Smokey Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald and James Brown were among the music legends being honored on the Apollo Theater's new Walk of Fame in New York City. Workers Monday began installing sidewalk plaques in front of the storied Harlem theater celebrating some of the artists who have performed there. Others include Little Richard, Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight and the Pips. Robinson said he first performed at the Apollo with the Miracles in 1959, and he's been back countless times since. The Apollo, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, has been a pioneer for aspiring black performers who were routinely turned away at other venues in the 1930s. Through its legendary Amateur Night, the Apollo is famous for propelling the careers of Fitzgerald, Brown, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and others. Plaques honoring new Hall of Fame inductees Michael Jackson and Fitzgerald will be installed after the Apollo's annual Spring Gala in June. Jackson and his brothers first performed at the Harlem theater in the late 1960s. The Jackson Five won its famed “Amateur Night,” which catapulted their career.
