Honoring Al Jarreau, a Milwaukee music legend
Statement of Alderman Khalif J. Rainey June 21, 2019
On the occasion of June being African-American Music Appreciation Month, I believe it’s an essential time to honor a major jazz figure from our own city. The late Al Jarreau was born in Milwaukee on March 12, 1940 and honed his musical talents at Lincoln High School. He went on to tour around the world, sell millions of records and win seven Grammy Awards while attracting a wide, diverse audience.
Despite his worldwide success, Mr. Jarreau’s dedication and love for Milwaukee never wavered. He was an advocate for access to music education, especially for Milwaukee youth. In October 2016, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award and endowment in his name for supporting music programs at Milwaukee Public Schools from the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music. Milwaukee must find a way to show appreciation for one of its biggest and most generous stars.
On Wednesday we celebrated Juneteenth Day on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. (formerly N. 3rd St.). I can envision a very lively celebration as well when we move forward in renaming a Milwaukee street to honor Al Jarreau!
Such a high honor would be a major step toward ensuring that Mr. Jarreau’s music, generosity and impact on Milwaukee and the world will be remembered for generations.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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I agree that a street in Milwaukee should be named after Al Jareau. I would like a street on the east side to be so named – to break up the monotony of the old New England street names such as Newport and Providence. Walnut Street becomes Pleasant when the #s change from 100 West to 100 East. Chambers Street stops at the river. It becomes something else east of the Milwaukee River. I recommend renaming Newport or Providence after Al Jarreau.