Boardwalk of Fame salutes local legends this Sunday
Clarence Clemons, Arthur Pryor among honorees
It’s a Jersey Shore tradition to inscribe memorials for the deceased on the sides of boardwalk benches. This weekend, that tradition is taking on its own Asbury flavor with the Boardwalk of Fame.
A ceremony marking the new project will take place on the boardwalk this Sunday, Sept. 23. The program is intended to honor prominent Asbury Park musicians who have passed away, said Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce executive director Jackie Pappas.
Bench plaques will bear honorees’ names, along with biographical information about each honoree. In addition, the plaques will include a quick response code passersby can scan with their smart-phones to connect fans with the Asbury Angels website so they can share their own photos and memories online.
The Asbury Angels Foundation, a joint effort between the Light of Day Foundation and the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, is sponsoring the Boardwalk of Fame.
Each year 10 to 12 Asbury Angels honorees will be chosen by a panel of music industry professionals and historians, according to an Asbury Angels press release. Judging criteria includes significant contribution to the creative music community and impact on that community, as well as the length of time spent on the Asbury Park music scene.
Musicians, songwriters, disc jockeys, writers, technical support staff, club and venue owners are eligible for induction.
The ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. on the boardwalk at Third Avenue. At that time, plagues will be installed for the 11 inductees: band leader and famed trombonist Arthur Pryor; concert promoter Moe Septee; West Side pioneer Joe Major; Upstage Club owners Tom and Margaret Potter; E Street Band keyboardist Danny Federici; E Street Band saxophone player Clarence Clemons; tour manager and technician Larry “Bozo” Blasco; keyboard player Bobby Alfano, a member of many shore area bands, including Bruce Springsteen’s first band, The Castiles; singer-songwriter Bill Chinnock; gospel singer and radio deejay Arthur Morris and bass player John Luraschi, an Upstage Club veteran who was a key part of many Shore groups.
The Boardwalk of Fame program is sponsored by the Asbury Angels foundation, a joint effort between the Light of Day Foundation and the chamber, Pappas said.
The 2013 Asbury Angels inductees will be announced at the Light of Day Concert this winter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, with the plaques to be installed and dedicated by the spring of 2013.
