Philly dedicates a stretch of Broad Street to hometown R&B icon, Boyz II Men

Boys II Men Blvd Ceremony |Photo by Matthew Shaver | mattshaverphoto.com

On Saturday afternoon, June 24th, 2017, the city of Philadelphia officially renamed the stretch of Broad Street between Christian and Carpenter as Boyz II Men BLVD. The R&B crooners have had a long and storied career that began in the city almost 3 decades ago. The fitting tribute took place on the steps of the Philadelphia High School of Creative and Performing Arts.

The group received a warm introduction from a number of local representatives and business people, including: City Representative Sheila Hess, President & CEO of Welcome America, Inc Jeff Guaracino, Wells Fargo Senior VP Anthony Rosado, Regional President of Live Nation Geoff Gordon, NBC10 GM Ric Harris, Second District Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, First District Councilman Mark Squilla, and Principal of CAPA Joanne Beaver.

Included in the festivities was an accepted invitation to perform with local orchestras at the forthcoming Met Opera House that will be operated by Live Nation, projects to get books in to the hands of the cities youth, and a performance by the CAPA Choir, a dedication to Boyz II Men. While the group may have moved to other areas, they still call Philly home, and it is where everything came to fruition. The gesture was another in a long line of appreciation that Philly has for its musicians. It was noted that while not NY, in many ways Philadelphia takes more pride in its musical heritage than some larger siblings, and Boyz II Men are an important part of that heritage.