The B-52s receive a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame & pay tribute to Ricky Wilson
Cindy Wilson became tearful, remembering her late brother, Ricky.
Mark
The B-52s received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week, 50 years after they first formed in Athens, Georgia.
The band—Keith Strickland, Cindy Wilson, Fred Schneider, and Kate Pierson—received the 2,861st star on the iconic pathway. Their marker is located outside the famed Amoeba Music at 6212 Hollywood Boulevard.
How about we take this to the next level?
Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
“Honoring The B-52s with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a celebration of their unforgettable music, fearless spirit, and the nostalgia they’ve created for generations of fans,” Ana Martinez, Walk of Fame producer, said in a press statement. “Their unique sound and energy have truly become part of Hollywood’s musical history.”
Emceeing Thursday’s unveiling was Richard Blade. He commented on how improbable it was for the B-52s to break out of the Athens, Georgia music scene when they first arrived in 1976, given their unique sound. Blades pointed to the first track (“Planet Claire”) on their debut album as an indicator of how they sounded unlike any other band around at the time.
The band has gone on to sell 20 million albums worldwide, notching up beloved tracks such as “Rock Lobster”, “Roam” and “Love Shack”.
They’ve also always had a large LGBTQ+ following, attracted by their kitsch aesthetic and the fact that several band members are queer.
The original lineup included Cindy’s brother, Ricky Wilson. He died from AIDS-related illness in 1985, aged 32. Schneider and Strickland are both gay and Pierson bisexual.
During Thursday’s ceremony, Schneider said he was “so happy” to be in the band because he had “no marketable skills after dropping out of college”.
Remembering Ricky
Strickland said they had started the band to “entertain ourselves and our friends. None of us imagined we’d ever get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”
He also recounted meeting Ricky Wilson in high school when he was 16 years old.
“He invited me to his house one day to hear some music that he’d written and recorded on his two-track tape recorder,” he said. “And I realized then that my new best friend was also a musical genius. We miss you, Ricky! And we love you.”
Talking about her brother, Cindy Wilson said, “Ricky was a quiet visionary and a creative genius, but to me he was simply my cool, wonderful older brother whom I loved and looked up to, and who influenced me profoundly.”
Becoming tearful, she added, “Although we lost him so long ago, his legacy lives on through our music. But when we lost Ricky, it was Keith Strickland who stepped up heroically to take on the monumental task of writing music.”
The B-52s co-founder Fred Schneider says he’s "so happy" to be a part of the band because "I had no marketable skills after dropping out of college": "We’re still going!"
The B-52s Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony https://t.co/RZWNGy7aWF— Variety (@Variety) October 29, 2026
Check out the original promo video for their seminal track, “Rock Lobster”, below.
Related
From disco closets to punk chaos: The queer culture clash that birthed the B-52s
The following is an excerpt from “The B-52s’ Cosmic Thing” by Pete Crighton and available now from Bloomsbury.Sarah Paulson finally got her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame & it was gayer than a Pride parade
Partner Holland Taylor gave a moving speech in Paulson’s honor: “I love you, darling.”
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.
