds are planned for the Walk of Fame effort, according to Gainesville’s Public Information Officer Rossana Passaniti. The Gainesville Walk of Fame will rely on community donations with a goal to raise $30,000, expected to cover the first plaque installations as well as additional awards. They also hope to kickstart what will be an annual celebration of Alachua County’s music legacy.
“It's really important to keep showing the rest of the state and nationally that Gainesville has a really rich music culture and history,” Fakhoury said. “We can continue to get people excited about coming to Gainesville so that they see the love for music and art really does run deep here.”