Maryland Walk of Fame group seeks ‘star’ for Severn Grammy winner, Toni Braxton

Annapolis may be getting its own Walk of Fame to honor the success of Marylanders like Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Toni Braxton.

Braxton, who was born in Severn and graduated from Glen Burnie High School, is set to receive a circular bronze star in September at the intersection of Church Circle and Duke of Gloucester Street, in front of the historic Maryland Inn, said Judy Buddensick, spokesperson for the Maryland Walk of Fame committee.

The project requires approval from the Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission, which is expected to make a decision on the first star on July 11. A previous vote was postponed due to the organization needing to fulfill requirements from Public Works, according to Ruby Blakeney, executive director of the committee.

If approved, the star is expected unveiled in September.

“We’re moving ahead full steam,” Blakeney said.

The idea for the project dates back four years, she said. At the time, she was a volunteer for a project meant to highlight artists in Annapolis. Blakeney suggested Braxton for honors, but the project never came to fruition.

The hope is the Walk of Fame will draw crowds to view the stars and patronize nearby businesses, she said. The Hollywood Walk of Fame in California has more than 2,700 stars; there are versions inspired by it in cities such as Las Vegas, Nevada, Palm Springs, Florida, and Fargo, North Dakota.

Braxton, 56, sang in the Glen Burnie high glee club in the mid-1980s and attended Bowie State University. Her music career started after producer Bill Pettaway discovered Braxton singing in her car at a gas station in Annapolis, according to Buddensick.

Braxton has earned seven Grammys, appeared in numerous movies and starred in “Braxton Family Values,” a 2011 reality television series about the lives of her and her family.

Diagnosed with lupus in 2008, Braxton is a spokesperson for Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, a Canadian company that makes a drug to treat lupus and has an office in Rockville.

The Annapolis Walk of Fame will highlight figures from history, sports and entertainment. The idea is to recognize their “contribution[s] to Maryland,” Buddensick said.  Future funding for the project will come from sponsors and money the organization is able to raise. The organization’s website lists several sponsors, three of which pledged at least $100,000.

“Yes, [they] may not have been born here, but [they’ve] done great things here,” Buddensick said.

In a public comment submitted to the Historic Preservation Commission, Alderman Elly Tierney, a Democrat representing Ward 1, has questioned why the plaques would be placed on the Church Circle sidewalk. She argues that the plaque in its currently proposed location does not align with the historical landscape downtown.

Blakeney said the location was chosen because Drummers Lot, the bar under the Inn, is a “historically musical spot.” Baltimore jazz legends Ethel Ennis and the Charlie Byrd trio, who frequently played Annapolis, performed there, she said.

Buddensick said that the historical bricks of the sidewalk will not be displaced.

“Annapolis is a historic city, but it’s also a contemporary town. We’re not a museum town,” she said.

How future plaques will be laid out is unclear. Blakeney said that if a recipient is associated with somewhere that is not Annapolis, the organization would consider placing the star in a place like Baltimore, but for now would like the attraction to be solely in Annapolis.