If you grew up in L.A. in the 80s, there's a good chance KROQ DJ Richard Blade introduced you to a few new bands and a type of music called 'New Wave.'
On Thursday, as fans lined up to watch Blade receive his star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame, music of the bands he made famous could be heard in the background.
One such artist, Billy Idol, was on hand to share his thoughts on Blade's career and the impact he has had.
"He super deserves it," Idol said. "He has been part of L.A. for a long time, and it was fantastic for us back in the eighties to have someone like Richard on KROQ supporting the new music that was coming out of England and America because we were getting a lot of blowback from the people from the sixties and the seventies who just didn't want to believe there was anything good about the eighties. So you needed mates, you really did."
Billy Idol (L), Richard Blade (R)Cody Black
As KNX News' Emily Valdez reports, Blade credits KROQ for much of his success, saying, "I wouldn't be here today without KROQ. And that's not just a line. It's the truth."
Blade was born in England, educated at Oxford, and after touring Europe for two years as a DJ, moved to the United States. In the 1980s, he was the top-rated morning-drive DJ on KROQ in Los Angeles and hosted and directed numerous TV shows and series including Video One, MV3, and VideoBeat.
He has won numerous awards, including The Golden Microphone, California’s Best DJ, the Brit-of-the-Year, and the American DJ Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He was awarded last June 9th with a special resolution proclaiming Richard Blade Day in Los Angeles by the L.A. City Council, for his contributions to music and entertainment.
Richard Blade's star sits catty-corner from the Capitol Records Building off Vine, just north of Hollywood Boulevard.
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