The Living Legends Foundation, Inc. (LLF) today announces its 2019 Annual Awards Dinner and Gala. This year’s event will be held on Friday, October 4, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. at Taglyan Cultural Complex, 1201 N. Vine Street, Hollywood, CA.The distinguished honorees include Dyana Williams, CEO of Influence Entertainment, who will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award; Frank Ski, Broadcast Personality, V-103 Radio Atlanta, and Steve Hegwood, CEO and President, Core Communications, will both receive the Jerry Boulding Radio Executive Award; Maurice White, Vice President of Promotion, eOne Entertainment Group, will be presented with the Music Label Executive Award; Sheila Coates, founder and creator of BYOB (Be Your Own Brand), will receive the Entrepreneur Award; Dedra N. Tate, President and CEO, Unlimited Contacts, will be the second recipient of the Mike Bernardo Executive Award; Sidney Miller, founder and Publisher, BRE (Black Radio Exclusive), will be presented with the A.D. Washington Chairman’s Award; Hymen Childs, Owner, Service Broadcasting Group (SBG), including K-104 Radio, KRNB Radio, Dallas and the nationally syndicated DeDe In The Morning, will receive the Broadcast Icon Award; Phil Thornton, Senior Vice President/General Manager, RCA Inspiration, will be presented with the Gospel Music Executive Award; and Karen Lee, Senior Vice President, W&W Public Relations, will receive the Media Executive Award.
The Chairpersons of this year’s Awards Dinner and Gala are husband-and-wife team Ray Chew and Vivian Scott Chew, Partners, Chew Entertainment. Award-winning radio personality DeDe McGuire, of the syndicated show DeDe In The Morning,is returning as host.
The LLF continues its mission to honor the best and the brightest in the ever-changing and evolving music and entertainment industries. The foundation’s core mission is to honor pioneers and professionals who have broken new ground in the areas of broadcasting, recorded music, marketing, retail, publicity, publishing, digital, creative, and philanthropy.
“The Living Legends Board of Directors is proud to continue its tradition of recognizing the greatest in the music and record industries,” says David C. Linton, Chairman of the LLF. “We continue to raise the bar and celebrate the unsung heroes of our industry who have helped to lay the foundation for black music, black artists, and black executives of the 20th and 21st century. We remain steadfast in our efforts to raise much-needed funds to assist the less fortunate among us. We look forward to another exceptional event and year.”
In 1991, record industry pioneer Ray Harris had the vision for an organization that would not only salute the achievements of black music executives but would assist them in their time of need. During the same year, Harris worked with record executives Barbara Lewis and C.C. Evans and radio programming legend, the late Jerry Boulding, and founded the Living Legends Foundation.
Over the years, the organization has recognized and honored more than 100 distinguished leaders in music, radio, retail, and media. Past honorees include, in alphabetical order: Brenda Andrews, Larkin Arnold, Clarence Avant, Lee Bailey, Big Boy, Jamie Brown, Troy Carter, Ray Chew and Vivian Scott Chew, Keith Clinkscales, Kenny Gamble, Jack “The Rapper” Gibson, Tony Gray, Ethiopia Habtemariam, Jeffrey Harleston, Denise Brown Henderson, Esq., Stephen Hill, Leon Huff, Cathy Hughes, Don Jackson, Hal Jackson, Larry Jackson, Cynthia Johnson, Varnell Johnson, Quincy Jones, Larry Khan, Morace Landy, Vicki Mack Lataillade and Claude Lataillade, Miller London, Michael Mauldin, Rushion McDonald, Kendall Minter, Esq., Jon Platt, Gwendolyn Quinn, Pat Shields, Eddie Sims and Belinda Wilson, Antonio “L.A.” Reid, Ruben Rodriguez, Aundrae Russell, Herb Trawick, Charles Warfield, Dr. Logan H. Westbrooks, Tyrone Williams, and numerous others.
The LLF is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization and has been funded primarily with corporate contributions and individual donations. The 28-year-old organization has expanded its mission to assist those who have served the music industry and who have a confirmable need. This assistance is provided in a manner that maintains the dignity of those who may receive financial help. Many former music industry employees worked during a time when 401Ks and retirement packages were not available—and even today, in this era of downsizing and mergers, the industry’s lack of long-term career stability has become more commonplace. Proceeds from the event will enable the LLF to continue to aid those in need, as well as fund the Living Legends Foundation Scholarship Program, which helps the educational pursuits of the next generation of music makers and marketers at three HBCUs.
The LLF Officers and Board Members include Chairman David Linton, Chairman Emeritus and founder Ray Harris, President Varnell Johnson, Vice-President Jacqueline Rhinehart, Recording Secretary Pat Shields, founder and Treasurer C.C. Evans, and General Counsel Kendall Minter, Esq. Board Members include Vinny Brown, Sheila Eldridge, Marcus Grant, Tony Gray, Ken Johnson, Barbara Lewis, Miller London, Sidney Miller, Kathi Moore, Jon Platt, Gwendolyn Quinn, Sam Weaver, and Colleen Wilson.
The Living Legends Foundation Advisory Board includes a list of distinguished entertainment executives, including Monica Alexander, Don Cody, George Daniels, Brad Davidson, Michael Dawson, Esq., Skip Dillard, Kevin Fleming, Shannon Henderson, Jay Johnson, James Leach, Vicki Mack Lataillade, Gail Mitchell, Azim Rashid, Lionel Ridenour, Kevin Ross, A.J. Savage, Vivian Scott Chew, Phil Thornton, Brian Wallace, Irene Ware, Tyrone Williams, Buzzy Willis, and Tony Winger.
