http://www.laweekly.com/ink/03/30/features-sullivan.php
Talk about irony: The Mayor of the Sunset Strip couldn’t land a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On June 17, KROQ morning crew Kevin and Bean hosted “Rodney on the Walk,” a segment designed to fund a star dedicated to DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. Donations came in from Joan Jett, Blur’s Damon Albarn, John Doe of X, Blondie’s Deborah Harry, No Doubt’s Adrian Young, and the Strokes’ Fabrizio Moretti, among others. Before long, KROQ had raised the $15,000 fee.
The only problem: Bingenheimer’s application was rejected by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
“This is very sad because we thought he was deserving,” says KROQ’s Amy Stevens, marketing and promotions director at the station, but she “respectfully hears the voice of the Chamber of Commerce.”
Bingenheimer has been a local rock fixture since the 1960s, befriending the likes of the Monkees, Phil Spector, and David Bowie. He joined KROQ as a DJ in 1976, where he was instrumental in introducing the Ramones, Sex Pistols, Oasis, and Coldplay to American ears, and was the subject of the 2003 documentary Mayor of the Sunset Strip. Not enough, apparently.
The Walk of Fame Selection Committee, headed by honorary Hollywood Mayor Johnny Grant, considers professional achievement, longevity, and community service in the selection process. “No one is trying to keep Rodney out, but we can only accept so many people a year,” Grant explains. “He just didn’t get enough votes.”
There is some good news for Rodney fans: His application is automatically eligible for next year, says Grant. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he got it.” But Grant discourages the kind of public fundraising undertaken by KROQ before an application is even approved, which led to a moment that Grant says is “embarrassing for Rodney.”
Sam Nelson, the Rodney devotee who spearheaded “Rodney on the Walk” months before KROQ’s involvement, says the fundraising drive was no embarrassment, but is a testament to the overwhelming support Bingenheimer enjoys in the community. Individuals can reclaim their donations, but Nelson hopes most of the money will stay in Rodney’s Walk of Fame fund. “I am in this for the long haul,” he says.
