CHAKA KHAN & Q PARKER JOIN THE LIVING LEGENDS FOUNDATION IN CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF MUSIC, LEGACY & IMPACT

A Powerful Class of Honorees Takes Center Stage as the Living Legends Foundation Marks a Milestone Anniversary in Atlanta

By Dr. Jerome Dorn | InDaHouseMedia

ATLANTA — Behind every unforgettable song, legendary artist and groundbreaking movement in music are visionaries whose leadership, creativity and determination helped make history possible.

On Friday, October 2, 2026, the Living Legends Foundation, Inc. will celebrate those individuals as it marks its 35th Anniversary Awards Dinner & Gala in Atlanta, Georgia.

Adding even greater significance to the milestone celebration will be legendary recording artist Chaka Khan, serving as Honorary Ambassador, and Q Parker, founding member of the Grammy-winning R&B group 112, serving as Honorary Gala Chair.

Together, they will help welcome an extraordinary class of honorees representing radio, music, entertainment, entrepreneurship, executive leadership and advocacy.

CHAKA KHAN: A LEGACY COMES FULL CIRCLE

For Chaka Khan, participation in this year’s celebration carries special historical significance.

Her relationship with the Living Legends Foundation stretches back more than three decades. In 1992, Khan was among the early artists recognized by the organization for her artistry, longevity and impact on music and culture.

Now, more than three decades later, the legendary performer returns in a different capacity—as Honorary Ambassador for an organization dedicated to recognizing many of the people whose work takes place beyond the spotlight.

It is a fitting full-circle moment.

Khan’s legendary career represents the power of the performer, while the Living Legends Foundation recognizes the executives, broadcasters, entrepreneurs, advocates and cultural architects whose contributions help performers build careers and reach audiences around the world.

Q PARKER BRINGS ATLANTA’S R&B LEGACY TO THE CELEBRATION

Serving as Honorary Gala Chair, Q Parker brings another generation of musical history to the evening.

As a founding member of 112, Parker was part of the R&B movement that helped establish Atlanta as one of the most important music capitals in America.

His presence alongside Chaka Khan symbolizes what the Living Legends Foundation has represented throughout its history: generations coming together to recognize those who helped shape the culture.

THE 2026 LIVING LEGENDS HONOREES

At the heart of the 35th Anniversary celebration will be an exceptional group of industry leaders whose careers demonstrate the many ways individuals can influence music and entertainment.

Receiving the Ray Harris Lifetime Achievement Award will be Louis Carr, President of BET, recognizing a career of extraordinary leadership and influence within media and entertainment.

The Black Promoters Collective will receive the A.D. Washington Chairman’s Award, honoring its impact within live entertainment and the business of promoting major cultural experiences.

Radio—one of the most important forces in the development of Black music—will be prominently represented. Kenny Smoov, Vice President of Urban Programming at Cumulus, will receive the Jerry Boulding Radio Executive Award, while Atlanta’s own Greg Street, Air Personality at V-103 Atlanta, will receive the Frankie Crocker Radio Personality Award.

The Impact Player Award will be presented to Juliette Jones, COO of Alamo Records, recognizing her leadership and influence within today’s recording industry.

Tim Reid, SVP, Repertoire & Marketing at BMG Recorded Music, will receive the Music Executive Award, celebrating his contributions to artist development, repertoire, marketing and the continued evolution of recorded music.

The Mike Bernardo Female Executive Award will honor Phylicia Fant, Global Director Black Music + Culture at Amazon Music, recognizing her leadership and commitment to advancing Black music and culture on a global platform.

Entertainment attorney and executive James McMillan, Esq., CEO of ART@WAR Entertainment, will receive the Kendall Minter Entertainment Advocate Award, honoring advocacy and leadership on behalf of artists and entertainment professionals.

The Hip-Hop Visionary Award will be presented to Ted Lucas, Founder & CEO of Slip-N-Slide Records, whose entrepreneurial vision helped create an influential platform within hip-hop and helped expand the reach of Southern music.

And legendary music-video pioneer Ralph McDaniels, Executive Producer of Video Music Box, will receive the Entrepreneur Award, recognizing decades of innovation and his role in documenting, presenting and expanding hip-hop culture.

Together, these honorees demonstrate that music history isn’t created by performers alone.

It is built by an entire ecosystem of visionaries.

HONORING THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE MUSIC

For 35 years, the Living Legends Foundation has made it its mission to recognize individuals whose contributions have helped create careers, establish institutions and expand opportunities throughout Black music and entertainment.

They are executives who made decisions when others were unwilling to take chances.

They are broadcasters who introduced audiences to new sounds.

They are promoters who brought artists and audiences together.

They are entrepreneurs who built their own tables when seats weren’t available at someone else’s.

They are advocates who fought to make certain artists and creators received the recognition and opportunities they deserved.

And they are cultural visionaries who understood that Black music was never simply entertainment—it was history, business, expression and power.

ATLANTA: A CITY BUILT ON MUSIC AND CULTURE

There could hardly be a more appropriate setting for the Living Legends Foundation’s milestone anniversary than Atlanta.

From soul and gospel to R&B and hip-hop, Atlanta has evolved into one of the world’s most influential centers of music, entertainment and Black entrepreneurship.

The presence of honorees such as Greg Street, along with executives and cultural leaders whose influence reaches throughout the entertainment industry, makes the celebration particularly meaningful.

The evening represents more than another awards ceremony.

It is a gathering of history.

It is where the people behind the records meet the people behind the radio stations, labels, tours, videos, contracts and cultural movements.

GIVING LEGENDS THEIR FLOWERS

One of the greatest responsibilities we have in documenting our history is making sure those who created it receive their flowers while they are here to appreciate them.

That philosophy is at the heart of the Living Legends Foundation.

As Chaka Khan and Q Parker help celebrate this milestone anniversary, the spotlight will shine brightly on Louis Carr, Black Promoters Collective, Kenny Smoov, Greg Street, Juliette Jones, Tim Reid, Phylicia Fant, James McMillan, Ted Lucas and Ralph McDaniels.

Different careers.

Different paths.

Different contributions.

But one common denominator:

Each helped move the culture forward.

Thirty-five years after its journey began, the Living Legends Foundation continues reminding the entertainment industry that legends aren’t defined solely by who stands on the stage.

Sometimes, legends are the people who built the stage, opened the doors, played the records, negotiated the deals, promoted the shows, protected the artists and created opportunities for the next generation.

Those are the stories worth preserving.

Those are the people worth celebrating.

And those are the Living Legends whose contributions ensure the music—and the culture—continues.

InDaHouseMedia — Opening Doors, Capturing History and Celebrating the People Who Make a Difference.