Jeff Spicer/Getty ImagesEric Clapton and The Who‘s Roger Daltrey are among the first notable figures to be honored with stars on the Royal Albert Hall’s new Walk of Fame. The rock legends attended an unveiling ceremony Tuesday, September 4, at the famous London venue and were presented with special commemorative plaques.
Clapton and Daltrey were two of 11 initial honorees named, along with singers Adele and Shirley Bassey, Sir Winston Churchill, Queen Victoria, Albert Einstein and Muhammad Ali. The Walk of Fame recognizes people and institutions that have played an important role on the history of the hall, which opened in 1871.
Clapton was acknowledged because he’s performed at the Royal Albert Hall more than 200 times, including shows with his old bands The Yardbirds and Cream, and as a solo artist. Daltrey was recognized for being the organizer of the long-running annual Teenage Cancer Trust benefit concert series at the venue, as well as his many performances with The Who there.
“We’re thrilled to be able to unveil the first 11 Royal Albert Hall Stars, recognizing the unrivalled place that the venue holds in Britain’s social and cultural life — and the people and groups who have made it that way,” says Royal Albert Hall executive Craig Hassall in a statement posted on the WheresEric.com Clapton fan site. “From political activists to groundbreaking artists, Churchill to charity shows, Ali to Adele, this project recognizes the unparalleled diversity of the Hall’s history, and many of the unforgettable characters and events who have helped to shape this British institution.”
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