East Oak Lane's Leslie Odom Jr. among 'Walk of Fame' inductees
"Philadelphia means a great deal to me," Odom says.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- This Thursday, the Philadelphia Music Alliance will induct its 2023 "Walk of Fame" honorees.
It's a star-studded lineup of homegrown talent.
Leslie Odom Jr. is just one of the stars about to earn a bronze plaque on Broad Street.
"Philadelphia means a great deal to me," Odom says. "So to have something like this say that maybe I mean something to Philadelphia is deeply touching."
Odom has paved quite the path from East Oak Lane.
He won a Tony award and a Grammy Award for his role as Aaron Burr in the hit musical "Hamilton."
Odom was also nominated for a historic pair of Oscars for 'One Night in Miami' -- one for Best Supporting Actor and one for Best Original Song.
When he gets inducted into the Walk of Fame, he joins other local legends, from the Bacon Brothers to The Thymes, to DJ John DeBella, radio host Patty Jackson and conductor James DePreist.
"When I think about my taste, when I think about what I like, the kind of artist that I aspire to be, and the things that move me, first moved me in Philadelphia," Odom says.
He has starred alongside his wife Nicolette Robinson. As parents, they recently co-authored a children's book called "I Love You More than You'll Ever Know."
Odom is also returning to Broadway this fall, starring in and co-producing a revival of "Purlie Victorious."
All of his success, he says, started with a big push from Philly mentors.
"It's a pretty clear line when I think about my fifth-grade social studies teacher, Frances Turner, at Masterman Middle School," he says. "I think about the Philadelphia Dance Company, I think about Pennsylvania Ballet. I got a scholarship to study at the Freedom Theatre. I wouldn't have the life that I have without Philadelphia, without those angels."
Odom says his family will join him Thursday for the Philadelphia Music Alliance 2023 Walk of Fame ceremony at the University of the Arts' Hamilton Hall.
