What Is the Process of Getting a Las Vegas Walk of Stars Location?

What is the process of getting a Las Vegas Walk of Stars location? Can Jean and Brad Scott be nominated for their contributions to Las Vegas?

Well, as with everything in the rapidly evolving new world, this answer assumes that the Walk of Stars business will reemerge intact.

If it does, anyone can be nominated for the Walk of Stars, judging by the obscurity of some of the honorees (like self-help author Greg S. Reid and El Tri frontman Alex Lora). Jean “Queen of Comps” Scott would probably go in under the “Literary” category, but we don’t know how we’d categorize dear Brad. (Humanitarian?) Heck, you don’t even have to conduct a petition drive, although a GoFundMe account would be really helpful.

Walk of Stars founder Robert Alexander retains discretion over whether a person qualifies or not, although writing him a big check appears to be the principal criterion: The candidate has to pony up $20,000 and have a sponsor. A rationale for the nomination must be written and “Honorees must have worked or lived in the Greater County of Clark, for periods of considerable regularity. Honorees must have, by their presence in this area, contributed to the charm, worldwide prominence, and name recognition of Las Vegas, Clark County.”

Jean would need to “have penned literary works of considerable distinction and have achieved national and international recognition in the field of entertainment.” (We think she qualifies, especially with all the TV coverage she's garnered over the decades.) Without going into the full nitty-gritty, other categories are “Show Business,” “Pioneers and Civic,” “Humanitarians,” “Sports,” “Military” (Congressional honorees only), and “the Las Vegas International Film Festival's Annual Special Honoree.”

You have make a down payment of $10,000 and, once that check clears, plunk down the balance within 30 days of the dedication ceremony. “This cost includes all expenses related to the shipping, manufacturing and embedding of the Star, a Walk of Stars Plaque, the sound needed for the dedication ceremony, flowers for lady honorees, publicity, press releases, radio/TV interviews, liability insurance, and applicable fees.” If you want to honor Jean with a brass band, a celebrity host, and a cocktail party or just want to shut the Strip down, that cost is borne by “the sponsoring entity” -- i.e., you.

The awards claim to be strictly color-blind: “Candidates are solely selected on achievements, within their endeavors and contributions to the community.” (The committee does have a special Hispanic wing that has been highly effective, judging by the number of Latino honorees.) And as though to prove they’re sexuality-blind too, the committee has allocated two stars to Frank Marino.

So start saving your pennies and clipping coupons. You’re going to need them. “People have a misconception of what it’s all about,” a member of the nominating committee told Cult Vegas author Mike Weatherford. “Bottom line, it’s a business.”

What is the process of getting a Las Vegas Walk of Stars location?

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rokgpsman May-08-2020

Walk of Stars

There were over 80 of these stars installed on the sidewalk running down the Strip, many for very well known people like Wayne Newton, Elvis and Frank Sinatra. About half of them were intentionally destroyed when the sidewalks were redone to install security poles to protect pedestrians from terrorist attacks with vehicles. The company doing the sidewalk reconstruction said they weren't able to remove and reinstall the stars without breaking them. That seems hard to believe. 

Only in Vegas would there be a business that specializes in self-promotion like this. Pay someone a large amount of money to install a plaque honoring yourself? Why not pay them to erect a statue of yourself 10 feet tall and put it on one of the street corners? The average visitor that sees these stars probably believes the city of Las Vegas is honoring the person, instead of some sleazy guy making money from it. I'm for recognizing anyone that has helped make Las Vegas better in a big way, but not like this.

Brent May-08-2020

"Only in Vegas?"

This is definitely not just a LV phenomenon. To the contrary, it is obviously based on the model used by the Hollywood Walk of Fame since the 1950s.

David May-08-2020

Definitely not only in Las Vegas

Palm Springs has one, too.

SoCalDude May-08-2020

Hollywood WoS

Brent is right. This is how Hollywood does it. "SHOW ME THE MONEY" and that goes a long way towards getting one

rokgpsman May-08-2020

Big difference

The Hollywood Walk of Fame was authorized and is supervised by the Los Angeles City Council and it is operated by the city's Chamber of Commerce. That isn't the same thing as some private business in Las Vegas running things on its own for profit.

Brent Peterson May-08-2020

What Jean Would Say

Jean would probably say to send her the $20,000! 

I can't imagine a more unfitting use of $20,000 for someone known for finding bargains. 

I love Jean, but this is not a frugal tribute that she would probably want.

gaattc2001 May-08-2020

There's a smaller "Walk of Fame"...

at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee--sixteen stars including Cary Grant, Micky Rooney, Isaac Hayes, Duke Ellington, and Stacey Keach; and another at the Alabama Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama--nineteen stars including Truman Capote, Kate Jackson, George Lindsey, Louise Fletcher, and Jim Nabors.  

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Walk_of_Fame_(Orpheum_Theater)
https://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Alabama_Walk_of_Fame

And I'll close with a Benny Hill-type gag about the Las Vegas walk:
"They had to remove some stars to put in those posts that keep cars from coming up onto the sidewalks..."
"Bollards."
"It's TRUE, I tell you!"

queen of comps May-08-2020

Jean Scott Reply

I am honored by this question, but I have been honored best by thousands of dog-eared frugal gambler books!  Actually I once did have a star on a Vegas sidewalk - in front of the Four Queens, where they covered the sidewalks in front of their casino with gold stars inscripted with the names of their top players. Alas, fame is fleeting - those all disappeared a few years later when the cement was jackhammered out and a new sidewalk was put in place.

Jeff May-08-2020

Not just n Vegas

There's a long, sordid history of bestowing awards-for-sale or purchased recognition by appealing to the vanity of those willing & able to pay for it.

A listing in some of those "Who's Who in American [fill in the blank]" can be purchased alongside legitimate listings.

Meshulam Riklis, who owned the old Riviera & married Pia Zadora, a bad actress, financed a widely lampooned movie as a vehicle for the lousy actress. He then famously (allegedly) bribed the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to award Zadora with the "New Star of the Year." Both became laughing stocks, because they pushed the credibility envelope beyond its breaking point.

I knew a successful but unknown businessman who was approached by a TV "producer" wanting to make a syndicated 30 min. TV puff piece of the businessman. The catch was that the businessman was asked to pay a large sum to offset certain costs of production. The businessman was savvy enough to realize he was being asked to pay for his own trophy.

Question of the Day - 08 May 2020

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