If you are not already familiar with singer and actress Melba Moore, let me give you a brief synopsis of her achievements and contributions to music and film.
Melba Moore is the recipient of a 1971 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist with her debut album “I Got Love”, she also starred in a variety television show co-starring Clifton Davis, a four-time Grammy nominee and one-time Tony Award winner, and has made guest appearances on The David Frost Show (1969), Soul Train (1971), The Mike Douglas Show (1961), Dinah! (1974), The Dick Cavett Show (1968), 13 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), Captain Kangaroo (1955), The Tim Conway Show (1980), Solid Gold (1980), among many others.
Melba also had chart topping hits with "This Is It," which achieved #2 on the U.S. dance charts, which was also popular in the UK. She went on to release more chart topping hits, such as "Lean On Me," "Make Me Believe In You," "You Stepped Into My Life," "Let's Stand Together," and "Take My Love" and a slew of others would follow.
With a total of 11 U.S. Top 10 Hits (singles and albums) on the Billboard Pop/R&B, Disco/Dance, Album charts combined, over a period of 40 years, Melba Moore has proven her staying power among artists of the 21st century.
In 2003, Moore contributed her talents to the film, The Fighting Temptations (2003), which starred Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé. In 2007, she earned a role in the Broadway revival of Ain't Misbehavin'.
According to a report from the Griot, Katt Williams took it upon himself to make sure that Miss Melba Moore’s accomplishments and contributions were properly recognized and immortalized by sponsoring her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Per the Walk of Fame website, the cost to sponsor a nominee for the Hollywood Walk of Fame is $75,000 upon selection. The fee is used to pay for the creation and installation of the star, as well as maintenance of the Walk of Fame.
Katt Williams has been receiving praise from fans on social media after Melba Moore disclosed that he paid the sponsorship fee to secure her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The 77-year-old beloved singer and actress became the 2,760th person to receive a star in the category of Live Theatre/Live Performance on Hollywood Boulevard.
“As I look back over my life in Harlem / Newark NJ, I am proud. Receiving a Hollywood Star made me reflect on the goodness of God. It took me a lifetime to get here. I am a late bloomer. I am still trying to find the words,” Moore shared on Instagram prior to the ceremony.
During the ceremony, Miss Moore revealed that Williams helped secure the coveted honor.
“A public thank you to KW. He is the sole sponsor of my star………I am still in shock,” said Moore on Instagram. “Katt, in me you have a Friend. Love Melba Forever Moore.”
Williams, who attended the Walk of Fame ceremony alongside Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jimmy Jam, and Luenell, paid respect and recognition to Moore at the star-studded event.
“We are here to honor the extraordinary life and achievements of a true legend,” Williams said in his speech.
“I looked up who paved the way for Melba Moore,” he said. “Who was the person that excelled in all of those things and I found out that that person did not exist. Melba Moore is one-of-one in our industry and that’s what we’re celebrating.”
“In this day and age, we call somebody a legend if they’ve been doing something for 20, 30 years, but to be at the top of your craft in stage, television, music, and film, there really has never been anything like it,” Williams added.
Williams went on to further state, Moore has always “exemplified the elegance, grace, dignity, and strength of the Black woman.”
“This strength and her ability to turn adversity into fuel for her art is a testament to her unwavering determination,” he continued. “True greatness extends beyond the boundaries of talent alone.”
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