King of the Streets

Three intersections in Evanston received new secondary names Tuesday night in honor of local musicians Bootsy Collins, Otis Williams and Philip Paul, each of whom has ties to historic King Records which has called the neighborhood its home since the late 1940s.

The streets now ceremonially renamed are:

Bootsy Collins Way – the intersection of Hackberry Street and Madison Road. Bootsy Collins grew up on Hackberry Street.

Otis Williams Place – the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Gilbert Avenue. Otis Williams grew up on Lincoln Avenue.

Philip Paul Place – the intersection of Potter Place and Woodburn Avenue. Philip moved to Cincinnati in 1952 and never left. Potter Place is located near the former King Records building.

Mayor John Cranley, event hosts and City Council members Yvette Simpson and Wendell Young, and numerous music fans, recording artists and Evanston residents were on hand at Evanston Recreation Center to celebrate the honorees during a media event. Council member Chris Seelbach, Anzora Adkins, president of the Evanston Community Council, a representative from the Music Heritage Foundation, and each of the honorees spoke at the ceremony as well.

Following the event, various members of the community joined the honorees for a tour and unveiling of the new secondary street signs.

King Records, which Cincinnati native Syd Nathan opened in 1943, boasted other famous artists such as James Brown, Hank Ballard and Little Willie John. The Brewster Avenue recording studio was declared a historic landmark in 2015.

City leaders are fighting to save the building from demolition. City Council unanimously voted last week to start the process of taking the King Records property through eminent domain.