Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Honored by Living Legends Foundation: ‘We’re Just Two Guys Who Like to Make Music’

The Living Legends Foundation celebrated its 32^nd anniversary by bringing its annual awards gala to Atlanta for the first time Friday (Oct. 3). And among the honorees on hand were Grammy-winning songwriting/production duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Otis Redding Foundation vp/executive director Karla Redding-Andrews (representing her mother, Zelma Redding), RCA Records head of promotion Samantha Selolwane, and Right On! Digital publisher Cynthia Horner.

Upon accepting the foundation’s Ray Harris Lifetime Achievement Award onstage at Atlanta’s Flourish by Legendary, Jam shared that “Ray Harris was so instrumental early in our careers with literally the first record that we did at SOLAR Records, which was ‘Wild Girls’ by Klymaxx. So to get an award from him with his name on it is absolutely amazing.”

Calling the occasion a full-circle moment, Lewis added, “We’re just two guys who like to make music. You all are the ones who made them hits.”

The foundation also awarded three other top awards. National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) president/CEO James L. Winston was presented with the Chairman’s Award by Living Legends Foundation chairman David C. Linton. Zelma Redding, widow of soul legend Otis Redding and president/founder of the Otis Redding Foundation, was the recipient of the Legacy Award, presented by Sony Music Publishing chairman/CEO Jon Platt. And Quality Control Music (Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, City Girls) COO Kevin “Coach K” Lee and CEO Pierre “P” Thomas were given the Impact Award.

For the first time, six female executive trailblazers were also saluted. Joining the aforementioned Selolwane (the Music Executive Award) and Cynthia Horner (Media Icon Award) in that circle were iHeartMedia Chicago vp of programming Kashon Powell (Jerry Boulding Radio Executive Award), nationally syndicated radio host DeDe McGuire (DeDe in the Morning; Frankie Crocker Radio Personality Award), broadcast and music industry executive Carole Carper (Mike Bernardo Female Executive Award) and West Entertainment Services CEO Louise West (Kendall Minter Entertainment Advocate Award).

In presenting the award to West, Grammy-winning artist Anthony Hamilton noted, “I’m standing here after 30 years [working with West], having complete ownership of my publishing and my work, my music — and I owe that all to you.”

Powell said of her honor, “This reward is not just a recognition of past achievements. It’s a reminder of the endless possibilities the future holds.” Horner commented during her acceptance speech, “Right On! magazine is a cultural phenomenon. And it’s my honor to not only have been the editor of the publication, but now I’m one of the owners of the same publication. It’s now Black-owned; it wasn’t before.”

Selolwane, who oversees hip-hop, R&B and mixshow promotion at RCA, described herself as “just a conduit of the art to the masses,” highlighting “the fact that we every day get a chance to spend time with some of the most creative people on this planet and really be a part of their success stories.”

Among the special guests and celebrities sighted at the awards gala were Black Music Month co-founder/radio personality Dyana Williams, radio host/actor Ed Lover, Q Parker of R&B group 112, rap/TV star Da Brat and partner Jesseca Dupart, Black Music Action Coalition co-founder, president and CEO Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, Black American Music Association founder/chairman Michael Mauldin and Morgan Stanley executive Ted Reid.