Four Bronxites selected for Walk of Fame honors

A great Bronx tradition continues with four native Bronxites selected to be inducted into the Bronx Walk of Frame during the highly anticipated Bronx Week.

Prior to induction, on Friday June 19, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. will honor the lives and work of four outstanding individuals at the Bronx Ball Gala at the Great Hall in new Yankee Stadium.

The 2009 inductees include singer Tony Orlando, Grammy winning artist Melissa Manchester, Hip Hop performer DJ Kool Herc, and actress Judy Reyes.

Renowned entertainer Orland has had five number one hits throughout his extensive recording career, including Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree and Knock Three Times, as well as having performed in a popular television variety series, in movies, and on Broadway.

Born in the Bronx on February 15, 1951, Manchester began her career as a teenager singing commercial jingles. Since then, she has established a successful singing career that won her a Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance.

The former Sedgwick Avenue resident, DJ Kool Herc, is known as the first true Hip Hop DJ. Moving to the Bronx at age 12 from Jamaica, DJ Kool Herc was always a crowd pleaser, attracting the public with his unique and innovative style.

Appearing on the hit series Scrubs, Reyes grew up in the Bronx with her four siblings. In addition to her role on the seven-season series, Reyes has performed in feature and indie films and is one of the co-founders of the Labyrinth Theatre Company in Manhattan.

Proceeds from the Bronx Ball, presented through the Bronx Tourism Council, will be used to develop tourism in the Bronx.