The 2025 inductees of the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame include two iconic groups, a jazz legend, and an award-winning gospel singer. This year's class hales from across the state, but all have roots in Southwest Ohio.
The Ohio Players
Leading the way in 2025 is the pioneering funk group The Ohio Players. First formed in Dayton in the late 1950s and early '60s, the group is known worldwide for hits like "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster." The Ohio Players also have performed live at the Cincinnati Music Festival several times.
The O'Jays
Though the O'Jays call Canton home, the renowned R&B group got its first taste of success in the music business in Cincinnati. The band recorded its first hit single, "Miracles," under the King Records label.
Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson was a legendary jazz vocalist known for her 1964 hit song "How Glad I Am." The Chillicothe-born singer recorded many albums throughout her decades-spanning career, securing Grammy wins in 2005 and 2007 for her final two studio albums, "Turned to Blue" and "R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)."
Wilson was a graduate of Central State University and a former headliner of the Cincinnati Jazz Festival.
Dottie Peoples
Known as the "Songbird of the South," Dottie Peoples made a name for herself in the gospel music scene after moving to Atlanta from her hometown of Dayton. Her 1994 hit "He's an on Time God" has remained a staple of the gospel music genre.
The induction ceremony
This year's class officially will be enshrined into the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame during the annual induction ceremony July 26 at the Andrew J. Brady Center at The Banks.
The ceremony will include a free tribute concert featuring Cincinnati-born singer Bigg Robb, Grammy winner Regina Belle, and 2025 inductee Dottie Peoples.
Hamilton County Commissioner and Walk of Fame founder Alicia Reece says the ceremony will be a celebration of Cincinnati's most well-known Black artists and those who never received proper recognition.
"Many of these Black artists and musicians have been overlooked," she said Wednesday. "They had to go other places to get acknowledged. [Now] [t]hey wouldn't even believe that they would be able to be acknowledged in their hometown."
2025 inductees will share the honor with other Cincinnati greats like Bootsy Collins, The Isley Brothers, and Otis Williams of The Temptations.
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