Birmingham Walk of Stars facts for kids

A star for Ozzy Osbourne on Broad Street

The Broad Street Walk of Stars is a special pathway in Birmingham, England. It's like a "walk of fame" where stars are placed on the ground to celebrate famous people. These people are either from the Birmingham area or have strong connections to it. The idea is to honor those who have done amazing things in different fields.

Who Gets a Star?

To get a star on the Broad Street Walk of Stars, a person needs to meet a few requirements.

Important Rules for Stars

• They must have performed at one of Birmingham's big venues. These include places like the International Convention Centre (ICC), National Indoor Arena (NIA), Symphony Hall, or The Rep theatre.
• They must be originally from the Birmingham area or have strong ties to the Midlands region.
• The stars honor people who have made a big difference. This includes those in music, TV, film, radio, theater, sports, business, and writing.

How the Walk of Stars Started

The idea for this special walk came from a local Birmingham man named Garry Raybould. He shared his idea with the Broad Street Business Improvement District, who then helped make it happen. They created the name "Broad Street Walk of Stars" and even set up a website for it.

First Stars and Big Events

• The very first star was given to the famous musician Ozzy Osbourne. This happened on July 6, 2007. The event was a huge success and brought a lot of attention to the area.
• Next, comedian Jasper Carrott received his star on September 15, 2007. About 10,000 people came to watch!
• In December 2007, Noddy Holder from the band Slade got his star. His presentation was unique, taking place on a canal boat during a Christmas parade.

Safety and More Stars

For a short time, the stars were fenced off because their shiny surfaces were a bit slippery. The company that made the stars helped fix this.

Many more famous people and groups have received stars since then:

• In 2008, sports commentator Murray Walker and the long-running radio show The Archers (along with actor Norman Painting) were honored.
• Actress Julie Walters and Black Sabbath founder Tony Iommi also received stars that year.
• In 2009, it was announced that five local football clubs would get stars. These included Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Walsall, West Bromwich Albion, and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Stars Honoured

Here is a list of some of the amazing people and groups who have received a star on Broad Street:

Number	Recipient	Induction date	Profession	Comments	Image	Location
1	Ozzy Osbourne	6 July 2007	Musician	A founding member of Black Sabbath and a solo artist		52°28′40″N 1°54′40″W / 52.47786°N 1.91099°W / 52.47786; -1.91099 (Ozzy Osbourne)
2	Jasper Carrott	15 September 2007	Comedian	A comedian, actor, and TV presenter		52°28′31″N 1°54′51″W / 52.47539°N 1.91416°W / 52.47539; -1.91416 (Jasper Carrott)
3	Noddy Holder	9 December 2007	Musician	A member of the band Slade		52°28′37″N 1°54′43″W / 52.47706°N 1.91200°W / 52.47706; -1.91200 (Noddy Holder)
4	Murray Walker	28 June 2008	Sports commentator	Famous for his Formula One commentary		52°28′42″N 1°54′32″W / 52.47847°N 1.90880°W / 52.47847; -1.90880 (Murray Walker)
5	The Archers	12 September 2008	Soap opera	A very long-running radio show on BBC Radio 4		52°28′42″N 1°54′35″W / 52.47825°N 1.90978°W / 52.47825; -1.90978 (The Archers)
6	Norman Painting	12 September 2008	Actor	The voice of Phil Archer in The Archers		52°28′42″N 1°54′35″W / 52.47822°N 1.90985°W / 52.47822; -1.90985 (Norman Painting)
7	Tony Iommi	23 November 2008	Musician	A member of Black Sabbath		52°28′42″N 1°54′36″W / 52.47827°N 1.91012°W / 52.47827; -1.91012 (Tony Iommi)
8	Aston Villa F.C. 1982 Team	4 May 2009	Football team	The team that won the European Cup in 1982		52°28′41″N 1°54′38″W / 52.47810°N 1.91054°W / 52.47810; -1.91054 (Aston Villa F.C.)
9	Tony 'Bomber' Brown	17 May 2009	Footballer	A professional footballer from West Bromwich Albion F.C.		52°28′39″N 1°54′42″W / 52.47739°N 1.91158°W / 52.47739; -1.91158 (Tony Brown)
10	Frank Skinner	1 August 2009	Comedian	Co-Host of Fantasy Football League		52°28′38″N 1°54′41″W / 52.47727°N 1.91132°W / 52.47727; -1.91132 (Frank Skinner)
11	Gil Merrick	September 2009	Footballer	A professional footballer from Birmingham City F.C.		52°28′37″N 1°54′44″W / 52.47683°N 1.91230°W / 52.47683; -1.91230 (Gil Merrick)
12	Ray Graydon	September 2009	Footballer	A former manager of Walsall F.C.		52°28′43″N 1°54′32″W / 52.47848°N 1.90879°W / 52.47848; -1.90879 (Ray Graydon)
13	Julie Walters	27 October 2009	Actress/Comedian	Star of Educating Rita and Harry Potter Films		52°28′28″N 1°54′57″W / 52.47434°N 1.91575°W / 52.47434; -1.91575 (Julie Walters)
14	Gary Newbon	10 December 2009	Television journalism	A sports reporter		52°28′42″N 1°54′32″W / 52.47845°N 1.90880°W / 52.47845; -1.90880 (Gary Newbon)
15	Lenny Henry	19 December 2009	Actor/Comedian	Presenter of Tiswas		52°28′43″N 1°54′32″W / 52.47849°N 1.90879°W / 52.47849; -1.90879 (Lenny Henry)
16	Beverley Knight	20 March 2010	Singer			52°28′42″N 1°54′32″W / 52.47846°N 1.90880°W / 52.47846; -1.90880 (Beverley Knight)
17	Joan Armatrading	4 May 2010	Singer			52°28′42″N 1°54′35″W / 52.47828°N 1.90970°W / 52.47828; -1.90970 (Joan Armatrading)
18	Chris Tarrant	August 2010	Broadcaster	Host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire		52°28′42″N 1°54′33″W / 52.47841°N 1.90921°W / 52.47841; -1.90921 (Chris Tarrant)
19	Birmingham Royal Ballet	September 2010	Dance			52°28′42″N 1°54′34″W / 52.47844°N 1.90947°W / 52.47844; -1.90947 (Birmingham Royal Ballet)
20	David Bintley	September 2010	Dance			52°28′42″N 1°54′34″W / 52.47842°N 1.90955°W / 52.47842; -1.90955 (David Bintley)
21	Roy Wood	November 2010	Singer Musician	Member of Electric Light Orchestra, Wizzard, and The Move		52°28′42″N 1°54′37″W / 52.47824°N 1.91024°W / 52.47824; -1.91024 (Roy Wood)
22	Bev Bevan	February 2011	Singer Drummer	Member of Electric Light Orchestra and The Move		52°28′41″N 1°54′36″W / 52.47817°N 1.91004°W / 52.47817; -1.91004 (Bev Bevan)
23	Matt Croucher GC	16 June 2011	Lance Corporal	Awarded the George Cross in 2008
24	Laurie Mansfield	16 June 2011	Theatrical agent	Represented many famous entertainers
25	Sir Keith Porter	16 June 2011	Military Surgeon
26	Nigel Mansell	August 2011	Racing driver	The 1992 Formula One World Champion		52°28′41″N 1°54′37″W / 52.47810°N 1.91021°W / 52.47810; -1.91021 (Nigel Mansell)
27	Malkit Singh	May 2012	Musician	Known as the "King of Bhangra"
28	Harry Moseley	August 2012	Fundraising/Charity
29	Jaki Graham	October 2012	Singer
30	Ellie Simmonds	December 2012	Paralympian	A swimmer who won many Gold Medals
31	David Harewood	July 2013	Actor	Famous for his role in Homeland
32	Jeff Lynne	March 2014	Singer/Composer/Musician	Member of Electric Light Orchestra and The Move
33	Trevor Francis	November 2014	Footballer	A professional footballer from Birmingham City F.C.
34	Ian Lavender	22 June 2015	Actor	Played Private Pike in Dad's Army
35	Dennis Amiss	11 February 2016	Cricket	Played for England and Warwickshire
36	Ann Haydon-Jones	11 February 2016	Tennis	The first left-handed female Wimbledon winner
37	Toyah Willcox	11 December 2016	Singer Actress
38	Don Maclean	11 December 2016	Comedian Actor
39	Geezer Butler	3 February 2018	Musician	A member of Black Sabbath

Who Might Get a Star Next?

The Walk of Stars website also lists people who could be chosen for a star in the future. The public can even vote for who they think should be honored!

Potential Nominees

• Bill Ward
• Clive Owen
• The Moody Blues
• Electric Light Orchestra
• Benjamin Campbell
• Judas Priest
• Denise Lewis
• Johnnie Walker
• Martin Shaw
• Benjamin Zephaniah
• Adrian Chiles
• Tiswas
• Sir Simon Rattle
• Cat Deeley
• Robert Plant
• UB40
• Duran Duran
• The Move
• Bill Oddie