13-time Grammy winner Babyface was honoured on Monday (Jan.10).
Babyface, Usher honored at the Apollo’s 2024 Spring Benefit
Usher performing at Power 105.1's Powerhouse on Oct. 27, 2016,(L), and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds performing during the Bourbon and Beyond Musica festival, on Sept. 17, 2023.
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He was inducted into The Apollo's legendary Walk of Fame.
Since its opening in 1914 and the introduction of the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, The Apollo theatre has played a major role in the emergence of jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, and soul.
"Thank you to all my fans that are out there. It's been amazing. I have to say thank you to the Apollo for even giving me this honor to begin with. I never imagined that I would get this. I never saw myself, actually, being here at the Apollo. I didn't want to perform here because I didn't want to get booed," he said smiling.
"When I got the call that the Apollo wanted to honor me. You know, inside it was like, omg, omg, omg. But not really so much the oh my god, oh my god. It was really like, oh my God, he did this," he said.
Prolific songwriter Babyface whose real name is Kenneth Edmonds has helped shape the careers of the likes of Whitney Houston, Justin Bieber, Beyoncé and Mary J. Blige.
He has produced and written 125 Top 10 Hits, with his work boasting over 800 million records sold, the Apollo theatre wrote.
"Babyface can touch any artist life and change it," Mary J. Blige told thepublic at the induction ceremony.
"Face, I want to thank you for touching my life and changing it with your pen and your presence. I love you. Congratulations on a well-deserved, long overdue induction into the Apollo Hall of Fame. Thank you."
At the annual Spring Benefit ceremony on Tuesday (Jan. 11), Babyface received the inaugural Legacy Award and Usher bagged an Icon award.
Usher shared the secret to his continued success.
“Man make it an everyday thing. Every day I wake up feeling like, this is this is supposed to be. I think, when you act as though you're already in the future, eventually you will be. So, you call it into existence. You say you're going to be successful. You say you want to be successful, then claim it. Say it.”
Music industry icons attended the Spring Benefit.
The celebration marked the 90th Anniversary of the legendary Harlem institution.