Very soon Coventry Musical heroes will be honoured in style on the walls of the city’s exciting 2-Tone Village project. Coventry Music Wall of Fame plaques will be awarded to those who have made an outstanding and national contribution to the Coventry music scene.
The steering group met for the first time last week, and the first six names have been decided by the panel that includes: Touch FM Presenter Brody Swain, Coventry Music Historian Pete Chambers, Rock of Ages compiler Pete Clemons, Manager of The Lower Precinct Mark Dixon and Councillor Tony Skipper Member for Culture, Leisure and Libraries.
The Wall of Fame originator Pete Chambers said of the project, “This is about honouring people who have made a difference to our multi-faceted music scene, not just the 2-Tone bands I may add, but some names going right back, and some who have made the difference in recent years. We are very aware that this should be a great honour, so it’s not going to be an easy feat to get on the wall. Lower Precinct Manager Mark Dixon said, ''On a personal level as well as representing the Lower Precinct I am proud to be given the opportunity to contribute towards this project. My main focus will be to feature the bands that influenced my tastes during the late seventies and early eighties.''
The public also get a chance to nominate names for the wall too, if they head for where the 2-Tone Village is being created on Ball Hill, right opposite the pedestrian crossing through the iron gates.
They can put their nominations in at 2-Tone Corner (nomination forms cannot be accepted in any other way), we ask for serious suggestions, people who have gained national recognition and help put the city on the map.
Pete Clemons said, “It is indeed a real honour to be involved in a project that pays tribute to the amazing wealth of talent that this great city of ours has produced over the years. But that in itself makes this task an incredibly difficult challenge. So those who receive this accolade will have done so from an impressive list of candidates”.
The Wall will create an outside feature for the 2-Tone Central/Godiva Rocks Coventry Music Museum and The 2-Tone Corner cafe Each plaque will have to be sponsored, so whoever sponsors the plaque gets their name alongside their heroes on The Wall, and the sponsorship cost will be kept to a realistic amount, so it’s a great way to show your appreciation and get to be guest of honour at your stars unveiling ceremony. "Coventry has a very proud musical history” commented Brody Swain, ”The Wall of Fame is the perfect way to honour those who have made a huge contribution to our City. “I'm very passionate about music and our City, so to be part of the panel is a massive privilege. I'm also delighted that the public will get their chance to nominate who they want to see on the wall too."
The panel are remaining tight-lipped of the names of the first six candidates, but reveal that they are a cross section of Coventry-based musicians, 2-Tone is of course represented, but there are at least two names on the list that may not be very familiar. After the initial six, the unveilings will go to two every couple of months.
Picture copyright of 2-Tone Central. Credit 2tc/JC