Broadway Icon Melba Moore Receives Hollywood Walk of Fame Star at 77
Melba Moore officially has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame–and the 2,760th to be exact.
The Tony-winning actress and Grammy-nominated singer was awarded the honors during a dedication ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 11, recognizing her astounding work in the Live Theatre/Live Performance category. Guest speakers included Abbott Elementary's Sheryl Lee Ralph, comedian Katt Williams and "Band of Gold" singer Freda Payne.
"This was never in my radar. I never had any thoughts or dreams about being on Hollywood and Vine in pavement," Moore, 77, said. "Seriously, it's so amazing. I don't really have words."
Her fans on social media did have a lot to say about it though, sharing the applause alongside endearing notes like "We’ll deserved and overdue! Congratulations!" and "It’s about time..???????? congratulations ??."
Moore began her journey to stardom after joining the original cast of Hair in 1967, later replacing Dianne Keaton and becoming the first Black actress to replace a white actress in a leading role on Broadway. She went on to appear in Timbuktu alongside Eartha Kitt. In 1970, she won a Tony Award for best performance by a featured actress in a musical for her portrayal of Lutiebelle in Purlie. She also held roles in Inacent Black, Ain’t Misbehavin, BKLYN, Chicago, and a nearly three-month stint as Fantine in Les Miserables from 1993 to 1996, making history again as the first Black actress to portray a leading role in the musical.
Moore's five-octave voice also secured her prolific opportunities as a recording artist and multiple Grammy nominations, including one for best female R&B vocal performance after releasing a cover of Aretha Franklin's "Lean on Me" in 1977 and a second for best female rock vocal performance citing her 1985 hit "Read My Lips."
In the years since, she's released 28 albums, 10 of which have secured spots on the Billboard Top 200 and starred in various TV shows and soaps, including the sitcom Melba, The Love Boat, and Falcon Crest.
Her most recent project, an album titled Imagine, was released in April 2022.
Next: 7 Moments You Didn't Get to See at the 2023 Tony Awards