2026 Living Legends Foundation Inc.
Awards Show & Dinner
About
The Living Legends Foundation
In 1991, Ray Harris enlisted Barbara Lewis, C.C. Evans, and the lateJerry Boulding to start the Foundation, and over 125 unsung music industry figures have been saluted over the past 35 years.
Over the years, the LLF has offered an assistance program that provides financial aid to industry members with strong financial needs, provided scholarship opportunities, and bridged the generational gap of its members past, present, and future. We have taken up the mantle of recognizing the challenges facing women and other unrepresented communities by providing supportive solutions.
Unfortunately, the music industry doesn’t always allow for a person to work to the point of retirement with all of the benefits afforded to people in traditional corporate companies in America. Oftentimes after years of dedicated service, many careers come to an end without the benefits of a 401K or pension plan, despite generating millions for companies and helping to launch countless music artists’ careers. The rising costs in healthcare over the decades sometimes make it impossible for these unsung heroes to afford medical and/or life insurance. In reality, the average person is just one calamity from bankruptcy or worse.
The A.D. Washington Golf Tournament is held annually in April just outside of Atlanta, GA. The tournament raises funds for Black students attending accredited colleges and universities in pursuit of careers in the music, communications, and media industries. The scholarship recipients are mentored through their college years and attend Foundation events to interact directly with industry executives.
The acclaimed podcast “Music Day: A Verified Hit” is available on all podcast platforms and can be viewed as a vodcast on The Living Legends Foundation Inc. YouTube channel. Music Day features episodes about issues that are important to our industry, including legal, technology, AI, mental health, musical genres and more.
Our major fundraiser is The Awards Show and Dinner, which has been held in New York, Atlantic City, Los Angeles and Atlanta over the years. Those selected to be honored at the annual Awards Show are industry professionals who have or who are breaking new ground in the arenas of recorded music, broadcasting, or any of the allied fields such as publicity, marketing, and publishing, among others. Our honorees represent the best the industry has to offer and further the ideals and work ethic that were first exhibited by the pioneers who opened or kicked down doors for people of color in the industry.
Past honorees include Clarence Avant, Cathy Hughes, Quincy Jones, JonPlatt, Harvey Mason Jr, Donnie Simpson, Rushion McDonald, Cash Money founders Ronald “Slim” Williams and Bryan “Birdman” Williams, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Charlamagne Tha God, Jermaine Dupri, Dyana Williams, Ray Chew and Vivian Scott Chew, Curtis Symonds, Rocky Bucano, Nelson George, and many others.